welsh ballads. lord bateman, sweet william, siwsan lygatddu & the bishop of bangor

congratulation to the university of wales and particularly the welsh schools at university colleges bangor and cardiff for a new resource on line called cronfa baledi. it is a very usable site detailing authors, printers, sellers, catalogue numbers and tune lists of welsh language popular eighteenth century ballads, plus their first and last lines... and there's the rub



it is a pity that a quick comparison wih oxford's bodleian library collection of ballads exposes one final hurdle not crossed in terms of use to the general οἱ πολλοί on the university of wales site. 'what no pictures? said alice'. the bodleian not only gives us detailed photographs of these beautiful (and fragile - so nobody's fingering them) broadside ballads and a separate index for the woodcuts; but the site also has some midi files of the tune used. bingo.



it is of couse possible to retreive the catalogue number and see the mss for yourself at either bangor or cardiff but this is 21st century e-wales and for the artist who just wants to nick the words and tunes its a bit of a pity really. more hurdles to online viewing may be encountered here. another example of possibe frustration is to be seen below. in amongst a seemingly interminable ocean of religious balladry lies, temptingly, the ballad lord bateman. this is a screenshot of all we get



and on further perusal



nothing really to prepare us for the momentous discovery of this ballad, published in welsh speaking salop about a century before dickens and thackeray popularised the story of sofia and the owner of half of northumberland. here's one of the george cruikshank illustrations to dickens' words. the whole lot can be got here at the project gutenburg website




as it happens i copied the whole lot out by hand from the ms in bangor about a year ago. here's a free gift of it



C E R D D
o
hanes mab i wr BONHEDDIG
o
LANCASHIRE
AETH I DRAFEILIO

CYMERWYD hwn i garchar, o achos ei grefydd, yngwlad y Twrcs, a merch y brenin a’i ffan∫iodd ef, gan ddwyn yr agoriade, a’i ollwng ef yn rhydd gan wneuthur ammod a’u gilydd o doent i dro∫odd i Loegr ym hen y ∫aith mlynedd, gan bwyntio prïodas y cyfam∫er, ond y mab a brïododd un arall; ac ar y diwrnod y neithior daeth merch y brenin at ei haddewid, a bu ∫yndod mawr ar y mab, fe wrthododd ei wraig brïodol, ac a brïododd ferch brenin y Twrc.

gan EDWARD PUGH AP FYLLIN, Fardd
CROESOSWALLT
Argraphwyd gan J. SALTER
M, DCC, XCI,
Y MESUR A ELWIR
"NEW PRINCESS ROYAL"

I.
Gwyr a gwragedd dowch ynghyd,
hyna jeüenga’ brafia o bryd:
Clywch hanes mab bonheddig llon,
Aeth i deithio o’r wlad hon,
Ffordd i wledydd oedd digred
Gadawai ei wlad, i fynd ar led.
II.
I wlad y ffez Morocco’r aeth,
Bu arno yno gyflwr caeth;
Wrth rodio’r wlad nid rhad na rhwydd,
Cymerai’r Twrciaid e’n eu ∫wydd,
Rhodda∫ant ef mewn carchar cry’
Mynegaf ichwi fel y bu:
III.
Wylo’r dagre i lawr yn llyn
Yn y carchar ∫omgar ∫yn,
Dymunai dod’n ei wlad yn ol
Lle bod ymhlith rhai mor ddirol,

Lawr
Lawr i’r ∫eler ddu cadd fynd
Lle nid oedd posib gweled ffrind.
IV.
Y mab bonddigedd llariedd llon,
Hwn oedd heb gudd yn brudd i fron,
Mab oedd heb braw’ yn lan o bryd,
Carcharwr oedd ef yno o hyd,
O’r carcharorion daeth refiw
Fo oedd hawddgara’ lana’ ei liw
V.
Fe aeth un yno’n llon i’r llu
Sef merch y brenin atto fu,
Can wel’d mor lân o bryd a gwedd
Ffan∫iodd hon y mab mewn hedd,
Yn ei chalon yn ddi gudd
Ag ei∫iau cael y mab yn rhydd.
VI.
Yn y dyngiwn yn gla’ roddd dan glo,
Y ferch ofynnau iddo fo
Oedd ganddo fodd i’w brynnu’n rhydd.
A’r dagre’n rhedeg lawr ei grudd.
Dywedai ynte wrth y fun
Fod ganddo stât’n ei wlad ei hun


Bodlon
VII.
Bodlon wyf i roi f^y ∫tât
Os caf I fynd i dir fy ngwlad,
Nag aur, nag arian, bwyd, na bir:
Na dim arall yn wir nad oes,
Ofni rwyf mae b^yr yw f’oes.
VIII.
Y ferch rinweddol yno ddai,
A bara a diod iddo hi a roi;
A mentro a ddarfu hon yn hy’,
Agoriade a cloëau y carchar cry’,
A hi a ollyngai y mab yn rhydd,
A’i gyrchu heb braw o’r carchar prudd
IX.
Yno d’wedai’r ladi braf,
Yn brïod cym’raf chwi os caf.
Chwi eiff yn glen i dir eich gwlad
Na anghofiwch momo fi drwy wad;
Ym mhen ∫aith mlynedd gwedded gwiw
Byddaf finne ichwi’n driw
X.
Gwneuthur ammod a wnaeth y ddau
A’r ladi glws yn ledio’n glau


Pan
Pan ddoe’r ∫aith mlynedd maith i ben,
Y gwnaent brïodi i’w dau heb ∫en;
Dywedai’r ferch oedd lon ei gwedd,
Am gofio’r amod hynod hedd.
XI.
Hyn o amser oedd mor hir,
Fo anghofiai ei ∫eren ∫ir.
Pan ddaeth ∫aith mlynedd i’w coffhau,
Prïodi un arall yn wir fe wnai
Cadw neithior iddo ‘fe,
A phawb yn llawen iawn ei lle
XII.
Rhyw ferch jeüanc yno ddaeth,
Cnoccio wrth y drws hi wnaeth
Y gwas agorai iddi hi,
Fe welai’n ffraeth ryw ladi ffri
Hi ofynnai iddo’n hy’
Oedd ei fei∫tr yn y ty.
XIII.
Dywedai’r gwas yn ∫iwr ei fod,
A briod gydag ef trwy glod
Yn cadw neithior yno’n iawn,
Er y bore, a thrwy prydnhawn;
Gyda’r miwsig y mae fo
Yn prysur dawn∫io treio tro
Dywedwch
XIV.
Dywedwch wrth eich mei∫tr clir,
Am ddanfon imi fara a’i fir
A pheidio anghofio’r ferch a fu
‘N ei dwyn ef o’r carchar cry’
A fentrodd ei bywyd yn ddigon hy,
‘N ei gael yn rhydd o’r dyngiwn du.
XV.
At ei fei∫tr y gwas fo aeth,
A gore’n ffri mewn geiriau ffraeth,
Mewn agwedd hy’ mynegai hyn,
Dechreuai ei fei∫tr mynd yn ∫yn,
Ac wrth ei brïod dywedai’n hy’
Y cai hi fyned ffordd y bu.
XVI.
Am ei chorph nid oedd e’ waeth,
Roedd e’n ffri a’r feinir ffraeth,
Ar farch y dowch chwi yma’n ffol,
Yn eich coach and ∫ix cewch fynd yn ol,
Bai yn wir oedd arnaf fi,
Am dorri geiriau ‘rioed a thi
XVII.
I ffordd yr aeth y brïod ferch,
Ar ol prïodi a ∫oddi o’i ∫serch,
Dim

Dim count am dani mwy nid oes,
Am y ferch heini yn ei hoes,
A’r hen gariad priodi a wnai
A byw yn glen efo’r feinir glau
XVIII.
Wel dyna’r ∫tori heini hardd
O’ch blaen chwi rhwydd fel cadd y bardd;
Yn rhodd na fernwch anai’n faith,
Ewch gynta o’m gwydd i fendio’r gwaith.
Dim help os nad oes fy mhen fydd wan,
You may do better if you can.


T E R E Y N







new princess royal is the tune suggested to sing the ballad. not the princess royal of playford but a tune that was attributed to o'carolan by ed. bunting called there miss macdermott, and later re-appreared in various forms as the princess royal in the cotswold and other morris traditions. here's a full list of the tunes used by the ballad singers as appears on the cronfa baledi website

Acen Colomen

Amorillis

Anodd Ymadael

Anodd Ymadael y ffordd fer

Belisle March

Beti Brown

Black Eyed Susan

Black-Eyed Susan

Bodlonrwydd

Bonny Jockey

Bore Dydd Llun

Breuddwyd

Breuddwyd Cariad

Breuddwyd Dafydd Rhys

Breuddwyd y Frenhines

Bryniau'r Iwerddon

Bryniau'r Iwerddon y ffordd hwy

Buckledo

Bwrw Ymaith Ofalon

Calon Dderwen

Calon Drom

Cariad Nebyn

Cast Away Care

Charity Mistress

Charming Chloe

Cil y Fwyalch

Clochydd Meddw Mwyn

Codiad yr Ehedydd

Conset Capten Morgan

Conset Catrin Penllyn

Conset Clychau Rhuabon

Conset Gruffudd ap Cynan

Conset Gwyr Aberffraw

Conset Gwyr Dyfi

Conset Gwyr Gwent

Conset Gwyr y Gogledd

Conset Lord Wilbury

Conset y Brenin William

Conset y Brenin William ffordd newydd

Conset y Prince Rupert

Cowper Mwyn

Crimson Velvet

Crying Windsor

Cwymp i'r Nant

Cwymp y Dail

Cwymp y Dail y ffordd hwy

Cwynfan Prydain

Cyfarfod Da

Cysgod Uchod i Chwi

Dau Drawiad

Difyrrwch Gwyr y Gogledd

Difyrrwch Hugh Evans

Difyrrwch y Brenin Charles

Diniweidrwydd

Dol y Moch

Down With the Roundheads

Duw Gadwo'r Brenin

Duw Gadwo'r Brenin yr hen ffordd

Duwc y Dero

Eluseni Mistress

Eos Lais

Erlid y Geinach

Fell Into Two

Ffansi'r Milwr

Ffarwel Brydain

Ffarwel Dai Llwyd

Ffarwel Dickby

Ffarwel Gwyr Aberffraw

Ffarwel Gwyr Dyfi

Ffarwel Ned Puw

Ffarwel Trefaldwyn

Ffarwel y Brenin

Ffelene

French March

Full of Fancy

Gadael Tir

Gadael Tir y ffordd hir

Gadael Tir y ffordd hwy

Galar Don

Gentry's Delight

Glan Meddwdod Mwyn

God Save the King

Greece and Troy

Grisial Ground

Gwagedd y Gwalch

Gwel Adeilad

Gwel yr Adeilad

Gwinllan Ddyrus

Gwledd Angharad

Haf

Hau Cyn Dydd

Heart of Oak

Heavy Heart

Hen Don

Heppi's March

Hir Oes i Fair

Hitting Tinker

Hold the Way

Hope to Have

Hun Gwenllian

Hunting the Hare

Hyd y Frwynen

Hyd y Frwynen Las

I am a Poor Black 'Tis True

In My Own Mind

Janthee the Lovely

Jolly Breeze

King Charles's Delight

King George's Delight

King James' Delight

King's Delight

King's Farewell

King's Farewell y ffordd fer

King's Round

Lady Biram

Lawr a'r Pengrynion

Leave Land

Leave Land y ffordd fer

Leave Land y ffordd hwy

Let Mary Live Long

Llafar Haf

Llafar Lusg

Llef Caer Wynt

Loath to Depart

Loath to Depart y ffordd fer

Loath to Depart y ffordd hir

Loath to Depart y ffordd hwy

London Apprentice

Lucy Hoyw

Lusi Hon

Lwsi Hoyw

Mael Sims

Malldod Dolgellau

March Mwnc

Marwnad Bwnc

Marwnad yr Heliwr

Megan a Gollodd i Gardes

Mentra Gwen

Mentra Gwen yr hen ffordd

Miller's Key

Minswyn

Moggy Ladder

Monday Morning

Mwyn Susanna

Mwynen Gwynedd

Mwynen Mai

Mwynen Merch

Neithiwr ac Echnos

Neu Me Relas

New Cast Away Care

New Dachy War

New March

New Princess Royal

New Rising Sun

Newydd

Newydd

Now Comes the Glorious Year

Nutmeg a Sinir

Nutmeg a Sinsir

Old Darby

Parson's Parish

Passing Bell

Peggy Band

Pietty Pal

Pigau'r Dur

Pleasant Thought

Pretty Nancy

Pretty Sally

Princess Royal

Queen of May

Queen's Dream

Red House

Rhywbeth Arall i'r Wneuthur

Rhywbeth Arall i'w Wneuthur

Rodney

Rodney's March

Rogero

Sailor Bold

Sawdwl y Fuwch

See the Building

Sesiwn Fach

Shoe Bend

Spanish Basan

Spanish Gwenddydd

Spanish Minuet

Susan Lygad-Ddu

Susanna

Sweet Passion

Sweet Richard

Sweet William

Sybylldir

Synselia

Tempest of War

Terfyn y Dyn Byw

The Lover

To My Own Mind

Toll the Bell

Ton Fechan

Torriad y Dydd

Torriad y Wawr

Tri Thrawiad

Triban

Trip y Rhyw

Troead y Droell

Tros y Garreg

Trumpet Tune Denbigh Chast

Trychineb Bateman

Trymder

Trymder y Mab

Tyb y Tywysog Rupert

Unrhyw

Voice Love

Watkin Taylor

Welcome John

Wilkes's Wriggle

William Crismond

Wyneb y Gwrthwyneb

Y Ceiliog Du

Y Consymsiwn

Y Ddime Goch

Y Drymer Ifanc

Y Dydd Cyntaf o Awst

Y Famaeth

Y Fedle Fawr

Y Foes

Y Foes Fer

Ymadawaid y Brenin

Ymadawiad y Brenin

Ymadawiad y Brnein

Ymadawiad y Plant Man

Ymdaith Treffynnon

Yr Hen Foes

sweet william and black eyed susan (siwsan lygad ddu) both appear separately on this list and an interesting background to their story when they were one, can be found on andrew kuntz' wonderful (except for his fear of the word 'welsh'. not a word i use often, but it is useful when describing john parry who according to kuntz composed the 'english' tune cader idris, or sweey jenny jones) resource here


SWEET WILLIAM'S FAREWELL (TO BLACK-EYE'D SUSAN). AKA and see "All in the Downs," "Thus when the swallow, seeking prey," "Black& Eyed Susan [2]." English, Air (3/4 time). C Dorian. Standard tuning. AB. The music to this ballad is by Richard Leveridge while the words are by John Gay, based on the popular story of the courtship of William Whitcraft and Susan Cole, of Plymouth, commonly known as "Sweet William" and "Black-Eyed Susan." A version of this ballad was frequently reprinted in the late 18th-century as “William and Susan's Garland.” The lyric was first published by Gay in 1720, but was set to music by Leveridge and appeared in Watts' Musical Miscellany (1730), then ballad operas and broadsides from 1730 and later. Chappell and Scott note that Leveridge was "a genial and popular personage, possessed of a fine (bass) voice..," who was in the habit of challenging people to singing contests. In general, however (and despite his popular tune "Roast Beef of Old England"), he was thought a rather dull and mediocre composer; Chappel thinks the original tune for "Sweet William" was improved by time and the alterations of other performers. Gay also used the tune in his opera The Beggar's Opera (1729) under the title "Thus when the swallow, seeking prey." When Vauxhall Gardens was re-opened to the public in 1736, Peter Monamy was one of the artists commissioned to paint scenes of the creations and recreations of English life. One of the subjects he chose to illustrate was Gay’s song “Sweet William’s Farewell to Black-Eyed Susan.” Rod Stradling and Mike Yates (in a 2000 Musical Traditions article on singer Walter Pardon) note that “the song became extremely popular for 100 years or more - so much so that a number of sequels sprang up to trade on the original's popularity. Sweet William's Return to his Dear Susan was followed by Sweet Susan's Constancy and The True Answer to Black-Ey'd Susan … there may have been others (vague rumours of Son of Black-Eyed Susan and Black-Eyed Susan Goes Line-Dancing have been heard …) Even a stage play resulted, Black-Eyed Susan or All in the Downs (1829), involving the imagined melodramatic consequences of Sweet William's return.” Frank McHugh, writing on the London theatre season of 1812-1813, records: “David Mayer notes that the character Black-Eyed Susan appeared in pantomime soon after Jerrold's melodrama of 1829, but that she had appeared much earlier--in fact in the Sans Pareil pantomime of 1812-13, Davy Jones's Locker; or, Black-Eyed Susan. Mayer says, "A summary of the pantomime in the playbill of the 1813 Davy Jones suggests how extensively the character of Black Ey'd Susan belonged to the theatre, equally suitable to pantomime arrangers and to such serious dramatists as Jerrold" (Harlequin in His Element, 82-3).”  Gay’s lyric begins:
***
All in the Downs the Fleet was moor'd
The streamers waving in the wind,
When Balck-eyed Susan came on board
"O where shall I my true love find?
Tell me, jovial sailoers, tell me true,
If my Sweet William sails among the crew?”
***
The song’s popularity waned greatly after the mid-19th century, although there were occasional survivals to modern times in tradition. Stradling and Yates cite its appearance in Bob Hart’s, of Snape, Suffolk, repertoire in the 1970’s, and Walter Pardon’s sound recording. Chappell (Popular Music of the Olden Time), vol. 2, 1859; pg. 144. Scott, 1926; pg. 4.




X:1
T:Sweet Williams Farewell to Black-Ey’d Susan
M:3/4
L:1/8
S:Chappell – Popular Music of the Olden Time  (1859)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:C Dorian
G2c2d2|e2d2c2|=B2c2d2|G4c2|BA G2F2|E4D2|C2D2F2|G6|G2c2d2|e4d2|e4f2|
G6|f6|d2c2B2|c2d2e2|f2d4|e6||g2f2e2|f2e2d2|=B2c2d2|G6|E2F2G2|F>G A2G2|
G2A2=B2|c>d e2d2|e2d2c2|B2c2=B2|c6||

here is the entirity of gay's lyric

All in the dawn the fleet was moor'd,
The streamers waving to the wind,
When Black-eyed Susan came on board,
Oh where shall I my true love find?
Tell me, ye jovial sailors, tell me true,
If my sweet William, if my sweet William
Sails among your crew?

Oh William, who high upon the yard,
Rocked with the billows to and fro,
Soon as her well-known voice he heard,
He sigh'd and cast his eyes below:
The cord slides swiftly thro' his glowing hands
And as quick as lightning, and as quick as lightning
On the deck he stands.

So sweet the lark, high poised in air,
Shuts close his pinions to his breast,
If, chance, his mate's shrill voice he hear,
And drops at once into her nest:
The noblest captain in the British fleet
Might envy William, might envy William's
Lip those kisses sweet.

'Oh Susan, Susan, lovely dear!
My vows shall ever true remain,
Let me kiss off that falling tear,
We only part to meet again:
Change as ye list, ye winds, my heart shall be
The faithful compass, the faithful compass
That still points to thee.

'Oh, believe not what the landsmen say
Who tempt with doubts thy constant mind,
They'll tell thee sailors when away,
In every port a mistress find:
Yes, yes, believe them when they tell thee so,
For thou art present, for thou art present
Wheresoe'er I go.

If to fair India's coast we sail,
Thy eyes are seen in diamonds bright:
Thy breath is Afric's spicy gale,
Thy skin as ivory so white:
Thus every beauteous object that I view
Wakes in my soul, wakes in my soul
Some charm of lovely Sue.'

Though battle call me from thy arms
Let not my pretty Susan mourn:
Though cannon roar, yet safe from harms
William shall to his dear return:
Love turns aside the balls that round me fly
Lest precious tears, lest precious tears
Should drop from Susan's eye.

The boatswain gave the dreadful word,
Her sails their swelling bosom spread:
No longer can she stay on board -
They kissed, she sighed, he hung his head:
Her lessening boat unwilling rows to land,
'Adieu,' she cries, 'Adieu,' she cries
And waved her lily hand.

tune players in the welsh and english traditions will recognize phrases from this tune in its truncated jig form as the earlier bishop of bangors jig, which appears in one of the later playford collections. here it is as i learned it from the whistle playing of jonathan shorland, then of aberystwyth, about twenty years ago. jonathan played it usually in g minor, on an f whistle and followed it with cwrw da, the (nearly) slip jig composed by john parry. geoff hardman of anglesey also plays this setting of jonathan's but on the timber flute and in e minor.



X: 1
T:Bishop of Bangor's Jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:Em
B|efg fge|^def B2e|dcB cBA|B3-B2B|
efg fge|^def B2e|dcB cBA|B3-B2|
B|dBG cAF|BGE AFD|GAB AGF|G3G2||
B|ge^c af^d|bge af^d|efg Be^d|e3-e2:||

ah well,
may get drunk, may get boozy
better stay a way from little black eyed susie