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 Foessweet 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
hereSWEET 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
