M. Douglas writes:
>"Little Sir William" is a variant of "Sir Hugh, or, The Jew's Daughter"
>(Child no.155, Roud Folk Song Index no.73). Lucy Broadwood published a
>Lincolnshire example quoted from Mason's "Nursery Rhymes and Country Songs"
>in her "English County Songs" (1893) which is quite likely what you are
>looking for. The text also appears in Child's Additions and Corrections,
>E&SPB vol.5 pp.240-1.
>The text quoted by J L Speranza is identical but for the substitution of
>"Schoolwife" for "Jew's wife". Whether this is another variant found in
>Somerset I don't know; but I'm inclined to suspect editing by Britten (for
>obvious reasons) and perhaps some later confusion over the source.
I find the lyrics online now at
http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/v/volkslieder/william.html
http://www.geocities.com/angelofmusic_us/trees_they_grow_so_high_lryics.html
and
http://www.xs4all.nl/~josvg/cits/sb/sb714.html
Interesting thing about this possible Brittenesque editing of 'Jew's' (in
"Jew's wife") to read 'school'. (Interesting that M. Douglas's sources seem
to keep "schoolfellows", though -- and what _is_ a 'schoolwife'?)
Another interesting (to me) tidbit (titbit) is that the Boyne is an _Irish_
"water", so how come this is believed to be 'Somersetian' (sic)...
Sorry for them (sic) irrelevant refs. to other _balladry_ "Williams" in my
previous. Wonder if this 'Little Sir William' was actually a 'sir', though,
or was 'sir' used more broadly in them good ole days to mean just allmost
(sic) anyone?).
Cheers,
JL
Folksong Circle.
==
J L Speranza, Esq
Country Town
St Michael's Hall Suite 5/8
Calle 58, No 611 Calle Arenales 2021
La Plata CP 1900 Recoleta CP 1124
Tel 00541148241050 Tel 00542214257817
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
Telefax 00542214259205
http://www.netverk.com.ar/~jls/
[log in to unmask]
|