ENGLISH COUNTRY MUSIC ~ VARIOUS ARTISTS TSCD607
Billy Cooper (1883), Walter Bulwer (1888) and Daisy Bulwer (c.1892) were active musicians in rural Norfolk for over half a century. These recordings, made together with visiting friends in the Bulwers’ cottage in the village of Shipdham, capture the style, vitality and robustness of the music they played for dancing in pubs and at Saturday night hops and wedding parties. Earlier editions of English Country Music appeared in 1965 and 1976. This third edition is re-mastered and contains new notes and many additional recordings.
“Unreservedly recommended” – fRoots magazine
“… right at the core of English identity” – Songlines Magazine
“The playing is wonderfully without affectation and superfluous ornamentation is left in the dooryard. English Country Music is a treasure chest packed with 27 selections of homemade music when the music was used as simple country entertainment. A gem!” Sing Out magazine
Walter Bulwer fiddle & mandolin-banjo
Billy Cooper dulcimer
Reg Hall melodeon & fiddle
Daisy Bulwer piano
Mervyn Plunkett drums (snare, home-made tenor & tambourine)
Russell Wortley pipe & tabor
Scan Tester Anglo-German concertina
**** Hawkins banjo
1Â Jenny Lind / The Girl I Left Behind Me fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano & drums: 4 August 1962
2Â The Waltz Vienna fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano & drums: 4 August 1962
3Â Off She Goes fiddle : August 1959
4Â Off She Goes melodeon, mandolin-banjo, piano, drums & pipe-&-tabor: 5 August 1962
5 Red Wing fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, drums & pipe-&-tabor: 4 August 1962
6Â Untitled Polka fiddle: July 1959
7Â Dulcie Bell dulcimer: 4 August 1962
8Â The Heel and Toe Polka fiddle, concertina, melodeon & piano : 22 July 1966
9Â The Sailor’s Hornpipe / The Shipdham Hornpipe / Untitled Polka / The White Cockade / Untitled Polka fiddle & piano: 5 August 1962
10Â Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms / Johnny’s So Long at the Fair / The Wild Colonial Boy fiddle, melodeon, piano, drums & pipe-&-tabor: 5 August 1962
11Â The Cliff Hornpipe dulcimer, fiddle & piano: 16 April 1960
12Â The Bluebell Polka fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, drums & pipe-&-tabor: 4 August 1962
13Â Shave the Donkey fiddle: March 1959
14Â Shave the Donkey two fiddles, piano & drums: 5 August 1962
15Â Waltz Selection introducing The Sailor Cut Down in His Prime fiddle, piano & banjo: August 1959
16Â The Yarmouth Hornpipe introducing The Four-Hand Reel & The Sailor’s Hornpipe dulcimer: 4 August 1962
17Â Â The Helston Furry Dance fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, drums & pipe-&-tabor: 4 August 1962
18Â The Irish Washerwoman / The Sprig of Shillelagh fiddle: March 1959
19Â The Foggy Dew / The Sailor Cut Down in His Prime fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano & drums: 4 August 1962
20Â Peggy Wood / When There Isn’t a Girl About melodeon, mandolin-banjo, piano & drums: 5 August 1962
21Â Untitled Polka fiddle: March 1959
22Â Wheels dulcimer: 4 August 1962
23Â In and Out the Windows concertina, melodeon, fiddle & piano: 22 July 1966
24Â Washing Day / Old Mrs Huddledee / The Keel Row (The Cat’s Got the Measles) fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, drums & pipe-&-tabor: 4 August 1962
25Â Untitled Polka fiddle & piano: 5 August 1962
26Â The Irish Washerwoman / Garryowen / Rory O’ More / St. Patrick’s Day dulcimer: 4 August 1962
27Â The Four-Hand Reel / Soldier’s Joy fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano & drums : 4 August 1962
Available now from:
TOPIC SHOP, AMAZON, ITUNES and on SPOTIFY