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
1 Jenny Lind / The Girl I Left Behind Me fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano & drums: 4 August 1962
2 The Waltz Vienna fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano & drums: 4 August 1962
3 Off She Goes fiddle : August 1959
4 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
6 Untitled Polka fiddle: July 1959
7 Dulcie Bell dulcimer: 4 August 1962
8 The Heel and Toe Polka fiddle, concertina, melodeon & piano : 22 July 1966
9 The Sailor’s Hornpipe / The Shipdham Hornpipe / Untitled Polka / The White Cockade / Untitled Polka fiddle & piano: 5 August 1962
10 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
11 The Cliff Hornpipe dulcimer, fiddle & piano: 16 April 1960
12 The Bluebell Polka fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, drums & pipe-&-tabor: 4 August 1962
13 Shave the Donkey fiddle: March 1959
14 Shave the Donkey two fiddles, piano & drums: 5 August 1962
15 Waltz Selection introducing The Sailor Cut Down in His Prime fiddle, piano & banjo: August 1959
16 The Yarmouth Hornpipe introducing The Four-Hand Reel & The Sailor’s Hornpipe dulcimer: 4 August 1962
17 The Helston Furry Dance fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, drums & pipe-&-tabor: 4 August 1962
18 The Irish Washerwoman / The Sprig of Shillelagh fiddle: March 1959
19 The Foggy Dew / The Sailor Cut Down in His Prime fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano & drums: 4 August 1962
20 Peggy Wood / When There Isn’t a Girl About melodeon, mandolin-banjo, piano & drums: 5 August 1962
21 Untitled Polka fiddle: March 1959
22 Wheels dulcimer: 4 August 1962
23 In and Out the Windows concertina, melodeon, fiddle & piano: 22 July 1966
24 Washing Day / Old Mrs Huddledee / The Keel Row (The Cat’s Got the Measles) fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, drums & pipe-&-tabor: 4 August 1962
25 Untitled Polka fiddle & piano: 5 August 1962
26 The Irish Washerwoman / Garryowen / Rory O’ More / St. Patrick’s Day dulcimer: 4 August 1962
27 The Four-Hand Reel / Soldier’s Joy fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano & drums : 4 August 1962
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