maandag 10 januari 2022

The Sweet Trinity (1685) / The Golden Vanity (1862) / The Lowland Sea (1902) / The Golden Willow Tree (1925) / The Lowlands (1928) / Noordzee (1965)

This folksong was collected by Francis James Child as "The Sweet Trinity (The Golden Vanity)", and is Child 286. Child collected 3 versions (A,B and C version)--> see further on in this post
It is also collected as 122 in the Roud Folk Index. The song is known under several other names besides "The Sweet Trinity" and "The Golden Vanity": "The Lowland Sea", "The Golden Willow Tree" "Merry Golden Tree" and "The Turkish Revelry".
The captain of a variously named ship, initially "The Sweet Trinity", but usually "The Golden Vanity", expresses deep concern over the ship's safety due to the presence of an enemy ship (initially "a false gallaly"), but usually of Turkish, French or Spanish sail, and in American versions, British. 
A cabin boy offers to resolve the danger, and the captain promises various rewards if he will do so. The cabin boy swims to the enemy ship, bores holes in its hull, and than swim backs to his own ship, whereupon the captain refuses to make good on his promises and usually will not even let the cabin boy back on board so he drowns. In some versions the cabin boy proceeds to sink the ship on which he served, using the same method of boring holes in the hull.


More than 100 versions were collected by Bertrand Harris Bronson in volume 4 of his highly praised "Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads" book series.


The recently popularized version of the "Golden Vanity" (as "Turkish Revelry") is sung by Loudon Wainwright III on the double CD "Rogue's Gallery" (issued in the wake of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series)
Wainwright's version stems from Paul Clayton's version, "The Turkish Revelee", recorded in 1956 on his most popular album "Whaling and Sailing Songs from the Days of Moby Dick". 
Clayton transcribed and learned his version from a recording, "The Turkish Rebelee", of one of the best American traditional singers, Horton Barker.
But as we see below Horton Barker wasn't even the first to record a version of this traditional ballad. 
In 1925 Welby Toomey recorded "The Golden Willow Tree", which has the same melody and almost the same lyrics. You can listen to sound clips further on in this post.


3 versions of  "The Sweet Tinity / Golden Vanity" were published in 1898 in James Francis Childs The English and Scottish Popular Ballads volume 5 part X.

 
 
The text above is also on the next link:   Child Ballads - Narrative

The complete lyrics of version A are here: Child Ballads #286 version A - Lyrics
 
The complete lyrics of version B are here: Child Ballads #286 version B - Lyrics 

The complete lyrics of version C are here: Child Ballads #286 version C - Lyrics


Transcription of the 3 versions in Child's book is also here:


The A-version of Child Ballad #286 was originally printed as a broadside during the period 1682-85 by Joshua Conyers, “at the Black-Raven, the 1st shop in Fetter-lane, next Holborn.”
It was included in the Pepys Ballad collection (Volume IV, 196 #189) and is entitled "Sir Walter Raleigh sailing in the Low-lands".
 
Click on the PIC below to enlarge:




The B-version of Child Ballad #286 was originally published in 1862 in Chrisopher North's A Memoir of John Wilson (compiled by Mrs. Gordon = John Wilson's daughter).
As "The Goulden Vanitee" (given with an air of no value) is was sung around 1840 at a convivial meeting at Lord Robertson's by Mr Peter Fraser of Edinburgh.

Here's the concerning page from the 1862 Memoir of John Wilson




The C-version of Child Ballad #286 ("The Golden Vanity or The Low Lands Low") was originally printed and sold as a broadside by Pitts, Printer, Toy and Marble Warehouse, 6 Great St. Andrew Street, 7 Dials.
Dated between 1820 and 1844. In this version the enemy is a Turkish galleon.




SEE LARGER PICTURE HERE:    74896395.30.jpg (1000×1311)

The C-version of Child Ballad #286 ("The Golden Vanity or The Low Lands Low") was also printed and sold as a broadside by H. Such, Newsvender, &c. 123, Union Street, Borough, London.
Dated between 1849 and 1862. In this version the enemy is a Spanish galleon.

 



In 1869 two versions "The Goulden Vanitie" and "The Golden Vanity or The Low Lands Low" were published in William Hugh Logan's songbook Pedlar's Pack.


(these versions ended up in 1898 as resp the B-version and the C-version of Child Ballad # 286)



In 1889 the ballad was published in Roxburghe Ballads Volume 6. In the comments editor J Woodfall Ebsworth states that this broadside wasn't printed before 1682, and: the ballad may have appeared earlier, but not before 1663.





In the US a version with only one original verse was published with music as a college/minstrel song as early as 1868 in Carmina Collegensia: a complete collection of the songs of the American colleges by Henry Randall Waite.
 





In 1890 Sabine Baring-Gould published "The Golden Vanity" in Songs of the West.
Collected, words and music, in 1889, from James Olver, Launceston, Cornwall.
 



Here are the Baring-Gould's notes on song # 64 "The Golden Vanity"


And here's a midi of Baring-Gould's version from 1890: 064goldenvanity.mp3



Around 1902 George Hyde Pownall wrote new words to this old sea song. This version was modelled after the C-version of Child Ballad #286, except for the tragic end in the last verse, which was replaced by a happy ending.
With a new musical arrangement by Edward Branscombe it was published in Australia in 1902, and it was retitled "The Lowland Sea".



Lyrics:

There was a gallant ship sailing from the north countrie,
And she went by the name of the Golden Vanity.
But they feared she would be taken by the Turkish enemy.
That sailed upon the lowland, lowland, lowland,
That sailed upon the lowland sea.

Then out spake the cabin boy, "what will you give to me 
If I do make an end of the Turkish enemy?"
"My daughter you shall wed (Fairest in the North countrie),
If you sink them in the lowland, lowland, lowland,
You sink them in the lowland sea".

Then the boy swam out o'er the waters deep and wide,
And he bored a mighty hole in the Turkish galleys' side,
Oh! white grew the foam as she plunged in the tide
And she sank below the lowland, lowland, lowland,
She sank below the lowland sea.

Then the boy turned round and back again swam he,
And he cried out to the skipper of  the "Golden Vanity",
But the skipper turn'd away and he laughed scornfully,
And he left him in the lowland, lowland, lowland,
He left him in the lowland sea".

Then he floated round the ship and came near the starboard side,
And he looked up at his mess-mates and bitterly he cried,
Oh mess-mates take me up, for I'm sinking 'neath the tide,
And I'm drowning in the lowland, lowland, lowland,
I'm drowning in the lowland sea".

Then they drew him up aboard and they praised him joyfully,
Who had saved them from the hand of the Turkish enemy,
And the skipper gave his daughter (Fairest in the North countrie),
When they sailed from the lowland, lowland, lowland,
They sailed from the lowland sea.




"The Lowland Sea" was probably introduced around 1902/1903 by Edward Branscombe himself as a member of the Gentlemen of the Westminster Abbey Glee Party, when they were touring in Australia.
In 1901, following a tour of South Africa, Branscombe had assembled the Westminster Glee Party and toured the Commonwealth performing a repertoire of English part songs, glees, madrigals and sea shanteys.



And here are THE RECORDINGS: 


In 1910 Mr. Harry Dearth recorded "The Lowland Sea" with an arrangement by Eric Coates.
The lyrics and melody for this version are copied from the Edward Branscombe arrangement here above. So Eric Coates is probably only responsible for the piano arrangement.

(o) Mr Harry Dearth (1910) (as "The Lowland Sea")
Recorded January 28, 1910 in London
Matrix 4070f
Relaesed on His Master's Voice 02260
 


In October 1910 this record is reviewed in a HMV catalogue

 

Here's the complete catalogue: 029I-HMVNX1910X10-0000A0.pdf

Here's the recording date from CHARM: Search Results for coates, lowland sea

Listen here:


But already in 1906 Mr Harry Dearth had recorded a version in London for the Odeon-label.
This version is still on my wishlist.




In 1912 Peter Dawson recorded the Branscombe-arrangement. This arrangement was later copied by Richard Dyer-Bennet (1941), Burl Ives (1952), Susan Reed (1954), Chad Mitchell Trio (1962), Jay & The Americans (1963), Rory Block (1984), Tom Paxton (1986), Peter, Paul & Mary (1990) 
Also in a Swedish version by Hootenanny Singers (1964) and in the Dutch version by Boudewijn de Groot (1965).        Listen to sound clips further on in this post.

(c) Peter Dawson (1912) (as "The Lowland Sea")
Recorded July 9, 1912 in London
Released on Zonophone Record # 892
 



Listen here:




In 1921 Prof. Dr. Isaac Garfield Greer recorded an unnumbered cylinder recording.
It is now part of the Frank C. Brown collection.

(c) I.G. Greer (1921) (as "The Sweet Trinity (Golden Willow Tree)")
Recorded June 24, 1921 in Boone, Watauga County, North Carolina



Listen here:




In 1925 Welby Toomey recorded a version, where the ship is called "The Golden Willow Tree"
This version is different in melody from the "Lowland Sea" version arranged by Branscombe.
The melody in the Welby Toomey's version was subsequently used in many (American) versions of this traditional sea shantey: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1935), Carter Family (1935), Justus Begley (1937), Horton Barker (1939), Almanac Singers (1941), Paul Clayton (1956), Pete Seeger (1957), Peggy Seeger (1957), Lonnie Donegan (1960), Bob Dylan (1992) and 


(o) Welby Toomey (1925) (as "The Golden Willow Tree")
Recorded November 13, 1925 in Richmond, Indiana
Released on Gennett 3195



Re-released in 1927 as by Clarence Adams






(c) James Forman (around 1928) (as "The Golden Vanity")
Recorded by James Madison Carpenter in Leith, Scotland


Released in 1980 on the next Folktrax cassette


Listen to 3 versions here:






(c) Duncan Bell (around 1928) (as "The Golden Vanity")
Recorded by James Madison Carpenter in Lambhill, Scotland




In 1935 Bascom Lamar Lunsford recorded a version where the ship is called "Merry Golden Tree".

(c) Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1935) (as "Merry Golden Tree")
Recorded February 27, 1935 for the Columbia University in New York City.






A few months later the Carter Family recorded the Merry Golden Tree-version.
Probably they had learned it from Bascom Lamar Lunsford.
But their version was retitled "Sinking in the Lonesome Sea"

(c) Carter Family (1935) (as "Sinking in the Lonesome Sea")
Recorded May 5, 1935 in New York
Released on Vocalion 03160


Listen here:




(c) Justus Begley (1937) (as "The Golden Willow Tree")
Recorded in October 1937 in Hazard, Kentucky
Released on Archive of American Folk Song label # AAFS 31






Or here:




(c) Horton Barker (1939) (as "The Turkish Rebelee")
Recorded April 19, 1939 near Chilhowie (Smyth County), virginia

Released on the next album  Virginia Traditions

SEE PAGE 13 and 14 on the next link: BRI00002.pdf

Listen here:




(c) Almanac Singers (1941) (as "The Golden Vanity")
Pete Seeger, five-string banjo, recorder, vocal; Woody Guthrie, guitar, vocal; 
Peter Hawes, vocal and Millard Lampell, vocal
Recorded July 7, 1941 at Reeves Sound Studios in New York City
Matrix R-4174
Released in 1941 on 78 RPM General 5016B as part of the album Deep Sea Chanteys and Whaling Ballads (General G-20)
 



Listen here:


The same recording was re-released in 1947 on 78 RPM Commodore 3006B as part of the album Deep Sea Chanteys and Whaling Ballads (Commodore CR-11)





(c) Richard Dyer-Bennet (1941) (as "The Golden Vanity")


Listen here: 




(c) Burl Ives (1952) (as "The Golden Vanity")
Recorded March 3, 1952 in the Decca Recording Studio in  New York City
Released on the next 45 RPM EP album set (Decca ED 511)



Listen here:




(c) Susan Reed (1954) (as "The Golden Vanity")



Listen here:




(c) Paul Clayton (1956) (as "The Turkish Revelee")


Listen here:




(c) Pete Seeger (1957) (as "The Golden Vanity")


Listen here:





(c) Peggy Seeger (1957) (as "The Golden Vanity")
Released early 1957 on the Riverside-label





Listen here:



On the same album Peggy's husband Ewan MacColl sang another version:

(c) Ewan MacColl (1957) (as "The Sweet Kumadee")

Listen here: 




(c) Lonnie Donegan (1960) (as "The Golden Vanity")
Recorded October 23, 1959 in the Pye Studios in London.
Released on the B-side of his millionselling song "My Old Man's A Dustman"


Listen here:




(c) Chad Mitchell Trio (1962) (as "Golden Vanity")
Recorded March 18, 1962 live at the Bitter End Coffee House in Greenwich Village, New York City


Listen here:




(c) Hootenanny Singers (1964) (as "Den Gyllene Fregatt")
Recorded 1964 at Metronome Studio in Stockholm
Released on the Polar-label






Listen here: 




In 1965 Boudewijn de Groot recorded a Dutch version titled "Noordzee" (based on the Edward Branscombe arrangement of "Lowlands Sea")
The lyrics were written by his Lennaert Nijgh, who wrote the majority of Boudewijn's lyrics

(c) Boudewijn de Groot (1966) (as "Noordzee")


Listen here:




With a new musical setting by Benjamin Britten and a libretto by Colin Graham, "The Golden Vanity Opus 78" premiered on June 3, 1967 at the Aldeburgh Festival by the Vienna Boys' Choir (Wiener Sängerknaben), to whom it was dedicated. But they weren't the first choir to record this version. After a quarrel with Britten, the work was subsequently dropped from their repertoire.


The first recording of The Golden Vanity was made at the Craighall Studios in Edinburgh in July 1968 by a choir from The Edinburgh Academy (conductor Brian Head; piano Keith Griffiths). 


Only 30 or 40 (private) copies of the LP above were produced. Apparently, the studios and the company with which Britten had a contract could not agree on terms for issuing the recording commercially.

Here's the first recording of Britten's Golden Vanity, that was officially released:

(c) Wandsworth School Boys' Choir (1970) (as "The Golden Vanity opus 78")
Conducted by Russell Burgess.
Piano: Bemjamin Britten.
Vocals [Bosun Golden Vanity] – John Wojciechowski 
Vocals [Bosun Turkish Galilee] – Terry Lovell 
Vocals [Cabin Boy Golden Vanity] – Barnaby Jago 
Vocals [Captain Golden Vanity] – Mark Emney
Vocals [Captain Turkish Galilee] – Adrian Thompson
Recorded October 10-11, 1969 at St John's Smith Square, London


Listen here:



Finally after more than 26 years, in June 1992, the Vienna Boys' Choir (Wiener Sängerknaben) made a recording of "The Golden Vanity opus 78".





In 1979 Lennaert Nijgh, who was briefly married to Astrid Nijgh, wrote new lyrics and a new musical arrangement for his then ex-wife.

(c) Astrid Nijgh (1979) (as "De Gulden Hoorn")



Listen here: 




(c) Rory Block (1984) (as "The Golden Vanity")


Listen here:




(c) Tom Paxton (1986) (as "The Golden Vanity")





(c) Peter, Paul & Mary (1990) (as "Golden Vanity")


Listen here:




(c) Bob Dylan (1992) (as "Golden Vanity")
Recorded live on April 24, 1992 in Waikiki, Hawaii



Listen here:




(c) Roger McGuinn (1996) (as "Golden Vanity")
Recorded for his Folk Den project





(c) Loudon Wainwright III (2006) (as "Turkish Revelry")


Listen here:




(c) Michiel Schrey, Richard Irwin, Sean Dagher, Nelson Carter, Nils Brown and David Gossage (2014)
(as "The Golden Vanity")


Listen here: 




More versions here:









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