Bellringers song
Another fine session last night at the Canberra Irish Club – good music, good songs and of course there’s the Guinness.
A friend of mine managed to track down the words to song I have been trying to find for the past several years – the Bell Ringers Competition – about teams of bell ringers in various parts of Devon in the UK. I heard the song about 20 years ago in Perth western Australia and the tune stuck, along with the chorus – but the words proved elusive the song started off:
In the month of October, neither drunken nor sober
On Broadbury Down I was wending my way
When I heard of some ringing, some dancing and singing
I ought to remember that Jubilee dayCHOR:In Ashwater Town, the bells they did sound
They rang for a belt and a hat laced with gold
But the men of North Looe rang so steady and true
that there never was better in Devon I hold
The tune could almost be sung as a round – anyhow, many thanks to Sandra for tracking this one down when my own net searches had proven fruitless.
Can’t play .mid files? Here it is in mp3
cheers
Jerry
Comment by Chris Gimblett
Hello Jerry, I like you have been trying to track this song down for yonks. I actually found it here as well:
http://www.quoditch.org.uk/quoditchvisitors.htm
Next question – how does the tune go?
I have an amateur bluegrass band here
in Oxford UK and am trying to find
something a bit different in the way of material (after all, I don’t actually live in a little old log cabin in Carolina or anything like). Any help would be much appreciated. Congrats on regaining the Ashes – lost me a fiver though! Best Wishes, Chris Gimblett.
Posted on January 15, 2007 at 3:18 am
Comment by jerry
I’ve now added a midi file of the tune the way I recall hearing it about 20 years ago
Cheers
Jerry
Posted on January 15, 2007 at 5:12 pm