Recordings & Info 192. The Lochmaben Harper
CONTENTS:
1) Alternative Titles
2) Traditional Ballad Index
3) Child Collection
4) Mainly Norfolk
ATTACHED PAGES: (see left hand column)
1) Roud No. 85: The Lochmaben Harper (18 Listings)
Alternative Titles
The Jolly Harper
The Harpin' Mannie
Traditional Ballad Index: Lochmaben Harper, The [Child 192]
NAME: Lochmaben Harper, The [Child 192]
DESCRIPTION: A (blind) harper sets out to work in England. He rides his mare, which has just given birth to a foal. In England, he contrives to tie his horse to King Henry's. Next morning, mare and horse are gone; King Henry pays the harper for his work and his mare
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST_DATE: 1791
KEYWORDS: robbery royalty music harp
FOUND_IN: Britain(Scotland)
REFERENCES: (7 citations)
Child 192, "The Lochmaben Harper" (5 texts)
Bronson 192, "The Lochmaben Harper" (3 versions)
GreigDuncan2 270, "The Harpin' Mannie" (1 text)
Dixon IV, pp. 37-41, "The Jolly Harper" (1 text)
Leach, pp. 519-522, "The Lochmaben Harper" (1 text)
OBB 144, "The Lochmaben Harper" (1 text)
DT 192, LOCHHARP
Roud #85
Child Collection: Child Ballad 192: The Lochmaben Harper
Child-- Artist --Title --Album --Year-- Length-- Have
192 Denny Bartley The Blind Harper Midnight Feast 2002 4:22 Yes
192 Emily Smith The Lochmaben Harper A Different Life 2005 5:45 Yes
192 Emily Smith Band Introductions + The Story of the Lochmaben Harper + the Lochmaben Harper Premiere in Bremen - Live at Sendesaal Radio Bremen, 17. August 2005 2005 9:15 Yes
192 Golden Bough The Blind Harper of Lochmaben Celtic Music from Ireland, Scotland & Brittany 1998 4:24 Yes
192 Golden Bough The Blind Harper of Lochmaben Festival of Irish Music, Vol. 2 1993 4:23 Yes
192 Golden Bough The Blind Harper of Lochmaben Live - 25th Anniversary Reunion Concert 2005 No
192 Golden Bough The Blind Harper of Lochmaben The Very Best of Irish Music and Ballads 2001 4:25 Yes
192 Golden Bough The Blind Harper of Lochmaben The Boatman’s Daughter 1992 4:25 Yes
192 Jamie McMenemy The Lochmaben Harper The Road to Kerrigouarc'h 1981 4:01 Yes
192 Jim Moray & Jackie Oates The Blind Harper In Search of Nic Jones 2011 4:45 Yes
192 Kate Rusby The Blind Harper Underneath the Stars 2003 4:07 Yes
192 Kate Rusby The Blind Harper Cambridge Folk Festival 2011 2011 No
192 Martin Carthy Lochmaben Harper Martin Carthy at Ruskin Mill - Richard Valentine Benefit Concert 2005 9:12 Yes
192 Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick Lochmaben Harper Life and Limb 1990 6:39 Yes
192 Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick Lochmaben Harper 100 Not Out - a Video Album Recorded Live in Concert 1991 6:12 Yes
192 Mervent [Si Mhor] The Blind Harper of Lochmaben Родом Из Ирландии [A Native of Ireland] 2001 3:41 Yes
192 Mervent The Blind Harper of Lochmaben Mervent 10 2010 3:23 Yes
192 Nic Jones The Blind Harper From the Devil to a Stranger 1978 4:09 Yes
192 Paddy Tutty Polka Piquée + The Blind Harper The Roving Jewel 2000 5:29 Yes
192 Richard Hayes Phillips Flowres of the Forrest + Three Sheepskins + Lochmaben Harper + The Braes of Yarrow Blessing in Disguise 1998 No
192 Robin Williamson Weel Hoddled Lucky + The Lochmaben Harper Legacy of the Scottish Harpers 1984 2:04 Yes
192 Si Mhor [Mervent] The Blind Harper of Lochmaben Anthology 2001 3:41 Yes
Mainly Norfolk: Lochmaben Harper / The Blind Harper
[Roud 85; Child 192; Ballad Index C192; trad.]
Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick recorded Lochmaben Harper live on February 23, 1990 at Focal Point, St. Louis, MO, USA for their album Life and Limb, and they played it on their 1992 video 100 Not Out. Martin Carthy also sang it in December 2004 live at Ruskin Mill.
Martin Carthy commented in the first album's sleeve notes:
The Lochmaben Harper is a busker whose very wealthy “friends” come severely unglued when trying to put him in what they consider to be his place—thanks also due to the imagination of his wife. The air is a pipe march called Follow My Highland Soldier.
Nic Jones sang The Blind Harper in 1978 on his Transatlantic album From the Devil to a Stranger.
Lyrics
Martin Carthy sings Lochmaben Harper
There was a harper an old blind harper
He lived in Lochmaben town
And a wager he laid with lord and lady
Steal Henry's wanton brown
There he sat in the pub on an evening
He was drunk and drinking wine
A wager he laid with lord and lady
Steal Henry's wanton brown
One of them bet him a house and land
And the other one bet five thousand pound
And how they laughed at the silly blind harper
Ran off to steal the wanton brown
Up and spoke this harper's wife
And oh what a wily one was she
Go take the mare that's newly foaled
Leave her babe at home with me
He took his harp all in his hand
He run playing all round the town
And the king high in his highland home
His ears were touched by all that sound
Come in come in now you John Harper
More of your music we would hear
Yes that I will says John Harper
But I must have stabling for my mare
You go down to the outer court
That stands a bit below the town
And you can leave her warm and snug
And next to my own wanton brown
And he's gone down to the outer court
That stands a bit below the town
And there he spied the stable snug
Where stately stood the wanton brown
And he took out a good strong halter
How the horse come to his call
As he slipped it o'er the wanton's nose
Tied the end to his mare's tail
And he took out a good strong halter
How the horse come to his call
As he slipped it o'er the wanton's nose
Tied the end to his mare's tail
And he has played in the king's high hall
And he has played them deep asleep
And he's gone down to his hands and knees
And he crawled into the street
And he's away to the outer court
That stands a bit below the town
And the guards slept as he let out the mare
Tied safe to the wanton brown
Just you run through the moss you run through mire
Through many's the bog and the lairy hole
And don't you let this wanton slack
Till you get home to your own foal
Soon as the door he has unshut
The mare ran prancing round the town
And there behind keeping close
She towed the stately wanton brown
They ran through the moss they ran through mire
Through many's the bog and the lairy hole
And she never let this wanton slack
Till she got home to her own foal
John played in the king's high hall
Till the king called him and aloud he cried
O wake wake now you John Harper
We have slept till nearly day
Get up get up now you John Harper
More of your music we will hear
Yes that I will says John Harper
But I must go see to my grey mare
He's gone down to the outer court
And back he's come with many's the tear
Thieves broke in the outer court
Stole away my good grey mare
O my soul and cries the king
If there be thieves all in this town
And they have taken your grey mare
Then they have stolen the wanton brown
'My loss is great,' the harper said,
My loss is twice as great, I fear;
In Scotland I lost a gude grey steed,
An here I've lost a gude grey mare.'
Play play now you John Harper
Give me music to my ear
And I will pay you for your song
If three times for your grey mare
John played and John got paid
And John ran paid all from the town
Never did King Henry think
He'd stolen away his wanton brown
Lords stood at the high town wall
And they beheld both dale and town
There they spied this John Harper
Come walking back down to the town
O my soul and cries the lord
How come you come home so soon
Oh we see you've no grey mare
Still you have no wanton brown
I hae been into fair England,
An even into Lunan toun,
An in King Henry's outer court,
An stown awa the wanton brown.'
Aye ye lie then cries the boy
I took him so suddenly
I was paid for my music
And three times for my grey mare
But I did harp them all asleep,
An managed my business cunnilie
If ye make light o what I say
Come to my stable an ye'll see
'My music pleasd the king sae well
More o my harping he wished to hear;
An for the same he paid me well,
And also for my gude grey mare'
He took them to his own stable
Open wide the door he spun
There's the mare there's the foal
And there's the stately wanton brown
One paid up his house and land
The other one paid five thousand pound
And how he laughed did John Harper
Who stole away the wanton brown
Acknowledgements
Transcription from the singing of Martin Carthy by Garry Gillard, with help from the Digital Tradition and from Ed Pellow.