Sing Ivy- William Mason (Hamp) 1906 Gardiner
[From JFSS, 1907 p.274-275. Their notes follow.
R. Matteson 2011]
The above tune is distinct from those in Journal, Vol. I, p. 83, and Vol. II, pp. 2I2 and 2I3. For notes on the song see the foregoing references, and Journal, Vol. III, pp. I2-I6.- G. B. G.
For a version of this, with a tune evidently traditional, see Children's Songs of Long Ago (Kidson and Moffat), p. 48.- F. K.
This air has certain peculiarities not commonly met with in English traditional melody, but usual in Gaelic music. I have noted a Western Highland tune the first half of which has points of strong likeness to the above.- L. E. B.
19.- SING IVY- SUNG BY MR. WILLIAM MASON (Age. 60), DORIAN. EASTON, BY WINCHESTER, Nov., 1906. Noted by H. Balfour Gardiner.
My father gave me an acre of land,
Sing ovy, sing ivy,
My father gave me an acre of land,
A bunch of green holly and ivy.
I harrowed it with a bramble bush,
Sing ovy, sing ivy,
I harrowed it with a bramble bush,
A bunch of green holly and ivy.
I sowed it with two peppering corns,
Sing ovy, sing ivy,
I sowed it with two pepper corns,
A bunch of green holly and ivy.
I rolled it with a rolling-pin,
Sing ovy, sing ivy,
I rolled it with a rolling-pin,
A bunch of green holly and ivy.
I reaped it with my little pen-knife,
Sing ovy, sing ivy,
I reaped it with my little pen-knife,
A bunch of green holly and ivy.
I stowed it in a mouse's hole,
Sing ovy, sing ivy,
I stowed it in a mouse's hole,
A bunch of green holly and ivy.
I threshed it out with two beanstalks,
Sing ovy, sing ivy,
I threshed it out with two beanstalks,
A bunch of green holly and ivy.
I sent my rats to market with that,
Sing ovy, sing ivy,
I sent my rats to market with that,
A bunch of green holly and ivy.
My team o' rats came rattling back,
Sing ovy, sing ivy,
My team o' rats came rattling back
With fifty bright guineas and an empty sack,
A bunch of green holly and ivy.
------------------
X:55
T:Sing Ivy
T:The Elfin Knight
B:Bronson
C:Trad
O:Gardiner, 1FSS, III (I907), pp. 274-75. Sung by William
O:Mason (60), Easton, near Winchester, November I906.
H:This copy appears with piano accompaniment, in G minor, in
C.J. Sharp and G. Holst, "Folk Songs of England", III, 1909, p.21
(Folk Songs of Hampshire).
N:Child 2
N: No, I don't understand how the alternate bars work, either!
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:Gm
Id3 | c2 c G2 d/d/ | cBc IG2 D |
w:My fath-er gave me an ac-re of land, Sing
G3 A z "(a)"A | g2 d2 z g | "(b)"fef d2 d/d/ |
w:ov-y, sing iv-y, My fath-*er gave me an
cdc G2 G | "(c)"Gdd "(d)"dcB | A3 G3 |]
w:ac-re of land, A bunch of green hol-ly and iv-y.
%Uncomment the next line to see the alternates.
%"(a)" d || "(b)" g2 g d2 d || "(c)(once these 2 bars inserted)" ccc GAG | ccc G2 G ||"(d)"dcA | G3 G3 |]
W:
W:My father gave me an acre of land,
W:Sing ovy, sing ivy,
W:My father gave me an acre of land,
W:A bunch of green holly and ivy.
W:
W:I harrowed it with a bramble bush,
W:Sing ovy, sing ivy,
W:I harrowed it with a bramble bush,
W:A bunch of green holly and ivy.
W:
W:I sowed it with two peppering corns,
W:Sing ovy, sing ivy,
W:I sowed it with two pepper corns,
W:A bunch of green holly and ivy.
W:
W:I rolled it with a rolling-pin,
W:Sing ovy, sing ivy,
W:I rolled it with a rolling-pin,
W:A bunch of green holly and ivy.
W:
W:I reaped with my little pen-knife,
W:Sing ovy, sing ivy,
W:I reaped it with my little pen-knife,
W:A bunch of green holly and ivy.
W:
W:I stowed it in a mouse's hole,
W:Sing ovy, sing ivy,
W:I stowed it in a mouse's hole.
W:A bunch of green holly and ivy.
W:
W:I threshed it out with two beanstalks,
W:Sing ovy, sing ivy,
W:I threshed it out with two beanstalks,
W:A bunch of green holly and ivy.
W:
W:I sent my rats to market with that,
W:Sing ovy, sing ivy,
W:I sent my rats to market with that,
W:A bunch of green holly and ivy.
W:
W:My team o' rats came rattling back,
W:Sing ovy, sing ivy,
W:My team o' rats came rattling back
W:With fifty bright guineas and an empty sack,
W:A bunch of green holly and ivy.
W: