The White Hare

Te beluisteren op:

Over

Tijdens een van mijn bezoeken aan het Cecil Sharp House in Londen vond ik de LP “Unto Brigg Fair”(1972), een heruitgave van veld- en studio-opnames uit 1908 van Percy Grainger.

Grainger was tijdens een veldsessie zó onder de indruk van de 75 jarige timmerman Joseph Taylor, dat hij hem uitnodigde om de songs, waaronder “The White Hare”, in de studio te komen zingen. Deze kwamen daardoor beschikbaar voor een groot publiek.

Tekst

Near Oldham town, near Oldham town, as I have heard them tell
There once was a white hare that used there for to dwell
She'd been hunted by beagles and greyhounds so fair
But here’s ne'er a one amongst them could come near this old white hare
With me right fol-de-diddle-ol right fol-de-day

They went to the place where the white hare used to lie
They uncoupléd their beagles and beginning for to try
They uncoupléd their beagles and beat the bushes round
But there was never a white hare not there to be found
With me right fol-de-diddle-ol right fol-de-day

There was Jim Smith the huntsman and Tom the whipper-in
Go down to yonder furze-side to see if she’s be in
With that she took a jump me-boys, and away she did run
And yonder she is going, don't you see her gentlemen
With me right fol-de-diddle-ol right fol-de-day

The footmen they did run and the horsemen they did ride
Such holloa-ing and shouting there was on every side
Such holloa-ing and shouting I never before had known
And all the men were crying, "Tally O, tally O"
With me right fol-de-diddle-ol right fol-de-day

There was twenty good beagles that caused her for to die
There was’nt one amongst them above a foot high
The number of the beagls there, never could be found
And never was there such hunting upon old English ground
With me right fol-de-diddle-ol right fol-de-day