The Parson & the Songmen – Details, episodes & analysis

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Welcome to this first episode in the fourth series of The Parson and the Songmen!

We kick the series off in fine style by meeting Cornwall-based singer/songwriter Chris Hytch and hearing some of the songs from his band Annown's CD 'A Half A Face'.

Chris has a passion for Cornish folklore and history and has the uncanny knack of being able to take an old, old story, give it some extra twists and turns, maybe add a bit of humour, and end up with a fresh-sounding, clever, modern song.

In fact, such is Chris's appetite to seek out new folklore or history and turn them into fresh songs that he will openly admit... "I can't stop!"

Intrigued? Well listen on.

https://www.facebook.com/chris.hytch/?locale=en_GB

https://www.annown.co.uk/

https://annown.bandcamp.com/

Support the show

https://gofund.me/48985b32 PLEASE VISIT TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE RUNNING COST OF THE PODCASTS

Mike's website: mikebosworth.uk FOR ALL LINKS TO INTERVIEWEES AND ORGANISATIONS

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/

Mike's YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos

Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group:  https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/

Simon Mayor: mandolin.co.uk  

Mike O'Connor: http://www.lyngham.co.uk/

Barbara Griggs: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

Pete Coe: https://petecoe.co.uk/

Castle Heritage Centre, Bude: ...

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A Happy New Year to you and welcome to this third compilation of songs (and tunes) from the shows!

We have a varied selection for you, some reminding you of spring, the festive season and, as always, a fair dollop of the Reverend Sabine Baring Gould.

Here is the track listing, or click on CHAPTERS (above) if you want to go to an individual track.

 1. The Jolly Wagoner - Mike Bosworth
 2. Black Joke (tune) - Colin Thomsett
 3. Jim the Carter Lad - Sophie Legg
 4. The Gypsy - Mike Bosworth with Rowan Tidball
 5. Parsons Lea - Kate and Jon Tidball
 6. All Round My Hat - Mike Bosworth
 7. My Jolly Wagoner Drive On - Bob and Gill Berry
 8. Twas On One April Morning - Mike Bosworth and the Dawn Chorus
 9. Hewlett - Simon Mayor
 10. Last of the Singers - Mike Bosworth
 11. Ashwater Bell Ringing (alternative version) - Marilyn Tucker and Paul Wilson
 12. Sans Day Carol (tune) - Kate and Jon Tidball
 13. Can't Keep His Wife At Home - Mike Bosworth with Colin Thomsett

Support the show

https://gofund.me/48985b32 PLEASE VISIT TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE RUNNING COST OF THE PODCASTS

Mike's website: mikebosworth.uk FOR ALL LINKS TO INTERVIEWEES AND ORGANISATIONS

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/

Mike's YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos

Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group:  https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/

Simon Mayor: mandolin.co.uk  

Mike O'Connor: http://www.lyngham.co.uk/

Barbara Griggs: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

Pete Coe: https://petecoe.co.uk/

Castle Heritage Centre, Bude: ...

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Join Mike for a very special 'Parson and the Songmen' this time around! It's not every day that you happen to get to the chance to have a chat with one of the world's leading mandolinists, composers and all round wit, but this is just what Mike did recently when he met up with Simon Mayor.

Taken from Simon Mayor's biog on his website mandolin.co.uk Please visit for info on all of his work, gigs, workshops, projects, CDs etc

'As well as being an incredible mandolin player, Simon is a fine fiddle player, guitarist, composer, poet and wit. Whether with long-time partner Hilary James or his group The Mandolinquents, his live performances blend dazzling musicianship with poetry both poignant and playful, and a ready supply of humorous anecdotes and off-the-cuff wit. His stages have ranged from primary schools to classical, folk and literature festivals worldwide, and as featured mandolin soloist at orchestral concerts'.

So, sit back, make yourself comfy, and join Mike and Simon now in this latest episode of 'The Parson and the Songmen'.

Support the show

https://gofund.me/48985b32 PLEASE VISIT TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE RUNNING COST OF THE PODCASTS

Mike's website: mikebosworth.uk FOR ALL LINKS TO INTERVIEWEES AND ORGANISATIONS

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/

Mike's YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos

Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group:  https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/

Simon Mayor: mandolin.co.uk  

Mike O'Connor: http://www.lyngham.co.uk/

Barbara Griggs: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

Pete Coe: https://petecoe.co.uk/

Castle Heritage Centre, Bude: ...

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In this fifth episode of the third series of The Parson and the Songmen, Mike explores Sabine's second autobiography 'Further Reminiscences'. In the book he discovers a song that seems to have , astonishingly, escaped Baring-Gould's keen censorship in order to make his song collection, as he put it, 'fit for Christian ears to hear!' 

If the song had been through 'the cleansing process', then did the Reverend Gentleman think it was a fair reflection of society, or was it, indeed, just overlooked?

Support the show

https://gofund.me/48985b32 PLEASE VISIT TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE RUNNING COST OF THE PODCASTS

Mike's website: mikebosworth.uk FOR ALL LINKS TO INTERVIEWEES AND ORGANISATIONS

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/

Mike's YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos

Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group:  https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/

Simon Mayor: mandolin.co.uk  

Mike O'Connor: http://www.lyngham.co.uk/

Barbara Griggs: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

Pete Coe: https://petecoe.co.uk/

Castle Heritage Centre, Bude: ...

Send us Fan Mail

Firstly, Many Happy Returns to The Parson And The Songmen as it celebrates its Second Birthday with its Fiftieth Episode!

In this special episode Mike tells the story of how a song collected by The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould made it into the British pop charts and peaked at No.3 no less!! What the Reverend Gentleman would have thought of Elvis (No.1), The Drifters (No.2) and Cliff Richard (No.4) who surrounded him at the top of the chart we will never know, but I bet he would have been chuffed that one of 'his songs' had reached such a huge audience.

Well, here's to the next fifty episodes of The Parson and the Songmen.

Support the show

https://gofund.me/48985b32 PLEASE VISIT TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE RUNNING COST OF THE PODCASTS

Mike's website: mikebosworth.uk FOR ALL LINKS TO INTERVIEWEES AND ORGANISATIONS

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/

Mike's YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos

Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group:  https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/

Simon Mayor: mandolin.co.uk  

Mike O'Connor: http://www.lyngham.co.uk/

Barbara Griggs: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

Pete Coe: https://petecoe.co.uk/

Castle Heritage Centre, Bude: ...

Send us Fan Mail

The songs published in Songs From The West by the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould were wholly collected, or particular to, Devon and Cornwall. But what to do with the songs sent to him from other parts of England and beyond?

Sabine never discarded these songs, but put them to one side as they were of interest and too good to be lost and these resulted in a new publication

Join Mike now as he tells the story of how this book came into being, which The Reverend Gentleman titled 'A Garland Of Country Song'. 

Support the show

https://gofund.me/48985b32 PLEASE VISIT TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE RUNNING COST OF THE PODCASTS

Mike's website: mikebosworth.uk FOR ALL LINKS TO INTERVIEWEES AND ORGANISATIONS

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/

Mike's YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos

Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group:  https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/

Simon Mayor: mandolin.co.uk  

Mike O'Connor: http://www.lyngham.co.uk/

Barbara Griggs: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

Pete Coe: https://petecoe.co.uk/

Castle Heritage Centre, Bude: ...

Send us Fan Mail

The publication of folk songs collected by The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould in Devon and Cornwall made them accessible to the general public, but left Sabine wondering just how he could reach an even wider audience?

His answer was to get on the road for a series of 'gigs' that were were probably the first ever traditional folk song tour of England!

Phew! Rock and Roll....

Support the show

https://gofund.me/48985b32 PLEASE VISIT TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE RUNNING COST OF THE PODCASTS

Mike's website: mikebosworth.uk FOR ALL LINKS TO INTERVIEWEES AND ORGANISATIONS

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/

Mike's YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos

Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group:  https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/

Simon Mayor: mandolin.co.uk  

Mike O'Connor: http://www.lyngham.co.uk/

Barbara Griggs: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

Pete Coe: https://petecoe.co.uk/

Castle Heritage Centre, Bude: ...

Send us Fan Mail

Spring has arrived here in North Devon, and it would seem to have had quite an effect on Mike who is full of vim and vigour ( or possibly something stronger...)

In this first episode of the the third series of The Parson and the Songmen we are back in Devon to celebrate spring, and there is a distinctive feminine theme running through the podcast.

Confused? Well let's find out where Mike will lead us now. Happy listening!

Support the show

https://gofund.me/48985b32 PLEASE VISIT TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE RUNNING COST OF THE PODCASTS

Mike's website: mikebosworth.uk FOR ALL LINKS TO INTERVIEWEES AND ORGANISATIONS

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/

Mike's YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos

Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group:  https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/

Simon Mayor: mandolin.co.uk  

Mike O'Connor: http://www.lyngham.co.uk/

Barbara Griggs: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

Pete Coe: https://petecoe.co.uk/

Castle Heritage Centre, Bude: ...

Send us Fan Mail

Hardly seems a year since the last compilation of music from the first series. But yer us be! Season Two is now complete and we'll finish off in viddy style with the now customary(!) selection of songs from the shows. Geddon Boy!

Here is the track listing, or click on CHAPTERS (above) if you want to go to an individual track.

1. The Highwayman
2. Glory Of The West
3. The Village Shop
4. Tristan's Lament
5. Come My Lads
6. The Merrymaid
7. Medhel An Gwins
8. I Rode My Little Horse
9. Bold Gambling Boy
10. The Legend Of Tamara
11. The Ivy And The Holly
12. Mademoiselle Parisott's Hornpipe

Support the show

https://gofund.me/48985b32 PLEASE VISIT TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE RUNNING COST OF THE PODCASTS

Mike's website: mikebosworth.uk FOR ALL LINKS TO INTERVIEWEES AND ORGANISATIONS

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/

Mike's YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos

Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group:  https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/

Simon Mayor: mandolin.co.uk  

Mike O'Connor: http://www.lyngham.co.uk/

Barbara Griggs: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

Pete Coe: https://petecoe.co.uk/

Castle Heritage Centre, Bude: ...

Send us Fan Mail

Well, we've missed All Fool's Day by a day, but let's celebrate this custom anyway. In this podcast Mike takes a look into its origins and tells some stories about one of Cornwall's great historical pranksters, as recorded by The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould. 

Support the show

https://gofund.me/48985b32 PLEASE VISIT TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE RUNNING COST OF THE PODCASTS

Mike's website: mikebosworth.uk FOR ALL LINKS TO INTERVIEWEES AND ORGANISATIONS

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/

Mike's YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos

Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group:  https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/

Simon Mayor: mandolin.co.uk  

Mike O'Connor: http://www.lyngham.co.uk/

Barbara Griggs: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

Pete Coe: https://petecoe.co.uk/

Castle Heritage Centre, Bude: ...