> Shirley Collins > Songs > The Sweet Primeroses
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> Louis Killen > Songs > Banks of the Sweet Primroses
> Tony Rose > Songs > Banks of the Sweet Primroses
> June Tabor > Songs > Banks of the Sweet Primroses
> Martyn Wyndham-Read > Songs > Banks of the Sweet Primroses

The (Banks of the) Sweet Prim(e)roses

[ Roud 586 ; Ballad Index ShH51 ; trad.]

Phil Tanner sang The Banks of the Sweet Primroses in a recording made in November 1936 which was released by Columbia Records in 1937 on a 78rpm album. This was also included in 1955 and 1998 on the Alan Lomax Collection album World Library of Folk and Primitive Music: England. He was again recorded singing this song on May 20, 1949 at Penmaen for the BBC. Both versions were also included in 1968 on his eponymous EFDSS album, Phil Tanner, and in 2003 on his Veteran anthology CD The Gower Nightingale.

Jim, John, Bob and Ron Copper sang The Banks of Sweet Primroses in a recording made by Séamus Ennis at Peacehaven in Sussex on April 3, 1952 for the BBC Sound Archives Library. This recording was included in 1975 on the famous anthology Electric Muse: The Story of Folk into Rock. Bob and Ron Copper sang it again in 1955 for a recording made by Peter Kennedy which was included in 1996 on the Topic anthology Hidden English: A Celebration of English Traditional Music. And Bob Copper recorded it for a third time in 1995 for their CD Coppersongs 2: The Living Tradition of the Copper Family.

This video shows the Youg Coppers singing The Banks of Sweet Primroses. It was uploaded to YouTube in August 2011 but gives no information about the venue and recording date:

Louis Killen sang The Banks of Sweet Primroses in 1965 on his Topic album Ballads & Broadsides; this track was included in 1996 on the CD reissue of the Topic theme album The Bird in the Bush: Traditional Songs of Love and Lust.

Fred Jordan sang The Banks of Sweet Primroses in a recording made by Mike Yates on his 1966 Topic album Songs of a Shropshire Farm Worker and on his 2003 Veteran anthology A Shropshire Lad.

Shirley Collins sang The Sweet Primeroses as the title track of her 1967 album The Sweet Primeroses; she was accompanied by her sister Dolly Collins on her flute-organ. This track was also included in the Topic sampler Folk Songs: A Collection of Ballads & Broadsides and on her anthologies Fountain of Snow, Within Sound, and The Classic Collection. A live version recorded in 1979 at the Folk Festival Sidmouth was released on her album Snapshots. Shirley Collins commented in her original album's sleeve notes:

A last song from the Copper Family, whose songs sound to me like national anthems - or like anthems should sound. All the Southern countryside is here, with a grave, stylised account of a formal meeting on a particular midsummer's morning, the heartbreak of parting tempted with a stoical optimism. Dolly's arrangement has some of the Copper's spirit, and some of “the pretty little small birds” too.

Shirley Collins is the only one who calls this song The Sweet Primeroses. On all other recordings the title is The Banks of Sweet Primroses or The Banks of the Sweet Primroses, without the “e” in the middle.

Martin Carthy sang Banks of Sweet Primroses on his and Dave Swarbrick's 1968 album But Two Came By and with Blue Murder on their 2002 CD No One Stands Alone. Martin Carthy commented in the former album's sleeve notes:

The Banks of Sweet Primroses has been described as one of the most perfect of English folk songs. It has been collected all over southern England, nearly always in forms closely approximating, or at least related to, this version. In its idyllic setting of fresh air, flowers and green grass, it is the happiest and most optimistic song I have yet to come across.

Fairport Convention sang Banks of the Sweet Primroses in 1970 live at the LA Troubadour. This was released on their album House Full. They recorded it again in the studio for their 1971 album Angel Delight.

Maggie Boyle sang Banks of the Sweet Primroses on Steve Tilston's and her 1992 album Of Moor and Mesa. Their liner notes commented:

As with so many traditional songs, the earliest origin of Primroses is unknown. It was circulated on broadsides in the 19th Century. The “folk process” of adapting words and tune to suit individual taste has, in this case, done very little to alter the song over the years.

Brian Peters and Eliza Carthy sang The Banks of Sweet Primroses in 1997 on his album Sharper Than the Thorn.

Tony Rose recorded Banks of the Sweet Primroses in 1999 for his CD Bare Bones.

And June Tabor sang this beautiful song in 2005 on her CD At the Wood's Heart. She comments:

I think I must have learned this classic of the Southern English repertoire from the singing of the Copper family. In his notes to the version in the Gardiner mss., Frank Purlow, in The Constant Lovers (1972), suggests that it may be an incomplete broken token ballad, with the final verse being a spurious addition by an early 19th century broadside printer. For me, the charm of this song is in its very mystery and incompleteness, with the last verse a glorious affirmation of love and hope.

The English traditional tune Monks Gate which follows the song is best known in its setting of John Bunyan's To Be a Pilgrim.

Martyn Wyndham-Read sang The Banks of Sweet Primroses in 2010 on his album Back to You.

Jon Boden sang Banks of Sweet Primroses as the June 22, 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He commented in the blog:

This I learnt for a tribute concert to Fred Jordan at Cecil Sharp House shortly after his death. I missed out on hearing him sing sadly, but love his voice.

Andy Turner sang Banks of the Sweet Primroses as the August 26, 2012 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week. He commented in his blog:

To start the second year of the blog, here’s the quintessential rural English folk song.

It’s only in the last few years that I’ve actually added this to my repertoire. I found myself humming the tune to myself on an increasingly frequent basis and, since I seemed to have picked up most of the words by osmosis, decided I really ought to learn it. The words I sing are more or less as sung by the Copper Family. My tune is similar to their version too; although, as pointed out in the notes to the song in The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs (a truly excellent publication—every home should have one), this is one of relatively few English folk songs which always seem to have been sung to pretty much the same tune..

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