The musical production was originally devised/written by Graham Moore and developed in workshop by the Drama Group, “Endangered Sepcies”. The songs were mainly written by Graham Moore and Mick Ryan, and the present recording, with the inclusion of some traditional pieces, reflects the show as performed by “Fieldwork Productions” under the dramatic direction of Vic Merriman.

Recorded by Doug Bailes at WildGoose Studios, May Cottage, Wherwell, Hampshire;
Cover and design by Meg Crowther

Musicians

Mick Ryan: vocals;
Pete Harris: guitar, vocals, mandolin;
Sarah Morgan: concertina, harmonium, vocals;
Dave Wischhusen, Ita Fitzgerald, John Prince, Bob Naylor, Steve Jordan, John Bond, Vic Merriman: vocals

Tracks

Side 1

1. Tolpuddle Man
2. Rigs of the Time (Roud 876)
3. Captain Swing
4. Put Them Down
5. The Oath
6. Uniting Together
7. Road to Dorchester
8. Labourer’s Cause
9. Prison Bars

Side 2

10. Lament
11. God Is Our Guide
12. Judas
13. Farewell
14. Suffer the Children
15. Waiting
16. Gather and Stand
17. Wrong Side of the World
18. Put Them Down (Reprise)
19. Tolpuddle Man (Reprise)

Tracks 1, 3, 14-15, 19 Graham Moore;
Track 2 trad.;
Tracks 4, 9, 12, 16, 18 Mick Ryan;
Tracks 5-8, 17 Mick Ryan, Graham Moore;
Track 10 S. Wright;
Track 11 George Loveless;
Track 13 Graham Moore, trad.

The songs on this album were written for the folk musical Tolpuddle Man which was originally performed by Dorset, UK, folk theatre group, Endangered Species.

In 1834, six Dorset labourers formed the Tolpuddle Agricultural Labourers Friendly Society in order to: “preserve ourselves, our wives, and our children, from utter degradation and starvation”.

Although Trade Unions had been declared legal in England, they were charged and found guilty of administering illegal oaths. Their sentence of seven years transportation to Botany Bay and Van Diemen’s Land, produced a massive protest from the workers of England which shook the establishment and resulted in their eventual pardon.

Musicians

Graham Moore, vocals, guitar, English concertina;
Gill Redmond, cello;
Lucy Roberts, fiddle

Tracks

1. Tolpuddle Man (2.52)
2. We Will Plough (2.50)
3. Captain Swing (2.52)
4. English Gentleman (2.18)
5. The Oath (2.12)
6. Road to Dorchester (2.39)
7. Albion’s Shore (5.16)
8. We Will Be Free (1.12)
9. Turtle Dove (2.20)
10. Iron Gang (3.26)
11. Far From Home (3.22)
12. Bring Them Home (2.35)
13. Homeward Bound (2.28)
14. Last of England (3.34)
15. New Frontier (2.29)
16. Tolpuddle Man (live at the Old Crown Court, Dorchester) (3.12)

All tracks written by Graham Moore except
Tracks 5-6 Graham Moore, Mick Ryan

Musicians

Graham Moore, vocals, guitar, English concertina;
Gill Redmond, cello;
Lucy Roberts, fiddle

Tracks

1. Tom Paine’s Bones (3.56)
2. Road to Dorchester (2.38)
3. Tolpuddle Man (2.52)
4. The Iron Gang (3.16)
5. Adieu Sweet Nancy (Roud 165) (3.12)
6. Mary and the Soldier (Roud 2496; G/D 1:91; Henry H782) (3.34)
7. Golden Vanity (Roud 122; Child 286; G/D 1:37) (3.58)
8. Captain Swing (2.52)
9. Foggy Dew (Roud 558; Laws O3; G/D 7:1495) (4.01)
10. The Last of England (3.34)
11. Linden Lea (RoudBS B104645) (2.34)
12. William Glenn (Roud 478; Laws K22; G/D 2:191) (4.33)
13. Bold Nelson’s Praise (Roud 1574) (2.10)
14. Night Visiting (Roud 22568; G/D 4:783) (4.14)
15. We Will Plough (2.28)
16. Far From Home (3.27)
17. Banks of Primroses (Roud 586; G/D 8:1841) (2.59)
18. The Wildwood (2.50)

Tracks 1, 3-4, 8, 10, 15-16, 18 written by Graham Moore;
Track 2 Graham Moore, Mick Ryan;
Tracks 5-7, 9, 12-14, 17 trad.;
Track 11 William Barnes, Ralph Vaughan Williams