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Love Farewell / The Harvest Shearin’

[ Roud 1301 ; G/D 1:101 ; Ballad Index GrD1101 ; VWML HAM/5/36/12 ; GlosTrad Roud 1301 ; Wiltshire 163 ; Mudcat 64473 , 125747 ; trad.]

Katherine Campbell: Songs From North-East Scotland Nick Dow: Southern Songster

Marina Russell of Upwey, Dorset, sang Love, Farewell to Henry Hammond in December 1907 [VWML HAM/5/36/12] .

Mick Hennessey of The Druids sang Love, Farewell in 1972 on the Argo album Songs and Music of the Redcoats. The sleeve notes commented:

This haunting melody was popular in the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimea, especially with the Connaught Rangers.

John Tams sang Love Farewell in 1996 on his album of the music of Sharpe, Over the Hills and Far Away.

Keith Kendrick and Lynne Heraud sang Love, Farewell in 2000 on their WildGoose album Stars in My Crown, and Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham sang it in 2012 on their WildGoose album Well Dressed where he noted:

Way back in 1972 Argo Records brought together The Druids, Martyn Wyndham-Read, Jim Younger, The London Tinkers and Vin Garbutt to produce an LP recording called Songs and Music of the Redcoats as an audio accompaniment to a book of the same name by Louis Winstock. This was an excellently researched collection of songs that the actual soldiers themselves sang as opposed to ‘just songs about soldiers’. Love Farewell is a great example. Mick Hennessy sang on the original track and I’ve been singing it ever since. John Tams also recorded a wonderful version with ‘The Band of the Rifles’ prior to Christmas 2008 to help to raise money for the ‘Help for Heroes’ charity—and very nearly made the British Charts with it…nice one Tam…

Eliza Carthy and Tim Eriksen sang Love Farewell in 2015 on their Navigator album Bottle. She noted:

From the repertoire of Mrs. Marina Russell from Upwey in Dorset, which is now a suburb of Weymouth. In 2012 I had the pleasure of singing this to ten thousand people on Weymouth beach before the opening ceremony of the Olympics. We had a fish supper and a picnic afterwards watching the ceremony onstage. There are lots of brilliant variations on this song, some of them American Civil War songs, some British or Celtic love songs, all songs of parting.

Arthur Knevett sang Love Farewell on his 2016 album Simply Traditional. He noted:

Some years ago Nick and Mally Dow produced a cassette about the life and songs of Mrs Marina Russell of Upwey, Dorset. Among the many songs that Henry Hammond collected from her in the early 1900s was this one which was included on the cassette and sung by Nick Dow. Mrs Russell only knew two verses and I have completed the text from various sources.

Lyrics

Marina Russell sings Love, Farewell

’Tis down by the banks of the sweet primroses,
Hark! my lads, how the drums are beating,
Hark! my lads, how the drums are beating,
March, my boys, there’s no retreating,
    Love, farewell!
Darling, farewell! We’re all for marching,
    Love, farewell!

And the Captain cries out, “Boys, be ready,
Every man both firm and steady,
Every man both right and sober,
Every man with his gut and powder,
    Love, farewell!
Darling, farewell! We’re all for marching,
    Love, farewell!

Mick Hennesey sings Love Farewell

Come now brave boys, we’re on for marching,
First for France, and then for Holland.
While cannons roar and men are dying
March brave boys, there’s no denying,
    Love, farewell!

I think I hear the Colonel crying,
“March brave boys, there’s no denying.
Colours flying, drums a-beating,
March brave boys, there’s no retreating.”
    Love, farewell!

Keith Kendrick and Lynne Heraud sing Love Farewell

Come now brave boys, we’re on for marching,
First for France, and then for Holland.
While cannons roar and men are dying
March brave boys, there’s no denying,
    Love, farewell!

I think I hear the Colonel crying,
“March brave boys, there’s no denying.
Colours flying and drums a-beating,
March brave boys, there’s no retreating.”
    Love, farewell!

So Molly dear do not grieve for me,
I’m going to fight for England’s glory.
And if we live we live victorious,
And if we die our souls are glorious,
    Love, farewell!

So come now brave boys, we’re on for marching,
First for France, and then for Holland.
While cannons roar and drums are beating
March brave boys, there’s no retreating,
    Love, farewell!

Eliza Carthy and Tim Eriksen sing Love Farewell

Down by the banks of sweet primroses,
Me and my love making posies,
There I hear the Colonel crying,
“March, my lads, with colours flying,”
    Love, farewell!
Darling, farewell! We’re all for marching,
    Love, farewell!

Hark! my boys, how drums are beating,
March, my boys, there’s no retreating,
Every lad with his hair well powdered,
Every man with his firelock shouldered,
    Love, farewell!
Darling, farewell! We’re all for marching,
    Love, farewell!

The Colonel cries out, “Boys, be ready,
Every boy both firm and steady,
Every lad both right and sober,
Every man with gut and powder,
    Love, farewell!
Darling, farewell! We’re all for marching,
    Love, farewell!

“Colonel dear, oh dear, don’t wrong me,
Don’t you take my children from me.
If you do I will torment thee,
After death my ghost will haunt thee.”
    Love, farewell!
Darling, farewell! We’re all for marching,
    Love, farewell!
Darling, farewell! We’re all for marching,
    Love, farewell!