Davy Steele and Summerlee

The late Davy Steele wrote and recorded many folk songs in his life and a particular collection is entitled Summerlee after the coal mining company that ran Prestongrange until nationalisation in 1947.

The tape and CD are available from his distributors by mail order from CM Distribution ( all you have to do is phone +44 (0)1423 888979 or write to them at 2-4 High Street, Starbeck, Harrogate, North Yorkshire. UK HG2 7AY. The current cost including postage and packaging for the CD is Ł13.

They are also available from Anne Taylor at the Arts Festival office - phone: +44 (0)1875 819922 - at the same price including postage and packaging

You can hear two of the songs here as a foretaste but be sure to order the full recordings - Johnny Moat being the tale of the inexplicable rock on the foreshore at Morison's
Haven named after a colliery manager; and The Rose O' Summerlee

Johnnie Moat
The Rose O' Summerlee

JOHNNY MOAT ON THE GIRDLE ROCKS AHINT AULDHAMMER HOUSE STANDS A STANE NEARLY NINE FOOT HIGH NAMED EFTER A MAN THAT LIVED HERE LONG AGO SOME SAY HE WIS BUILT THE SAME WAY WHY IT'S STANDING'S A MYSTERY THAT'S NEVER BEEN SOLVED THOUGH IT'S BEEN STUDIED BY MEN OF GREAT NOTE BUT THERE'S NONE CAN BE SURE HOW IT COMES TO BE THERE THAT GREAT ROCK THEY CALL JOHNNY MOAT CHORUS KEEP STANDING, KEEP STANDING, THE TOON FOLK A' CRIED KEEP STANDING ALONG THE FORTH SHORE FOR WHILE YOU ARE STANDING THE TOON 'LL NO DIE WE'LL PRAISE JOHNNY MOAT EVERMORE IF YOU START AT THE EAST WHERE THE BLACK ROCKS ARE NAMED TRAVEL WEST 'TIL YOU COME TAE THE CUTHILL YOU'LL PASS BY THE HUMLICKS THE HATTLES THE HAYS THE DOOS RINGANS HOLE AND THE GIRDLE THEN IT'S ON TAE THE CANTY THE MATHIES THE OX ALL NAMED EFTER SOME WEEL KENT FOLK BUT THERE'S NONE O' THESE CRAGS O' BLUE WHINSTON ARE MADE LIKE THE GREAT ROCK THEY CALL JOHHNY MOAT (CHORUS) SOME SAID IT WIS PLACED BY THE HAND O' GOD SOME SAID TWAS THE ICE AGE THAT BROUGHT IT FROM WHEREVER IT CAME IT WAS SEEN AS A SIGN OF GOOD FORTUNE BY THOSE THAT LIVED ROUND IT SO LONG AS IT'S STANDING THE TOON'LL SURVIVE THE PEOPLE WOULD OFTEN SPEAK O'T A BUT IF IT SHOULD FA' THEN THE PANS WIN AN A' SO THEY A' SAID ABOOT JOHNNY MOAT (CHORUS) SO JOHNNY STOOD OWER THE TOON THROUGH THE YEARS WATCHING IT PROSPER AND GROWING IT HAD OYSTER BEDS THE BEST IN THE LAND WEEL KENT FOR IT'S POTTERY AND BREWING IT HAD SALT WORKS OF WORLD WIDE FAME THE GRANGE AND LINKS PITS FOR IT'S MINING ALL THESE THINGS AND MORE GREW ALONG THE FORTH SHORE WHILE JOHNNY MOAT WAS STILL STANDING (CHORUS) THEN ON ONE DARK NIGHT THE GREAT ROCK FELL AND NOBODY KNEW TILL THE MORNING AND SOME FOLK RETOLD THOSE STORIES OF OLD WHILE OTHERS JUST LAUGHED AT THEIR WARNING BUT THE OYSTER BEDS DRIED AND THE SALT MINES SHUT DOON THE POTTERY AND BREWERIES SOON FOLLOWED THEN BOTH THE MINES CLOSED THAT CRUELLEST OF BLOWS WHEN JOHNNY NO MORE CAST HIS SHADOW

THE ROSE O' SUMMERLEE THE TINY SNOWDROP SLOWLY RISES PUSHING THROUGH THE FROZEN GROUND HER SLENDER BODY PASTEL GREEN, HER YOUNG GIRL'S HEAD COYLY BOWED HER PETALS WITH THEIR PALE COMPLEXION MOISTENED BY THE MORNING MIST THE SNOWDROP IS THE MAID O' SPRING, I MIND WHEN MAGGIE WIS LIKE THIS CHORUS O' A' THE FLOWERS THAT GROW AROUND HOWEVER COLOURFUL THEY BE THEY'RE PUT TO SHAME WHEN MA MAGGIE BLOOMS SHE'S THE ROSE O' SUMMERLEE THOUGH SHE WIS JUST A WORKIN' LASSIE WI' NEITHER FRILLS OR PAMPERED AIRS HER BEAUTY WIS A NATURAL THING NO PREENED WI' JEWELS OR FANCY CLAES AND WHEN WE WALKED WILD SUMMER PLACES WHERE BROOM AND IRIS GREW SAE BRAW THEIR BRIGHTNESS IN HER PRESENCE DIED, MA MAGGIE SHONE ABUNE THEM A' (CHORUS)

CHASING SHADOWS This is the cover of another one of Davy Steele's quite different collection of songs. It is available from: Temple Records, Shillinghill, Temple, Midlothian, Scotland EH 23 4SH Phone (44) (0) 1875 830328 (In Canada or USA Phone (617) 354 0700).

April 26th 2002