“The Fatal Snowstorm”

Description

The singer, out in a severe snowstorm, sees a woman with a baby. She laments the cruelty of her parents and of the child's father, who left her for money. She warns against such deceivers, kisses the frozen child's lips, and dies herself

Cross references

• cf. "Mary of the Wild Moor" [Laws P21] (theme)

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Harding B 17(342a), "Winter's Evening" or "The Deploring Damsel" ("'Twas one winter's evening when fast came down the snow"), J. Evans (London), 1780-1812; also Harding B 25(2088), "The Winter's Evening" or "Deploring Damsel"; Harding B 11(1824), "It Was One Winter's Evening"; or "Deploring Damsel"; Harding B 15(388a), Harding B 25(2087), Harding B 11(3152), Harding B 28(102), "Winter's Evening"; 2806 c.17(315) , 2806 c.17(316), "Oh Cruel" or "Winter's Evening"

Recordings

• Mrs Jack [Vera] Keating, "The Wintry Winds" (on Ontario1)
• Tom Lenihan, "A Wint'ry Evening" (on IRTLenihan01)
• Paddy Tunney, "The Month of January" (on Voice06)

References

1. Laws P20, "The Fatal Snowstorm"
2. MacSeegTrav 71, "The Fatal Snowstorm" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Kennedy 154, "The Forsaken Mother and Child" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. Munnelly/Deasy-Lenihan 16, "A Wint'ry Evening" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. Peacock, pp. 447-448, "The Forsaken Mother and Child" (1 text, 1 tune)
6. Mackenzie 62, "The Fatal Snowstorm" (1 text)
7. DT, FATALSNW*
8. Roud #175
9. BI, LP20