“The Husbandman and the Servingman”

Description

A husbandman and a servingman meet and discuss their occupations. The servant describes all the rich people he associates with; the husbandman details the pleasure of a good season in the fields. The servingman wishes he had chosen the other occupation

Notes

Kennedy claims that Chappell's piece "I Am the Duke of Norfolk" is this tune. This overstates the case -- Chappell's tune is similar but not identical in the tenor line. And neither tune is the one I know. "I Am the Duke of Norfolk" is, however, a popular tune; it is cited many times in the Broadside Ballad Index (ZN338, ZN1208, ZN1839, ZN2168, ZN2570, ZN2671, ZN2955). - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "The Farmer and the Shanty Boy" (plot)
• cf. "The Plooman Laddie" (theme)
• cf. "Soldier Boy for Me (A Railroader for Me)" (theme)
• cf. "Buttercup Joe" (subject, a few phrases)

Recordings

• Mummers from Symondsbury, "The Symondsbury & Eype Mummer's Play & The Singing of the Travels" (on Lomax41, LomaxCD1741, FSB9)

References

1. Kennedy 226, "The Husband-man and the Servant-man" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. cf. Chappell/Wooldridge I, pp. 282-283, "Paul's Steeple, or I Am the Duke of Norfolk" (1 tune, partial text, said by Kennedy to be this piece)
3. DT, HUSBSERV
4. Roud #873
5. BI, K226