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The Singer And The Song

1959 - earlier , Norfolk (Norfolk)

Cat no. 1264

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Two elderly gentlemen discuss their lives and sing folk songs.

The film begins by introducing Sam Larner and Harry Cox. Sam, aged 84, of Winterton, Norfolk, is filmed sitting in a chair in his sitting room. Harry, aged 78, from Catfield, Norfolk, is scything grass at the front of his cottage. Throughout the film, the two men offer selections of folk songs they learnt and sang at work and for leisure. Larner was a fisherman from 1892 until the age of 56 when he had to retire from the sea for health reasons. Cox, born in 1895, was a farm worker from an early age. Sam Larner talks of Winterton c. 1900 when there were over 100 men at sea. He sings songs including Windy Old Weather and The Dewy Morning. He recalls his first spell at sea. He spent 20 weeks as a cabin boy, for which he earned £5. He recalls that in 1894 the fishing was very bad and the fishermen made a banner and went around the streets singing for beer money. He sings one of the songs that was composed by the fishermen themselves. The fishermen used to sing in pubs and at sea. Larner points out that there was no cinema and they had to take the train to Yarmouth so they made their own entertainment. Asked if he learned songs from sheet music, he sings two popular songs of the day and other examples of folk songs. Harry Cox has a 'dancing doll' that he made himself. This doll step dances like the men in the pubs did at the tine. He talks of his early life, and that of his father who went to sea. Cox has worked on the land since the age of 12 1/2. He remembers earning 'nine bob' a week. He talks of school. He attended from the age of 6 and had to pay 'tuppence' a week. This was hard when there were six children at school. He has learned more since he left school at 12. He explains where he learned songs and sings a sea song taught to him by his father. He also offers and example of a song sung at work and others.

Keywords

Fishermen; Folk Songs; Sea Shanty

Other Places

Catfield; Winterton

Background Information

The Midland Region Film Unit operated from Birmingham and was the local BBC channel for East Anglia until BBC East was founded in October 1959.

Manifestations

The Singer And The Song

  • Barcode
    INV383016
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    DV digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:29:38
    Modification Date
    10/05/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    708421
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV237978
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    master digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:29:38
    Modification Date
    10/08/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    686564
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV217992
    Canonical Identifier
    TB 1882
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    miniDV tape
    Dimension
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    19/08/2008
    Parts
    Reference
    676034
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV176712
    Canonical Identifier
    S 4
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MII tape
    Dimension
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    14/08/2008
    Parts
    Reference
    675893
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV151662
    Canonical Identifier
    TB 763
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    Umatic tape
    Dimension
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    28/07/2008
    Parts
    Reference
    674014
  • Barcode
    INV152347
    Canonical Identifier
    S 936
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    BetacamSP tape
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:30:00
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    23/06/2008
    Parts
    Reference
    671359
  • Barcode
    INV??4174
    Canonical Identifier
    B-5028
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Details
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Has Sound
    Y
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    neg
    Modification Date
    25/06/2021
    Parts
    Reference
    566246
    Sound
    sound
  • Barcode
    INV206978
    Canonical Identifier
    A-2233
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Details
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Has Sound
    Y
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    pos
    Modification Date
    25/06/2021
    Parts
    Reference
    565041
    Sound
    sound
  • Barcode
    INV263519
    Canonical Identifier
    VP-1014
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Duration
    0:30:00
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    25/06/2021
    Parts
    Reference
    563748

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