House Carpenter- Hauser (NC) pre1943 Brown 4J; Bronson 46
[From: The Brown Collection Volume 4, 1957 (text Volume 2, 1952 version A). According to the Brown Collection all versions were collected before 1943. Bronson has the score in TTCB, III, 1966. Brown has mixed up the name of the informant and the collector in Volume 4. Brown suggests the melody be sung to Version A, Vol. 2.
R. Matteson 2013]
"House Carpenter" (no text) Brown MSS., 16 a 4 c, Also in Schinhan, Music, Brown Collector, .I.Y, 1957, p. 101(f). Sung by Mrs. James Thomas; collected by Jessie Hauser;. a M/D [no text given, I've supplied the A text as suggested by Brown.]
[music upcoming]
1. 'We'll meet, we'll meet, my own true love,'
"We'll meet, we'll meet.' he replied;
'I'm just a-returnin' from the salt, salt sea,
And it's all for the love of thee.
Brown Vol. 2:
J. 'The House Carpenter.' [According to Brown this text does not fit the music score] Secured by Miss Jessie Hauser of Forsyth County (NC) from Mrs. James Thomas, of St. Jude. The text is substantially the same as A but lacks stanza 15 and combines stanzas 1 and 2 into
'We've met, we've met, my own true love;
We've met, we've met,' said he.
'It's I could have married the King's daughter fair,
And she would have married me.
But I have forsaken her crown of gold,
And it's all for the love of thee.'
Brown Vol. 4:
J. 'The House Carpenter.' [Brown has mixed up the name of the informant and collector here.] Sung by Miss Jessie Hauser. Recorded as ms score; no date or place given. Since this tune, excepting one measure, is identical with that of 40C, only that one (measure 6) is given here. The score, signed by Mrs. James Thomas, fits the A text of the first stanza (II 171) and not that of her garbled first stanza (II 176).
Scale: Hexatonic (3), plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: aa1bc (2,2,2,2) ab (4,4).