Lord Thomas- Tillet (NC) 1922 Brown 4K
[From Brown Collection of NC Folklore; Volume 4, 1957. Their notes follow. The complete song text can be extracted from "Lord Thomas" sung by Dick Tillett (Tink's son) on Carolina Sampler.
R. Matteson 2014]
Lord Thomas and Fair Annet (Child 73)
Of all the old ballads, this probably stands next to 'Barbara Allan' in popular favor. For its range in living tradition, both the old country and in America, see BSM 37-8 and add Tennessee (SFLQ XI 122-3), North Carolina (FSRA 23-4), Florida (SFLQ
VIII 147-50), Arkansas (OFS i 99-101, 106-8), Missouri (OFS 1 94-9, 1 01 -6), Ohio (BSO 29-34), Indiana (BSI 58-70), Illinois (JAFL Lii 75-6), and Michigan (BSSM 37-9). American texts follow one general pattern with various differences in detail — mostly cases of leaving out or putting in. Of the fourteen texts in the Brown Collection only a few are here given in full.
K. 'Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor.' Sung by C. K. Tillett. Recorded on Roanoke Island, December 29, 1922.
For melodic relationship cf. **SharpK i 115, No. 19A. The basic melodic tendency is closely related.
Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: a-flat. Structure: abcdd1 (2,2,2,2,2). The second phrase b is terminally incremented. Circular Tune (V).