Matthy Groves- Creech (KY) 1917 Sharp N
[My title. Single stanza with music from English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians I; Sharp/Karpeles 1932, p. 161-182, versions A-Q. Notes from 1932 edition and notes from Sharp's diary follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
1932 Edition Notes: No. 23. Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard.
Texts without tunes:— Child s English and Scottish Popular Ballads, No. 81. Reed Smith's South Carolina Ballads, p. 125. Cox's Folk Songs of the South, p. 94. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxiii. 371; xxv. 182.
Texts with tunes:—Rimbault's Musical Illustrations of Percy's Reliques, p. 92. Chappel's Popular Music of the Olden Times, i. 170. MotherwelJ's Minstrelsy,
Appendix, tune No. 21. W. R. Mackenzie's Ballads and Sea Songs of Nova Scotia, No. 8. Wyman and Brockway's Twenty Kentucky Mountain Songs, pp. 22 and 62. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxx. 309. British Ballads from Maine, p. 150. Davis's Traditional Ballads of Virginia, pp. 289 and 577.
Sharp diary 1917 page 249. Wednesday 29 August 1917 - Pine Mountain Settlement School
Breakfast at 6. Shortly after Maud and I tramp up Greasy Creek after songs and get a goodish lot from Mrs Mary Ann Short and her mother Mrs Berry Creech. Return home rather late for mid-day meal at 12 in the large dining hall. The latter is a magnificent room in which 70 or 80 people dining at round tables take up only part of the accommodation. The feeding of the children is excellent and a great contrast from Oneida. The general atmosphere is very good. The children most of whom are kiddies are just delightful, clean, bright & intelligent and are indistinguishable from the children of gentle-folk. I rest in the afternoon have tea at the office with Miss Wells, Dr Little etc and again after supper sing songs which are greatly appreciated by children & elders. Have a long talk with Miss Pettit in the evening.
N. [Matthy Groves] Sung by MRS. BERRY CREECH at Pine Mountain, Harlan Co., Ky., Aug. 29, 1917
Pentatonic. Mode 3.
One day, one day, one high holiday,
The high-est day in the year,
Little Matthy Groves went to the church
The holy word to hear, hear,
The holy word to hear.