Singabout - Journal of Australian Folksong, Volume 5(1), January 1963

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1.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - drawing by H. McClintock

2.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - NEWS AN VIEWS . Editorial ... 4 songs and many articles ... Alex Hood collected The Black Velvet Band  from a timber worker in Western Australia ... Frederick T. Macartney who wrote the article for us on Didjeridoo, says it "it is intended to correct some misunderstandings among the relatively few people interested in such subjects."  CONTENTS. Edited and produced by Gay Terry, Alan Scott and Brian Loughlin. Artists Rod Shaw & Christine Shaw. Cover Keith Antill.

3.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - I'VE BEEN A WILD BOY, recorded and transcribed by John Meredith from the singing of Sally Sloane ... I have recorded fragments of it sung by Leo Dixon ... and from Mary and Tom Byrnes ...

4.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - DIDJERIDOO by Frederick T. Macartney   

5.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - DIDJERIDOO (cont)  MAGAZINE REVIEW - Folk -  no.1,  an E.F.D.S. Publication. ... a new publication of the English Folk Dance & Song Society ... at least a dozen songs, several dances, an interesting article on Rhythm by Douglas Kennedy, and a section for guitarists ... Baby Lie Easy appears to be a variant of the song Sally Sloane sing The Wee One... the are 5 versions of Still I Luv 'Im ... collected in different parts of the country, and it is very interesting to compare them ... we recommend that you add it to your library of folk song (Jamie Carlin & Gay Terry) 

6.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - August 16th 1865 - December 3rd, 1962. DAME MARY IS DEAD ... I first made Dame Mary's acquaintance when the Bushwhackers payed and sang for her 90th birthday ... My next meeting with her was when I called to ask if she would write  the introduction to the Bush Music Club's Songs from Lawson ... it is perhaps symbolic that Mary Gilmore died on the anniversary of Eureka Stockade. - John Meredith. 

7.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - 1890 Mary Joan Cameron (Dame Mary Gilmore)

8.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - THE BLACK VELVET BAND. Bushwhacker Broadside no. 8. Published by the Bush Music Club, Sydney, A. Scott, 57 Crown Street, Woolloomooloo

9.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - COLLECTOR'S NOTEBOOK. Mr Denis Donovan of Sydney writes: This a slightly different version of Ireland Over Here (Vol. 4 No. 4) which I learned as An Irishman's Dream when a child in Youghal, Co. Cork in the later 1930s ... This variant of The Maiden's Prayer (vol. 3 No. 4) called The Sailor's Lament was recorded by Sam Ramsay from the singing of Kevin Day, seaman of Sydney, who said it was an old English sailor's song he learnt whilst on overseas trips ...  Ian Beck, a club member, who worked for several years as a seaman, also remembers this song. 

10. Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - FOLK SONG WEEKEND. The Worker's Education Association of NSW held a week-end school in July 1962 ... Friday night - Have we a folk culture? Panel discussion with Edgar Waters, Clement Hosking & John Thompson.

Saturday morning - Seminar on collecting Australian Bush Songs with Mary-Jean Officer
Saturday afternoon - A Historical and Social Analysis of Australian Bush Songs with Dr. Russel Ward
Saturday night - Concert of Bush Songs (which was attended by 300, students & members of the public) 
Sunday morning - Seminar on Presentation and Preservation of Traditional Material - Peter Hamilton & others

11.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - Sunday Afternoon - An examination of Traditional Instruments with Alan Scott.
Sunday night - Is the tradition dead? with Edgar Waters

It should be mentioned that the concert of Folk Songs was the most popular item, drawing a crowd of approximately 300 ... Club sent 2 delegates Rex Whalan and Jamie Carlin ... The editor wishes to thank Frank Moorehouse, Jamie Carlin and Rex Whalan for making their notes available for this article to supplement hers. 

12.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - THE OLD BARK HUT. In this version the 2nd line of the chorus is taken from the last line of the previous verse ... A shortened version was recorded by the Club Concert Party on Festival The Bush Music Club FX5039 ...

13.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - THE OLD BARK HUT.  (Cont.)

14.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - John Manifold who wrote the accompanying article sent this photo to illustrate. Is shows the didjeridoo and "Cunnamulla Clarinet" & bamboo instruments ... RECORD REVIEW Oh, Pay Me. Blue & White Collar records ... For the first time in the history of Australia, a record has been issued with songs specifically aimed at promoting trade union demands. The A.C.T.U. , the Australian Council of Salaried and Professional Associations and the High Council of Commonwealth Public Service Organisations are campaigning ... Alan Scott. 

15.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - BLOWOUT ON BAMBOO  J.S.M. (making bamboo instruments) 
 
16.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - In July of this year the W.E.A. held a weekend workshop school on Australian Folk Music (pages 10 & 11) ... This is the text of the talk given by John Meredith gave at a club Workshop night ... The Art of Collecting Folk Songs by John Meredith  (4 pages) 

17.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - The Art of Collecting Folk Songs by John Meredith  (cont)

18.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - The Art of Collecting Folk Songs by John Meredith  (cont)

19.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - The Art of Collecting Folk Songs by John Meredith  (cont)

20.  Singabout, Volume 5(1), January 1963 - Hooker Rex by a Sydney man and recorded on "Oh Pay Me" page 16.  (by Don Henderson - see Australian Dictionary of Biography)

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Compilation - Early Song Sheets 1950/60s

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From the Archives - Ben Hall Book - Fuller versions of several established songs

From the Archives - 2 handwritten songs by Duke Tritton - The Fossickers Return & The Irishman's Song.

From the Archives - The Folk Song Collectors Group, 1970, & Collectors Group, 1960s

From the Archives - The Songs They Sang and the Dance Tunes They Played at the Old Time Bush Dances and other Material, Parts One and Two

From the Archives - Correspondence between West Sydney Singers & John Manifold

From the Archives - Bandicoot Ballads by John Manifold (Qld Bush Music Club)

From the Archives - Bush Music Club Song Sheets in the Jamie Carlin Collection

From the Archives - Bushwhacker Broadsides

From the Archives - Bush Music Club Broadsheets & Bush Music Club Publications

Fran Shaw's songsheets - Part 1, Bush Music Club Song Sheets dated 1956 &1957, & undated 

Anniversaries - Bush Music Club's 2nd Anniversary, 1956 - Fran Shaw's Song Sheets

Fran Shaw's Songsheets, Part 3. Miscellaneous sets & papers

Fran Shaw's Songsheets - Part 4. Camp Songs, Dept of Education, Phys Education Branch

Fran Shaw's Songsheets - Part 5, Talks on bush music

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From the Archives - Bush Music Club Newsletter - 1950s

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The first Newsletter was published in October 1955, & the last newsletter/calendar was apparently issued in January 1977, & the January 1978 Calendar was also issued with Mulga Wire.


Our holding are not complete, missing issues will be added as found

Foolscap pages have been scanned as 2 images.

1(1) October 1955

1. BMC is one year old this month.  In that time we have helped set up several singing groups and folk music ensembles; we have published a dozen "Bushwhacker Broadsides", and our affiliated groups have performed at many functions.  To celebrate our birthday we have decided to bring out two new publications.  "SINGABOUT" will be our new club magazine.  It will appear quarterly, beginning January.  In between issues of "SINGABOUT", our "BUSH MUSIC CLUB NEWSLETTER" will keep you informed of all our activities. 
Bushwhacker Broadsides. New Singing groups - "Bushwhacker" type groups are flourishing in Brisbane, Melbourne and Newcastle,  Lithgow Wombats, (Sydney) Rouseabouts.  Songs from the Kelly County sold out

2.  Songs from the Kelly County (cont) Friday night workshops. Singabout it's on the way! "Singabout" Findatune Competition for It's lovely down the pit, lad by Mick Lawson

3.  Lyrics to It's lovely down the pit, lad by Mick Lawson
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1(2) December 1955

1. Seasons greetings. The first Singabout Night (review.)  Singabout night no. 2, Sat 11th February. New Club nights ... New Address ... Holiday recess

2.  Bus picnic - mystery beach. At last! Fair dinkum Australian recordings Wattle. First Annual Conference & General Meeting, 12th February

3.  Singers and Instrumentalists wanted for choirs and folk groups - The Rouseabouts, The Sydney People's Choir, The West Sydney Singers.
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3(1), June 1957

1.  An event of national importance? (report on Conference 9th February), Songs from Lawson, Singabout Nights - 9th June, 5th October, 7th December. Singabout 2(1) is now available

2.  Be in it! Concert Party is ready for engagements. Waratah festival.  Workshop night July 12th. Membership is over 100.
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1959 January

1.


2. AGM 20th January. Singabout expected to be released that night. Singabout Night 10th January. Raffle with prizes, 1. Violin,  2. Banjo, 3. Lagerphone, 4. Bones.  Folk Music from many lands, 14th February

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From the Archives - Bushwhacker Broadsides

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Newsletter 1(1), October 1955, p.1

List of Bushwhacker Broadside published by October 1955, and proposed Broadsides. Australia on the Wallaby, The Bullockies Ball, Cain Killed Abel, Ye Sons of Australia, The Kellys, Byrne and Hart, Stringbark Creek, Kelly was their Captain.

Australia on the Wallaby, The Bullockies Ball & Cain Killed Abel appear not to have been published.

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Singabout the Journal of Australian Folksong, Vol 1(1) Summer 1956, was published in the first week of January 1956 & gave a list of publications the club had released in the 14 months since it was founded.



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Extracts from Minutes of the Bush Music Club, 14th October 1954 to 11th March, 1955

Jan 14th 

A letter from Merv. Lilly (sic) gave the Club permission to use his song "Give A Fair Go" & to alter words where necessary to fit music.

It was suggested & adopted that the Bushwhacker Broadsides appear in a series of three traditional & three modern songs.

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Jan 28th

The secretary read correspondence from Brisbane indicating that New Theatre in that city would act as agents for Bushwhacker Broadsides.

Correspondence from Melbourne raised the suggestion that the quality of Bushwhackers Broadsides be improved.

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Feb 4th

It was decided to distribute broadsides in a different way, viz. by putting them up in envelopes containing a dozen, with a broadside pasted to the outside. The buyers can break the envelopes & sell the individual sheets for 3d each. The dozens are to be sold for 2/6.

It was hoped that each member will develop his own market.

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Feb 11th

Correspondence with Mick Lawson indicated that he has given permission for the B.M.C. to use his songs "Hungry Jim" and "The Good Old Days".

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Extract from Bushwhacker Conference,  January 1955. (Information about the Conference & it's date was found in Keith cKenry's, More than a Life - John Meredith & the Fight for Australian Tradition, p.141 & Notes p.459)


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Bushwhacker Songs Old & New. Sydney, John Meredith, 1955, original price 4/6

The first edition of Six authentic songs from the Kelly Country was created from broadsides no.s 9, 11,12, 13, 14 & 15 in a  foolscap folder. 2nd & 3rd editions were octavo reproductions of the Broadsides.

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Thanks to Ralph Pride for scanning these broadsides.

1.  The Old Man Kangaroo  As sung by the late "Hoopiron" Jack Lee

2.  The Old Bark Hut

3.  Jim Jones at Botany Bay

4.  The Rabbiters' Song by Stan Wakefield

5.  Ho! Give a Fair Go. A new song by M. Lilley

6.  Hungry Jim the Miner. A new song by M. Lawson


Newspaper clipping (BMC Archives)

7.  A new song Wally the Weatherman by Wally Goodbody set to an old bush tune

8.  The Black Velvet Band

9.  The Bold K---Y G---G

10.  Bound for Darling Harbour by Merv. Lilley

11.  Farewell to Greta

12.  Kelly was their Captain collected from Bill Shawcross, Lithgow


13.  The Kellys, Byrne and Hart, parts 1 & 2





14. Two broadsides with the same number - Stringybark Creek & Ye Sons of Australia.
Ye Sons of Australia, article by Daniel Kelly

15. Ye Sons of Australia  as also issued as Bushwhacker Broadside no. 15, page 1 was unaltered.

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Letter to the Editor in Stringybark & Greenhide, 3(1), 1981. p. 1.


Old Bush Songs, a series by John Meredith which was published weekly in The Bulletin from 2nd March 1955  (thanks to Keith McKenry for these images from John Meredith's scrapbook held in the National Library Oral History collection)

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