The Trees They Grow High

  1. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    This is a simple instrumental version of this English folk ballad, also known as "Long-A-Growing" and various other variants. The version I used is based on this one:

    http://www.kstez.de/Trees_They_Grow_...The__Engl_.pdf

    Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin
    Vintage Viaten tenor guitar



    Martin
  2. Frithjof
    Frithjof
    Oh, that’s a sad ballade but very well performed.
  3. Michael Romkey
    Michael Romkey
    Nice! I've heard Altan's version of this, "Daily Growing."
  4. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    Thanks, Mike and Frithjof. I think what makes it so sad is that until the very last line it seems to be heading for a happy end after the narrator's initial unhappiness with the match made for her. The age of the boy varies quite a lot between versions -- the earliest has him rather disturbingly as a husband at 12, a father at 13 and dead at 14. I think the first version I heard was Steeleye Span ("Long-A-Growing"), quickly followed by Martin Carthy and then Joan Baez.

    Martin
  5. Christian DP
    Christian DP
    Really sad. but very full of atmosphere, nicely played, Martin.
    And thanks for the link to http://www.kstez.de, there are some songs I could try an octave higher.
  6. Don Grieser
    Don Grieser
    Sad but beautiful. Wonderful playing.
  7. Gelsenbury
    Gelsenbury
    This must be one of the saddest songs in existence. Listening to it would be almost unbearable if the melody weren't so beautiful. I've heard many versions of this by professional and amateur players, probably all inspired by the Steeleye Span version. Peter Knight plays it to this day, with his new band.
  8. Christian DP
    Christian DP
    I liked this song a lot, when I first heard it. I didn't know, that it was also sung by Joan Baez or Pentangle.
    My version is played with a classical guitar and a bowlback mandolin.
  9. Sherry Cadenhead
    Sherry Cadenhead
    After hearing Martin and Christian play this piece so beautifully, and reading the thread, I just had to listen to Joan Baez' version. The music certainly fits the lyrics.
  10. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    Very enjoyable, both Martin and Christian. Many thanks.
  11. David Hansen
    David Hansen
    Well done Martin and Christian. In 1968 I bought an album by John Renbourn and a variant version called The Trees They Do Grow High was track number 2 on side 1. I loved the whole album but I learned how to play the guitar part and years later I learned the flute part. Unfortunately I have no recordings from way back then. These two versions reminded me of this wonderful tune. Thanks guys.
  12. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    And thanks David too for the reminder of this wonderful music:
    https://youtu.be/845XvRBRYH0

    (High Germany by John Renbourn Group)
  13. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Wistful performances from both of you, Martin and Christian. A haunting melody.
  14. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    Very nice, Christian -- I like the octave change for the second verse. Your higher position practice paying off!

    Thanks also for the nice comments on my recording from February. Playing song airs on melody instruments doesn't always work as some tunes aren't strong enough to stand on their own merits without the words. This one is nice to play as a melody.

    John Renbourn's instrumental (and rather jazzy) flute/guitar duet version is on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/rMi2NjWqNuw. From his 1968 album, the whimsically titled "Sir John Alot of Merrie Englandes Musyk Thyng and ye Grene Knyghte", the track immediately after his seminal version of "The Earl Of Salisbury's Pavan" (the first indication of his later excursions into early music).

    Martin
  15. Christian DP
    Christian DP
    Thank you all! I first heard this tune in Martin's version and supposed, it was an instrumental tune by origin.
    Its melody is so strong, it could be a mandolin tune.
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