Scarborough Fair

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For the Renaissance fair theme park, see Scarborough Renaissance Festival.

"Scarborough Fair" was a traditional English fair, and is also a traditional English ballad.

Contents

[edit] The fair

During the late Middle Ages the seaside town of Scarborough (now a resort) was an important venue for tradesmen from all over England. It was host to a huge 45-day trading event, starting August 15, which was exceptionally long for a fair in those times. Merchants came to it from all areas of England, Norway, Denmark, the Baltic and the Byzantine Empire. Scarborough Fair originated from a charter granted by King Henry III of England on 22 January 1253. The charter, which gave Scarborough many privileges, stated "The Burgesses and their heirs forever may have a yearly fayre in the Borough, to continue from the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary until the Feast of St Michael next following". (On the modern Roman Catholic calendar, the equivalent dates are August 15 to September 29.) Naturally, such a large occasion attracted a lot more than just tradesmen; they needed to be entertained and fed, therefore large crowds of buyers, sellers and pleasure-seekers attended the fair. Prices were determined by ‘Supply and demand’, with goods often being exchanged through the barter system. Records show that from 1383 Scarborough’s prosperity slumped.

In the early 17th century competition from other towns' markets and fairs and increasing taxation saw further collapse of the Fair until it eventually became financially untenable. The market was revived again in the 18th century, but due to intense competition Scarborough Fair finally ended in 1788.

The traditional 'Scarborough Fair' no longer exists but a number of low-key celebrations take place every September to mark the original event. Scarborough Fair in July 2006 witnessed Medieval Jousting Competitions, hosted by English Heritage in addition to the usual attractions.

[edit] The ballad

The song tells the tale of a young man, who tells the listener to ask his former lover to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she completes these tasks he will take her back. Often the song is sung as a duet, with the woman then giving her lover a series of equally impossible tasks, promising to give him his seamless shirt once he has finished.

As the versions of the ballad known under the title "Scarborough Fair" are usually limited to the exchange of these impossible tasks, many suggestions concerning the plot have been proposed, including the hypothesis that it is a song about the Plague. In fact, "Scarborough Fair" appears to derive from an older (and now obscure) Scottish ballad, The Elfin Knight (Child Ballad #2), which has been traced at least as far back as 1670 and may well be earlier. In this ballad, an elf threatens to abduct a young woman to be his lover unless she can perform an impossible task ("For thou must shape a sark to me / Without any cut or heme, quoth he"); she responds with a list of tasks that he must first perform ("I have an aiker of good ley-land / Which lyeth low by yon sea-strand").

As the song spread, it was adapted, modified, and rewritten to the point that dozens of versions existed by the end of the 18th century, although only a few are typically sung nowadays. The references to "Scarborough Fair" and the refrain "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" date to nineteenth century versions, and the refrain may have been borrowed from the ballad Riddles Wisely Expounded, (Child Ballad #1), which has a similar plot.

[edit] Meaning of the refrain

Much thought has gone into attempts to explain the refrain "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme", although, as this is found only in relatively recent versions, there may not be much to explain. The oldest versions of "The Elfin Knight" (circa 1650) contain the refrain "my plaid away, my plaid away, the wind shall not blow my plaid away" (or variations thereof), which may reflect the original emphasis on the lady's chastity. Slightly younger versions often contain one of a group of related refrains:

  • Sober and grave grows merry in time
  • Every rose grows merry with time
  • There's never a rose grows fairer with time

These are usually paired with "Once she was a true love of mine" or some variant. "Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" may simply be an alternate rhyming refrain to the original. Folksong scholar Märta Ramsten states that folksong refrains containing enumerations of herbs — spices and medical herbs — occur in many languages, including Swedish, Danish, German, and English.

[edit] Commercial versions

[edit] Simon & Garfunkel

"Scarborough Fair/Canticle"
Single by Simon and Garfunkel
from the album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
Released 1966
Format 7" single
Recorded December 1965 -
August 1966
Genre Folk rock
Length 3:10
Label Columbia Records
Producer Bob Johnston
Simon and Garfunkel singles chronology
"Fakin' It"
(1967)		 "Scarborough Fair/Canticle"
(1967)		 "Mrs. Robinson"
(1968)

The arrangement made famous by Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" originated in the late 20th century. Paul Simon learned it in 1965 in London from Martin Carthy. Then Art Garfunkel set it in counterpoint with "Canticle", a reworking of Simon's 1963 song "The Side of a Hill" with new, anti-war lyrics. It was the lead track of the 1966 album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, and was released as a single after being featured on the soundtrack to The Graduate in 1968. The copyright credited only Simon and Garfunkel as the authors, causing ill-feeling on the part of Carthy, who felt the "traditional" source should have been credited. This rift remained until Simon invited Carthy to duet the song with him at a London concert in 2000.

Prior to Simon's learning the song, Bob Dylan had borrowed the melody and several lines from Carthy's arrangement in creating his song, "Girl from the North Country," which appeared on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963), Nashville Skyline (1969), Real Live (1984) and The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (1993).

[edit] Justin Hayward

Moody Blues singer Justin Hayward kept true to the lyrics of the song, in his 1989 album Classic Blue. He recorded this with Mike Batt and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

[edit] Sarah Brightman

"Scarborough Fair"
Single by Sarah Brightman
from the album La Luna
Released 2000
Format CD
Label Angel Records
Producer Frank Peterson
Sarah Brightman singles chronology
"The Last Words You Said"
(1999)		 "Scarborough Fair"
(2000)		 "A Whiter Shade of Pale/A Question of Honour"
(2001)

Sarah Brightman's cover of "Scarborough Fair" appears on her 2000 album La Luna. Her version was also released as a promo only single from the album. Though she omits most of the lyrics that are given above, the lyrics that do still remain in her shorter version of the song are reproduced accurately above within the longer version.

[edit] Other artists

Other artists who have performed the song include but are not limited to: Glen Campbell, Delfonics, Vicky Leandros (who also recorded a French, German and Greek version), Brian Klauss (on his self-produced album Folksinger), Hannah Fury, Gregorian, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, Wes Montgomery, Al Di Meola, Herbie Hancock, Nana Mouskouri, Queensrÿche, Martin Carthy, Marianne Faithfull, Harry Belafonte, Roger Whittaker, Frank Underwood, Midori, Medwyn Goodall, The Mighty Boosh, Johnny Dean, Urban Trad, the Mediaeval Baebes, Triniti, Hayley Westenra (with Celtic Woman), One More Grain, Bert Jansch, K.I.A., Luar na Lubre, Steve Von Till (under his Harvestman moniker), Mägo de Oz (whose Spanish version carries the title "Duerme... (canción de cuna)"), Aya Matsuura, Chihiro Yonekura, the Italian singer and composer Angelo Branduardi and, most recently, a young Japanese artist named Yuki Otake (whose version starts each stanza with the English lyrics, most of which are listed above, and then finishes with a Japanese translation).

Lesley Garrett performed a traditional / Celtic style version of the song, with male background vocals on her 2002 album The Singer.

In 2005, the Austrian early music ensemble Quadriga Consort released a Renaissance consort song style version.

Original Celtic Woman member Méav performed this song on two tours in 2007.

In 2008, Simon Rylander produced a multi-track album that featured an eight-part barbershop-style arrangement of this song. His many barbershop tags are featured on YouTube under the name FineyLeee.

The Philadelphia folk band Broadside Electric recorded a version, "The Six Questions," on their 1992 album Black-edged Visiting Card, derived from original research into the song's source material. This version features both male and female vocals singing the impossible tasks as a conversation between the star-crossed lovers, and a closing fugue based on the refrain "Sing ivy leaf, sweet william and thyme."

Roy Harper recorded a version called "North Country" on his album, Valentine, which he credited as Traditional-arr by Harper. Roy has gone on at great length about the fact that North Country existed as a traditional folk song for decades before Bob Dylan recorded it and hence Harper's refusal to acknowledge Dylan as the writer on his cover version. When Valentine was released Dylan threatened legal action because the song wasn't credited to him. Nothing ever happened.

Two interpretations of Scarborough Fair: "Scarborough Street Fair" and "Michael's Scarborough Fair" (an instrumental), appear on the soundtrack to the adult animated film Heavy Traffic, along with the Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 version.

It also seems to have heavily inspired the Stone Roses song "Elizabeth My Dear", whose melody is very similar.

In British comedy series "The Mighty Boosh" the character Vince Noir is reminded of a time when he and a friend, Leroy, sang this song while in make-up similar to the Band KISS. The song was not a success and this is attributed to the fact that no one will ever be ready for the 'glam rock/folk' combination.

The song was also recorded by the Dutch band Brainbox. Sea Level, the Allman Brothers Band offshoot formed by Chuck Leavell, Jai Johanny Johanson, Lamar Williams and Jimmy Nalls recorded an instrumental version on their 1977 debut album. It was also recorded by British singer Amy Nuttall from her debut album Best Days. Carly Simon included the tune on her 2007 album Into White. German techno group Scooter also covered the song in 2007, on their album The Ultimate Aural Orgasm.

Hannah Fury has recorded her own version, a 'soul-shredded' version called Scars. It features lyrics that are twisted in some way.

Electronica artists The KGBs have done a version called "Infinity", featured on the Hardstyle Techno compilation Italian Hardstyle 9 by DJ TechnoBoy. It features a typical Hardstyle beat with a crossfade of the first two verses looped over and over.

Recently, the Dutch Pagan NeoCeltic Folkband Omnia published a somewhat darker version of the song on their newest album — Alive! (2007), titled "The Elven Lover". Part of their lyrics:

In 2008, sticking to traditional lyrics and a medieval style, the band Anglo Saxon released it on their 'Lest we Forget 7/7' single. It also features on their album 'Endangered Species'.

The Norwegian/German band Leaves' Eyes will include a cover of the song on their 2009 album Njord.
Scarborough Fair
Soprano solo of a few verses.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarborough_Fair"
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