Annotation:Lumps of Plum Pudding

Back to Lumps of Plum Pudding

---

LUMPS OF PLUM PUDDING [1]. English, Jig (irregular) or Morris Dance Tune (6/8 time). G Major (Bacon–Bampton & Field Town, Mallinson–Bledington): A Major (Bacon–Bledington, Carlin). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABABAA (Bacon–Bampton): ABCBCB (Bacon & Mallinson–Bledington, Bacon–Fieldtown): AABBC (Carlin). A major key form of the tune "Lumps of Puddings (2)". Morris dance versions are from the villages of Bampton (Oxfordshire), Bledington (Gloucestershire) and Leafield (AKA – Field Town, Oxfordshire), in England's Cotswolds. A solo jig was danced to the Bleddington version, while words were sung in Bampton:

Lumps of plum pudding and pieces of pie,
Me mother she gave me for telling a lie;
She gave me so much I fear I shall die
From lumps of plum pudding and pieces of pie.

Source for notated version: Cecil Sharp's ms., whose major source of information was Billy "Jinkey" Wells (1868–1953), one-time fool and fiddler for the Bampton side [Bacon].

Printed sources: Bacon (Handbook of Morris Dances), 1974; pp. 54, 90 & 164. Carlin (Master Collection), 1984; No. 51, p. 39. Mallinson (Mally's Cotswold Morris Book, vol. 2), 1988; No. 36, p. 18. Sharp & MacIlwaine (Morris Dance Tunes, Set 5), 1912; pp. 24–25. Sharp & MacIlwaine (Morris Dance Tunes, Set 9), 1912; pp. 14–15.

Recorded sources: Folktrax FTX-384, Billy Wells – "Constant Billy." Sanctuary Records, Etchingham Steam Band – "The Guv'nor vol. 4" (2010). Topic TSCD458, John Kirkpatrick – "Plain Capers" (1976/1992).

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]

---