The Parson & the Songmen

By: Mike Bosworth
  • Summary

  • The Reverend Sabine Baring Gould was an exceptional parson and squire from Devonshire, England.
    He is probably best remembered as the composer of the hymn 'Onward Christian Soldiers'.
    Born in Exeter in 1834, he died at his estate, Lewtrenchard Manor in West Devon, in 1924.
    As 2024 is the centenary of his death it gives me the opportunity to spotlight what he considered to be the most important achievement of his life, that of collecting the old folk songs of Devonshire, and later Cornwall, as he termed it, 'from the mouths of the people'.
    Join me as I tell stories about, and sing songs from, this far from ordinary Victorian country parson as he travelled by pony and trap across his native Devonshire seeking out songs that now form a major part of the English folk song tradition.

    © 2025 The Parson & the Songmen
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Episodes
  • S2 25 Songs From Series Two
    Apr 15 2025

    Send us a text

    Hardly seems a year since the last compilation of music from the first series. But yer us be! Season Two is now complete and we'll finish off in viddy style with the now customary(!) selection of songs from the shows. Geddon Boy!

    Here is the track listing, or click on CHAPTERS (above) if you want to go to an individual track.

    1. The Highwayman
    2. Glory Of The West
    3. The Village Shop
    4. Tristan's Lament
    5. Come My Lads
    6. The Merrymaid
    7. Medhel An Gwins
    8. I Rode My Little Horse
    9. Bold Gambling Boy
    10. The Legend Of Tamara
    11. The Ivy And The Holly
    12. Mademoiselle Parisott's Hornpipe


    Support the show

    *Please can you help by supporting the show. I have always kept the episodes commercial-free, but in order for the podcasts to continue I do need some support, due to ongoing running costs. So, please support me (if you can) by donating. For details of how to make a donation click on support. Any help would be appreciated but if you were able to make a donation of $15 or more then I will send you a copy of my CD By Chance It Was, on receipt of a mailing address!
    *theparsonandthesongmen@outlook.com if you have any questions about the podcast series, or The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould. Also please contact me if you would be interested in booking me for a talk/gig.
    *Jon Tidball, podcast series producer - jontidball@hotmail.co.uk.
    *Please follow the facebook page for these podcasts:
    https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/
    *Thimblerigg videos on YouTube for more songs collected by The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould
    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos
    *Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group - 1924 to 2024 for more https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/
    *
    Mike O'Connor. Cornish-based musicologist, folk singer and story-teller.
    http://www.lyngham.co.uk/
    *Barbara Griggs. Harpist and early music specialist. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

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    28 mins
  • S2 24 April Fool (Far From It Actually!)
    Apr 1 2025

    Send us a text

    Well, we've missed All Fool's Day by a day, but let's celebrate this custom anyway. In this podcast Mike takes a look into its origins and tells some stories about one of Cornwall's great historical pranksters, as recorded by The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould.

    Support the show

    *Please can you help by supporting the show. I have always kept the episodes commercial-free, but in order for the podcasts to continue I do need some support, due to ongoing running costs. So, please support me (if you can) by donating. For details of how to make a donation click on support. Any help would be appreciated but if you were able to make a donation of $15 or more then I will send you a copy of my CD By Chance It Was, on receipt of a mailing address!
    *theparsonandthesongmen@outlook.com if you have any questions about the podcast series, or The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould. Also please contact me if you would be interested in booking me for a talk/gig.
    *Jon Tidball, podcast series producer - jontidball@hotmail.co.uk.
    *Please follow the facebook page for these podcasts:
    https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/
    *Thimblerigg videos on YouTube for more songs collected by The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould
    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos
    *Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group - 1924 to 2024 for more https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/
    *
    Mike O'Connor. Cornish-based musicologist, folk singer and story-teller.
    http://www.lyngham.co.uk/
    *Barbara Griggs. Harpist and early music specialist. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

    Show more Show less
    15 mins
  • S2 23 One Of A Kind!
    Mar 19 2025

    Send us a text

    Recently, Mike went to visit the force of nature that is Moe Keast at her home in Bodmin, Cornwall. Moe is a traditional singer and storyteller and has been a regular at Bodmin Folk Club, with a short break for bringing up children, almost since the first evening in 1968!

    Moe has been a Cornish Bard for 25 years under the name of 'Myrgh Cana Hengovek', translating as, 'Daughter of Traditional Singing', and is very proud of her Cornish Heritage. She has played many festivals including Sidmouth, Whitby and Lorient in Brittany and has appeared in all the Celtic Countries. Moe seems to be part of the very earth of Cornwall, and is certainly, One Of A Kind!

    Support the show

    *Please can you help by supporting the show. I have always kept the episodes commercial-free, but in order for the podcasts to continue I do need some support, due to ongoing running costs. So, please support me (if you can) by donating. For details of how to make a donation click on support. Any help would be appreciated but if you were able to make a donation of $15 or more then I will send you a copy of my CD By Chance It Was, on receipt of a mailing address!
    *theparsonandthesongmen@outlook.com if you have any questions about the podcast series, or The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould. Also please contact me if you would be interested in booking me for a talk/gig.
    *Jon Tidball, podcast series producer - jontidball@hotmail.co.uk.
    *Please follow the facebook page for these podcasts:
    https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/
    *Thimblerigg videos on YouTube for more songs collected by The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould
    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos
    *Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group - 1924 to 2024 for more https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/
    *
    Mike O'Connor. Cornish-based musicologist, folk singer and story-teller.
    http://www.lyngham.co.uk/
    *Barbara Griggs. Harpist and early music specialist. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857

    Show more Show less
    15 mins
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