Folklorist Dr Jacqueline Simpson on bee folklore
7" vinyl Along The Hidden Beach, a double A-side with our version of trad song Turtle Dove.
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During the dive, Skipper Mike Keane recovered part of a lost harp. He used this to carry out some detective work, firstly identifying the harp's maker via the Royal College of Music and then using this information to verify the identity of the wreck via researchers working for Historic England as the SS Ondine that sank in 1860 off the coast of Beachy Head. With thanks to Ryan E for the dive footage. I took the above ground during storm Bella at Birling Gap.
Link to full shipwreck footage and Sussex Shipwrecks
7" vinyl Hegemony/Devil & The Farmer, a hybrid with the melody of traditional song Lemady/Sweet Lemeney (in the Copper Family song collection) with lyrics from 1970s reinterpretation by Scritti Politti (Green Gartside) used with permission.
Video by artist
Hay devil footage from Sussex and Hampshire, used courtesy of and with thanks to... Kevin Farndell filmed in Dummer, Hampshire and farmer Tim Bargman, filmed whilst collecting hay from his fields in Sussex
THE WITCH LEGEND OF NAN TUCK
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Bonfire parades have a long tradition in Sussex, pre-dating the gunpowder plot, and this track features audio recordings collected from various parades, together with woodland recordings used in their entirety.
The film features footage from 2017's Jack in the Green parade in Hastings (Mythago Morris) and St Margaret's, the 13th Century church at Buxted from the ancient yew in the graveyard.
As I neared completion of the video, I went in search of more Buxted footage. Following helpful advice from a local man, I was directed to St Margaret's church.
​​I was surprised by the arrival of Derek, the gravedigger, pictured here. I really wanted to do a short interview with him, but the camera stopped working.
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He was aware of the Nan Tuck Legend, passed down from his grandmother, and told me about the layout of the church grounds and how they've changed.
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In 1952 a contributor to Sussex County Magazine described the stories and folklore passed to her from her Nanny by a woman known in her childhood, a Mrs Jasper, reputed to be a witch. Mrs Jasper boasted of having a charm to make fairies come. The words were noted, but not the melody, so I’ve added my own.
Sound check, Hailsham Pavilion
Angel Band, Berwick Church - we don't record the American folk, we just perform in our live sets.