Mary Hopkin The Three Ravens

"You Look Familiar"
A new CD from Mary Hopkin and Morgan Visconti release date 25/10/2010
http://www.maryhopkin.com

In 1970 Mary Hopkin had her own TV series called "In the land of ..."

Each programme was themed and it ran for 6 weeks
"in the land of Films"
"in the land of Legend"
"in the land of Books"
"in the land of Theatre"
"in the land of Nursery Rhymes"
"in the land of Pantomime"

In this clip she sings a traditional song "The Three Ravens"

I have copied below some information about this piece, Mary's lyrics are a little different to these below.

The ballad takes the form of three scavenger birds conversing about where and what they should eat. One mentions a recently slain knight, but they find his loyal hawk and hound guard him. Furthermore a doe (often interpreted as the knight's mistress in supernatural form) comes upon him, cleans his wounds, bears him away, and buries him, leaving the ravens without an apparent meal. The narrator, however, gradually departs from the ravens' point of view, ending with God send every gentleman/Such haukes, such hounds, and such a Leman - the comment of the narrator on the action, rather than the ravens whose discussion he earlier describes.


The lyrics to The Three Ravens are here transcribed using 1611 orthography. They can be sung either straight through in stanzas of four lines each, or in stanzas of two lines each repeating the first line three times depending on how long the performer would like the ballad to last. The second method appears to be the more canonical, so that is what is illustrated below. The refrains are sung in all stanzas, but they will only be shown for the first.

There were three ravens sat on a tree,
downe a downe, hay downe, hay downe,
There were three ravens sat on a tree,
with a downe,
There were three ravens sat on a tree,
They were as blacke as they might be.
With a downe, derrie, derrie, derrie, downe, downe.
The one of them said to his mate,
Where shall we our breakfast take?
Downe in yonder greene field,
There lies a Knight slain under his shield
His hounds they lie downe at his feete,
So well they can their Master keepe,
His hawkes they flie so eagerly,
There's no fowle dare him come nie
Downe there comes a fallow doe
As great with yong as she might goe,
She lift up his bloudy head,
And kist his wounds that were so red,
She got him up upon her backe,
And carried him to earthen lake,
She buried him before the prime,
She was dead her self ere euen-song time.
God send every gentleman,
Such haukes, such hounds, and such a Leman
--------------------------------------

"Recollections" a NEW CD now available via Mary Hopkin Music http://www.maryhopkin.co.uk

more about Mary
Born in Wales Mary began her musical career as a folk singer with a local group called the Selby Set and Mary. She released an EP of Welsh language songs for a local label called Cambrian before signing to the Beatles Apple Label, model Twiggy saw her winning a TV talent show and recommended her to Paul McCartney. She was one of the first artists to record on the Beatles record label Her debut single" Those Were the Days" got to number 1 in the UK and number 2 in the US. Selling over 8 million copies.

A little something more about Mary!
In September 2005 she released an album on her own label, "Mary Hopkin Music", called "Live at the Royal Festival Hal!" It was followed in December 2006 by a brand-new Christmas recording, "Snowed Under", released as an mp3 download via Disaudio.com
To celebrate her birthday in 2007, she released an album called "Valentine", on her new label http://www.maryhopkin.com It includes 12 previously unheard tracks dating from 1972 to 1980, three of which were written by Mary

Pat Richmond
www.maryhopkin.net

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[skyddatlage]

is there someone here that knows if there is any newer version of this song? i mean with a girl thats singing and it sounds as good as this one? becouse in the game jack the ripper there is a girl that sing this song so very wonderful :)

[richpat]

skyddatlage

Sorry, no can't help you there i'm afraid

[maningreen7]

Thankyou Pat.Another gem.I understand the Beeb may have wiped the videotapes of this series,almost institutionalised vandalism!

[richpat]

Yes they were wiped!!!

"institutionalised vandalism" is an understatement and far more polite than any thing I could think of saying! lol

[Kuramochi0214]

Wonderful!

Beautiful pictures, too.

Any other singer than Mary could sing so lovely.

Tomoya

[bench227half]

Flippin amazing. The youth of today etc, leather elbow patches on a cardy, Im getting old

[zilbiol]

The original song wasn't a fairy tale, it was about a pregnant mistress drowning herself with her lover's corpse, hence down Derry down down... War meant famine so her and her child may have died in poverty anyway, she must have been his mistress for love or she would have just attached herself to another soldier, she was probably unable to marry him because she was a commoner, he was young so we can assume so was she and pagans believed lakes were gates to the world of the dead...

[piedpiperpianos]

@skyddatlage Fantastic version by Hannah James and Sam Sweeney on their new album Catches and Glees - it can be heard online not sure if I can post a link here

we7.com/#/song/Hannah-James-Sa­m-Sweeney/Three-Ravens

[archDanMihalache]

La chair est triste, hélas! et j’ai lu tous les livres…

…Un Ennui, désolé par les cruels espoirs,

Croit encore à l’adieu suprême des mouchoirs!

[majesticpriestess]

@skyddatlage I sing this song myself, in a slightly more modern way actually. I sometimes look up for the ways others have sang the songs I myself though to change it up a little.

[majesticpriestess]

@skyddatlage

I actually sing this song myself. It's a favorite among those in the SCA

[readingrox19]

i love this song. it's so sad and beautiful at the same time.

[FreezeGear]

That was Djazia Satour as I know. And I think that was the best version of this song in Jack the Ripper.