(1970) Cyril Tawney – A Mayflower Garland
A MAYFLOWER GARLAND
A collection of folk songs from Devon and Cornwall offered as a tribute on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower
Argo issue number: ZFB 9
Recorded: 16th and 17th December, 1969
Producer: Frederick Woods
Engineer: Kevin Daly
Availability: long deleted, never appeared on CD.
Musicians and singers
Cyril Tawney – vocals
Tom Paley – plectrum guitar and banjo
Reg Hall – melodeon
Gary Watson – reader of extracts
Tracks
Side One
1 Outward Bound
2 Of Plimouth Plantation (reading)
3 Rounding the Horn
4 Farewell to Kingsbridge
5 Truro Agricultural Show
6 Crandock Games
7 Of Plimouth Plantation (reading)
8 Beacon Park (Tawney)
Side Two
1 A Cornish Young Man
2 Of Plimouth Plantation (reading)
3 Bell-ringing
4 The Cruise of the Calabar
5 Of Plimouth Plantation (reading)
6 Sir Francis Drake
7 Second-class Citizen’s Song (Tawney)
8 The Appraisal of the Mayflower
9 The Oggie Man (Tawney)
All songs traditional, except where indicated. The extracts read by Gary Watson come from William Bradford’s account of the story of the Pilgrims who sailed in the Mayflower and founded the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. The book, Of Plimouth Plantation, is available in digital form here.
Nothing local about a gramophone record
On the sleeve notes Tawney says the songs selected for this, his second album on Argo, are a miscellany of traditional and contemporary (his own) material connected in some way or other with the counties of Devon and Cornwall.
“I would like to dedicate both this record and my previous issue on the Argo label, ‘Children’s Songs from Devon and Cornwall’ (ZFB 4), to Mr Frank Gillard of the BBC who, in a broadcast press conference on July 10th, 1969, defended the Corporation’s decision to phase out disc-jockey programmes from Regions with the somewhat rash statement: ‘There is nothing local about a gramophone record.’”
(Pic right: former head of the BBC West Region, Frank Gillard – the man credited with introducing Radio 1 and local radio to the BBC)
For a biography of Cyril Tawney and to see what recordings of his are available, visit the website run by his widow Rosemary.
More notes as and when
Folkcatalogue's Blog 
Does anyone know where I can get a download of this. I have tried everything I can think of, and would really like to get hold of a digital copy.
Mnay thanks.
My comments refer to Cyrils 1972 release IN PORT which is beyond awesome only having so far heard only 8 of it’s 15 tracks on YouTube, and that’s my problem yet again divine music trapped behind a copyright law keeping it being heard, I know the puritans amongst you will cite artists rights but yet again great music deserves an audience and we are out here waiting for someone to blow away the bullshit that stops us, and more importantly willing to buy it, discuss
Hi. 12 out of the 15 songs on In Port appear on the CD Navy Cuts which you can get here. My guess is that the versions on the CD are later re-recordings of the songs, but I don’t know for sure.
I have a vinyl copy of “in Port” somewhere about the place, and also the CD “Navy Cuts.” Navy Cuts is a later re-recording of most,(but not all) of the same songs as “In Port” but the difference as far as I can hear is that the later versions are all Cyril solo, whereas on “In Port” he is backed by The Yetties.
Talking Elephant are due to release “A Mayflower Garland” on CD at the end of May 2011.
will post a link to the re-release as soon as. kind regards