Sam Hall

[Robin Hamilton]

> Those of you who are folkies may be familiar with John Roberts and Tony
> Barrand, who are still performing today.  In the seventies they put
> together an English Music Hall show (along with a number of friends) which
> consisted of late nineteenth century Music Hall songs (Champagne Charlie,
> Watcha Ria, Hold Your Hand Out, Naughty Boy, Sweeney Todd (not the
> Sondheim version) etc.)  One of the songs was indeed Sam Hall, and the
> mighty curse was 'Damn their eyes' (and the last verse was 'Damn your
> eyes!').
> There are a couple of unofficial recordings of the show, one of which I
> own and have recently digitized.
>
> Geoff

Steeleye Span also sang the Jack Hall version, on "Tempted and Tried".
Though they get the date of Hall's death wrong on the sleeve notes.  I think
the version they sing is taken from Sharp, either _One Hundred English
Folksongs_ or _Folk-Songs from Somerset_.

Sharp, and Steeleye Span, both have Hall riding up Tyburn Hill, gawd 'elp
us, in a cart.  So much for the accuracy of the Street's memory.  Once the
New Drop was introduced at Newgate in 1783, most everyone promptly forgot
the details of the original route to Tyburn.

Robin

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