Mediaeval Baebes: Sing Ivy

Taken from the album 'A Pocketful of Posies'
Join Mediaeval Baebes for their 25th anniversary tour this Christmas 2021. Get your tickets here:
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Words: Traditional
, Music: Katharine Blake
Arrangement: Katharine Blake, Charlie Cawood
Video Directed by Amanda Burns, Katharine Blake
Edited by Katharine Blake
Art Direction: Katharine Blake
Director of photography: Amanda Burns
With additional filming and stills by Karla Da Silva
Katharine Blake: Lead Vocal and percussion
Charlie Cawood: Dulcimer, zhonguruan, zither, lyre, daruan, hurdy-gurdy, saz, bass
Ben Woollacott: Drums, perc
ussion
Ray Hanson: acoustic guitar,
Mediaeval Baebes
:
Katharine Blake
Marie Findley
Jo Bowis
Sophia Halberstam
Fiona Fey
Additional Vocals
:
Anna Pool
Sophie Charlotte Ramsay
Sarah Foster
Produced by Katharine Blake
Engineered by Katharine Blake and Rob Toulson
Mixed by Katharine Blake and Rob Toulson
Mastered by Rob Toulson
Masks by Estelle Riviere and Ella Guru
Dancing ladies: Heather Morris, Estelle Riviere, Dawn Torabi, Amanda Burns
Dancing children: Ava Marsh, Rosa Marsh, Sima Torabi, Magdelena Whitney Morris
Along with the well known folk song “Can You Make Me a Cambric Shirt” (better known now as Scarborough Fayre), this rhyme is derived from the ancient Scottish folk ballad “The Elfin Knight” in which the protagonist threatens to captures a young woman to make her his lover, unless she can perform an impossible task. She in turn sets him numerous impossible tasks to evade abduction.
My father left me three acres of land,
Sing ivy, sing ivy;
My father left me three acres of land,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
My father left me three acres of land,
Sing ivy, sing ivy,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
I ploughed it with a ram's horn,
Sing ivy, sing ivy;
I ploughed it with a ram's horn,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
And sowed it all over with one peppercorn,
Sing ivy, sing ivy,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
I harrowed it with a bramble bush,
Sing ivy, sing ivy;
I harrowed it with a bramble bush,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
And reaped it with my little pen-knife,
Sing ivy, sing ivy,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
The mice they carried it to the barn,
Sing ivy, sing ivy;
The mice they carried it to the barn,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
And thrashed it with a goose’s quill,
Sing ivy, sing ivy,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
The cat she carried it to the mill,
Sing ivy, sing ivy;
The miller swore he’d have her paw,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
The cat she swore she’d sctatch his face,
Sing ivy, sing ivy,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
My father left me three acres of land,
Sing ivy, sing ivy;
My father left me three acres of land,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
My father left me three acres of land,
Sing ivy, sing ivy,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
Sing ivy, sing ivy,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!

[@Polymorphia1965]

Best Baebes video EVER! I'm loving the dark, folk horror vibe, and would love to see more in this style. Blessings and compliments to all involved!

[@jamiegoddard562]

Love this eerie and mysterious well done the baebes

[@michaeljackson5914]

Hail the gods!

[@pieisexactlythree]

I came to this song following PJ Harvey's recording from the film Dark River. What a wonderful discovery! Both are marvelous - this more or less traditional arrangement, and Polly's achingly sad version.

[@blame78]

Love the discrete nudiness there. Have to say, these ladies changed my life. I was in a most unhappy marriage and heard them on classic fm one night of all places. They were playing Fairfield Halls Croydon in Nov 2003. Via the website organising the event; Children of Artemis, I met a fabulous lady and we enjoyed the Baebes. Sadly it didn't last and I'm married to someone else now but the chain of events began with the Baebes. Their music is simply divine, spiritual and beautiful. Live they are just incredible. I'm glad they're still going strong.

[@Mr1bobbunny]

I Love these ladies voices really powerful haunting and wonderfully hypnotic harmonies

[@uncleambient]

Lovely, sounds like a lost track from The Wicker Man soundtrack.

[@AveburyEddie]

Great video & great song ! Looking forward to seeing you all in Norwich, next month :) \m/

[@veridianr2490]

I love it so much

[@TVJG-z4s]

Best Baebes

[@cosmogumption3396]

Captivating

[@zadete839]

Great music.

[@undrentide1972]

I’d love Katharine to do a collaboration with the nyx drone choir …they did wonders on the gazelle twin deep England album and I think NYX could bring something unique to the Baebes sound.

[@MS-19]

Wonderful! 👏👏👏

[@Deodexidus]

I can proudly say I've been a fan of the Baebes since 2001! I wish the UK government wasn't so Draconian about the "plague" so I could see them in person again. Much love from across the pond!

[@Peter-pv8xx]

I love these chicks, i was able to download most of their albums and compile an mp3 CD, it includes their Christmas as well.

[@darkstar1882]

Dear Santa .. could I please have a mediaeval baebe in my Christmas stocking .. I have been a very good boy this year.