The Parson & the Songmen

Author: Mike Bosworth

The Reverend Sabine Baring Gould was an exceptional parson and squire from Devonshire, England. He is probably best remembered as the composer of the hymn 'Onward Christian Soldiers'.Born in Exeter in 1834, he died at his estate, Lewtrenchard Manor in West Devon, in 1924.As 2024 is the centenary of his death it gives me the opportunity to spotlight what he considered to be the most important achievement of his life, that of collecting the old folk songs of Devonshire, and later Cornwall, as he termed it, 'from the mouths of the people'.Join me as I tell stories about, and sing songs from, this far from ordinary Victorian country parson as he travelled by pony and trap across his native Devonshire seeking out songs that now form a major part of the English folk song tradition.
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Language: en-gb

Genres: History, Music, Music History

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S3 13 As Is The Custom
Episode 13
Wednesday, 10 December, 2025

Send us a textIf you do celebrate, you may well have noticed that Yuletide is nearly upon us... But, if you did need reminding, then this episode of The Parson and the Songmen will do just that for you!There are plenty of Christmas and Winter Solstice customs and traditions out there, but this edition will hopefully open your eyes and ears to some that are (almost) peculiar to Devon and Cornwall, and may even help to explain the origins of some traditions that we take for granted today.Support the showMike's website: mikebosworth.uk Podcast producer: jontidball@hotmail.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Parson-and-the-Songmen/100093220748945/ Mike's YouTube page:https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thimblerigg+videos Sabine Baring-Gould Centenary Celebration Group: https://www.sbgcentenary.co.uk/ Simon Mayor: mandolin.co.uk Mike O'Connor: http://www.lyngham.co.uk/ Barbara Griggs: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Arganteilin-Harp-Cornwall/dp/0954106857 Pete Coe: https://petecoe.co.uk/ Castle Heritage Centre, Bude: https://www.thecastlebude.co.uk/ Devon Association of Ringers: https://www.devonbells.co.uk/ Wren Music: https://www.wrenmusic.co.uk/