I was introduced to "The Lambton Worm" by
John Cram when in Newcastle Upon Tyne during 2012. We made an arrangement to accommodate two voices along with concertina to be sung at the
2012 Festival Maritim in Bremen-Vegesack.
We based our arrangement on a version found in
Singing Hinnies Book 2 and it was duly performed in
Laden 38 and in the
Old Papageienhaus.
The song tells of the horrible goings-on of a creature whose appetite includes babie and lambs - just the sort of song to be used as a good-night lullaby for unruly toddlers!
The whole tale along with definitions of all the Geordie words and history of the Lambtons is given in the above lyric link by wikipedia .
The Bishoprick Garland devotes pages 21 to 29 to
The Worme of Lambton demonstrating the significance of this song to England's North East.
This song may well have been performed by that old time musical performer
Charles Ernest Catcheside-Warrington who published it in his
Tyneside Songs Volume 3