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Matty Groves
Last updated: 11.10.23
Matty Groves is an ancient ballad following the time-old plot of seduction (aristocratic lady and commoner whereby the lady is the chief instigator), marital disloyalty and retribution in the form of a duel with the marriage breaker and homicide of the disloyal wife by the jealous and vengeful husband.
There are numerous versions and the version I would love sing is to be found amongst those collected by Cecil Sharp whereby the scene is set in Scotland. Sadly its 30 verses make it much too long for "sophisticated" audiences so I have to make do with a shortened version, which I found in a popular German songbook. This version has only 18 verses and is set in England and appears to the most commonly sung today as I have found it at many sites on the Internet. Even so this shortened version requires some 6 minutes if plentiful theatrical gestures are thrown in. I have to keep varying my voice volume and tempo as its monotonous character can send non-English speaking listeners off to deep slumber.
  Issue Instruments Performer
       
  DBE MP3 Sample    
audiodbemp315.gif Ditty Box Voice, Concertina Geoff Grainger
     Performer CD Title Supplier
       
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cd15.gif Fairport Convention Liege And Lief CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Fairport Convention Old New Borrowed Blue flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Geoff Grainger Ditty Box dbe15.gif
cd15.gif Various Artists The Best of British Folk flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Various Artists Troubadours Of British Folk: Vol. 2 flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
     Title Performer Composer
       
youtube15.jpg Matty Groves (8:12) Fairport Convention