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A Derelict Chorale

by Chris Thorpe-Tracey

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1.
The Murder Of Captain Aldridge Cm HARPS + ORGAN On the night of April 23rd a good strong wind prevailing Our captain set us out to sea, a perfect night for sailing The Frenchies had some booze to sell we knew just where they hid So we took her round the headland east but even as we did A customs boat all slick and new comes flying round the cliff The brand new ship they call The Leopard, dark as she was swift We pushed her off and we fought her men with fist and bottle and knife Til one of them bastards shot our Captain, made a widow of his wife Well they put him in the ground at All Saints Church And a crowd of people came Alongside the grieving family an anger grows the same There’s fury at the rich man’s court where nothing good is done And fury at the customs man – so quick to shoot his guns Wilful murder, that it was, said the warden of the church He shows us all where he’s written it down In the All Saints register Men like Edward Aldridge are the lifeblood of this town They brand a good man a criminal smash his boat and shoot him down Take our boys for Boney’s war, give our town to Wellesley’s army But if bread cost more than a man can afford there int no honest work for me You ain’t no bloody Napoleon, you ain’t no Mad King George Let the word ring out across the Priory fields, we ain’t gonna give you any more Captain Aldridge was the best of men, now his boat lies dead as he The hull was split on Hastings sand and left for all to see The customs man controls our trade with guns and bribery They have the run of the hangman’s noose for good men caught at sea
2.
The Rise Of The America Ground 1 Dragged up high, far from the waves A half hull on the shore The wreck of the Polymina lay Rotting forever more But on a fine spring day, 1805 Here’s Thomas Page and Jonny Prior Made the Polymina their new home Straw beds and an open fire 2 Johnny would learn the brewer’s trade Tom would be a rope man They'd live here more than 20 years And see an empire grow up about them In this no man’s land of the Priory Valley Outside the Corporation Up sprang the lodgings, sheds and alleys Of an independent nation 3 Then after the Battle of Waterloo When the war with the French was won Hastings dreamed of a posh resort For London’s wealth to come But when the rich come visiting You need the poor to do the work And they’re gonna find them a place to dwell And squalid holes to lurk 4 Down came Mark and Thomas Breeds Their fortune had been sealed By late December 1815 They’d bought the Priory Field So now they’re big men around these parts With a hand in every trade Outside the law of the Corporation There’s profit to be made 5 From lodging house and gin soaked den From the valley to the shore Hastings looks on horrified As we fill up with the poor There’s Frenchmen anchored by the beach With food and booze to sell There’s free trade smugglers after dark Drunk on the tales they tell Or the day when two men fought so hard They tore down both their houses And even Byron walks on down Goes home without his trousers 6 By ’22 a thousand souls Lived on the edge of the law Now Townsfolk calls them ‘Americans’ From the war 30 years before The insult lingers in the memory That flag is still taboo And so we got the name The America Ground In 1822 7 By February 1824 The whole town held a meeting To call for watchmen to stand guard and give these scum a beating They hired nine men, all brutal thugs, paid by for by donations But all they did was brought more grift To the independent nation 8 After the riots on Christmas Day The leaders had enough These people don’t pay tithe or rent And they’re always causing fuss Too much noise and fights and stink Too many darkened corners The Corporation tells the Crown And nobody will warn us 9 They found a way to bring us down As every empire falls The Corporation tells the Crown And begs them change the law Just as quick as we grew fat Our time will come much leaner But still Tom Page and old John Prior In the wreck of the Polymina.
3.
Doin' The Rope-Walk Tangle 1 The Rope man lays his weaving line End to end, for the strongest twine Fill us a warehouse in good time // Doin’ the ropewalk tangle 2 Way down here where the river flowed Lay down a path, then an alley, then a road The knots are tied, the money is owed Doin’ the ropewalk tangle CHORUS Ab 8 over 3 and-a 7 over 1 Eb Weave those threads til your rope is done // til your back is gone Bb But don’t you step on the fibres, son Doin’ the rope-walk tangle 3 It’s in your eyes and it’s in your hair Hemp dust burns in the open air Run to the far end if you dare Doin’ the ropewalk tangle 4 Because end to end it’s half a mile Run that alley in a single file Twist the fibres in the Spanish style Doin’ the rope-walk tangle CHORUS Ab 8 over 3 and-a 7 over 1 Eb Weave those threads til your rope is done // til your back is gone Bb But don’t you step on the fibres, son Doin’ the rope-walk tangle 5 When you’re done, then you roll that cord To get your money at the boatman’s door The Bowmer boys give a penny or more for Doin’ the rope-walk tangle 6 (QUIET) Sir, it’s worth more – and you hold out your cap Tom, tell your master his weave is slack And old John Gallop won’t pay for that, Doin’ the rope-walk tangle CHORUS Ab 8 over 3 and-a 7 over 1 Eb Weave those threads til your rope is done // til your back is gone Bb But don’t you step on the fibres, son Doin’ the rope-walk tangle Rope comes back from years at sea And it’s up to poor house if you please Picked apart by those poor ladies They’re doin’ The Rope Walk tangle Even when the rope’s long died We’ll still be following these same old lines A scar on the land til the end of time Doing the rope-walk tangle
4.
On Cuckoo Hill 85bpm / in C, small choral group tells the story Lad came running through the windy night Joe, you’d best come now! He’s shouting the street awake, says the wife – her voice? Sir, the Windmill’s down – young lad’s voice? That’s twice in less than 10 years A storm’s rolled in this hard It's blowing a gale up Cuckoo Hill And it’s torn the mill apart F - Am - You can see all of everything – older male voice? Am - G - F - In the grinding of the wheat Am - G - F - In the baking of bread G - C Mr Carswell said – choir More than meat or even beer – older male voice? You’ll find the whole world hiding here In the baking of bread Mr Carswell said – choir On Cuckoo Hill With prices rising We all fall down If there’s no bread Mr Carswell said The Priory Mill was in the family Joe inherited it from his mother And he swore he’d run it evenly Even when the times got tougher An honest miller Carswell was He had a golden thumb Sold honest flour since the ‘70s But that storm had him done It took his windmill by the joints Like a ship, tore the sails to bits Now he’s crying like a child in the pouring rain Down now on his knees in the sheep shit F - Am - You can see all of everything Am - G - F - In the grinding of the wheat Am - G - F - In the baking of bread G - C Mr Carswell said More than meat or even beer You’ll find the whole world hiding here In the baking of bread Mr Carswell said F On Cuckoo Hill Am With prices rising G We all fall down F If there’s no bread C Mr Carswell said
5.
Eight Acres (6th December, 1827) Am, 4/4, 70bpm, solo vocal, piano or solo accompanying instrument if there are characters, this is the voice of power / the voice of the Crown (gentle but menacing) 1 Today Let it be known An enquiry Held by the Crown For eight acres And who will own That same land On which you settled down Was held in Battle, Above the George Far too far to go, for you To plead your cause 2 Besides the Crown Four parties called it theirs We say it’s Royal land They claim a share One holds the castle (/ Lord Chichester) One holds the farm (/ Lord Cornwallis) Hastings Corporation is a third And then Sir Godfrey chanced his arm Two hundred buildings A thousand souls But in that room above the George We took control We are the judge and jury We are the law We find in favour Of ourselves, of course, who we award CHORUS And so now you Are squatters, all So now you Are squatters, all So now you Are squatters, all 3 Today Let it be known If none can prove Claims of your own We will display Broad arrow symbols here On these buildings On these walls and windows til you disappear 4 We are not cruel We’ll give you time Until midsummer’s day Of 1835 5 You may be rebel You may be none You may stand beside the men They call Americans Beside the dirty flag men Beside the scum Once we heard the stories Your time was done CHORUS Now you will pay your toll And then begone Now you will pay your toll And then begone Now you will pay your toll The Crown has won.
6.
The Battling Breeds Cm, 4/4, 105bpm, choir / small group, characters, percussion, acc  CHORUS Don’t get caught Taking the piss Out of the battling Breeds They’re the only men With wealth enough To hold a paper lease Someday you may need their help For a job or a loan at least So don’t get caught Taking the mickey Out of the battling Breeds VERSE 1 Thomas and Mark made their start Selling to the building trade One’s a firebrand, one’s a schemer Soon their cash was made In 1810 young Thomas Breeds Takes on the Corporation He proves to the court that they had stolen Charity donations Corruption ruined a local school Thomas got it mended And after that, for the Hastings mob The brothers were Unfriended But The family Breeds had done so well Their fortune soon was sealed For Christmas 1815 They bought the Priory Field Mark Breeds built a hotel there With houses both sides planned Investors had a bidding war And they gave him 16 grand Then they got into breweries Ran coaches everywhere The beautiful street was near complete So they called it Wellington Square CHORUS Don’t get caught Taking the piss Out of the battling Breeds They’re the only men With wealth enough To hold a paper lease Someday you may need their help For a job or a loan at least So don’t get caught Taking the michael Out of the battling Breeds VERSE 3 After that – and we don’t know why The brothers’ friendship ended Even with the wealth and fame Never was it mended They feuded loud for many a year Had a punch up in the street Got hauled up by the Local court Paid fines to keep them sweet “I never want to see his face again” Mark was heard to mutter If he comes near, Thomas shouts I’ll kick him in the gutter QUIET PUNCHLINE VERSE Now this was quite a problem, since For years they’d lived next door They used to treat both homes as one Now they built a 10 foot wall CHORUS So Don’t get caught Taking the piss Out of the battling Breeds They’re the only men With wealth enough To hold a paper lease Someday you may need their help For a job or a loan at least So don’t get caught Taking the mickey Out of the battling Breeds FINAL VERSE Some day many years from now When we’re long dead and buried There’ll still be Breeds in Hastings town So don’t go making merry Don’t you write no history Don’t sing it in a bloody song Cos if Breeds are sitting on a beer barrel throne Your great great great great grandchildren Will pay if you did them wrong. LONG CHORUS NO, Don’t get caught Taking the piss Out of the battling Breeds They’re the only men With wealth enough To hold a paper lease Someday you may need their help For a job or a room or a loan or a ride at least… So don’t get caught No loose talk No loose chatter of men who matter No, don’t get caught Behind your sleeve Laughing at those crazy battling Breeds
7.
Party In The Priory Meadow (19th July, 1832) 130bpm no key (or F# pedal) – chanted/shouted tom drums / side drums percussion and choir The reform bill passed The reform bill passed 1832 1832 Corruption overturned Corruption overturned And how the Tories lose And how the Tories lose All evidence gone All evidence gone All papers burnt All papers burnt When the power changed hands When the power changed hands Still the rich carry on Still the rich carry on When the barns burn down When the barns burn down Blame it on the poor Blame it on the poor We know the truth We know the truth They hid their crimes They hid their crimes For a decade or more For a decade or more Still the people threw Still the people threw A party in the field A party in the field With a banquet feast With a banquet feast Let the Americans come Let the Americans come From the bottom of town From the bottom of town Room for everyone Room for everyone Tonight at least Tonight at least Let them raise their flag Let them raise their flag They’re a part of us now They’re a part of us now So the Americans come So the Americans come They cross the stream They cross the stream Here with everyone Here with everyone One night for free One night for free Dance through til dawn Dance through til dawn Come one and all! Come one and all! When the kissing’s done When the kissing’s done We celebrate too soon We celebrate too soon Only two years gone Only two years gone 1834 1834 Come the new Poor Law Come the new Poor Law Come the workhouse now Come the workhouse now Come Victoria’s ruin Come Victoria’s ruin Those wealthy few Those wealthy few They always knew They always knew What they were they doing What they were they doing What they were they doing What they were they doing
8.
Four Eagles 03:54
FOUR EAGLES Cm, 4/4, 139bpm, chords and percussion, solo and choir CHORUS (CHOIR) There are four eagles High above the cliff Soaring spirals in the sky And so we live V1 & 2 (SOLO – A SAILOR/CUSTOMS MAN SINGS) Today four sailors drowned Who set to shore Customs men on the Camilla Since the war six men in all Went in the sea But only two survived And one was me My soul was rescued By a smuggler Though I’ve fought and I’ve arrested Many others His name was Beachen So no more I Will give my labour, that I swear To the Excise CHORUS (CHOIR) There are four eagles High above the hill Soaring spirals in the sky A sign of ill V3 & 4 (CHOIR) Princess Victoria Stares at the sea She’s here for Christmas, She’s just 15 But then six coastguards Right there capsize She sees them drowning With her own eyes Trying to rescue A boat from Rye A sinking collier She stood and watched them die Just two years later She rules us all A callous mother She watched them fall CHORUS And then four eagles They dive for prey But only three great eagles Rise again V5 & 6 (SOLO VOICE AGAIN) They built a watch house For navy men To bring the free trade To a bloody end Well good luck to them It’s not for me I owe a smuggler For his bravery CHORUS (CHOIR) There are four eagles High above the cliff Soaring spirals in the sky And so we live
9.
Unholy Trinity in G, 120bpm, vocal, choir, thud, piano, flute organ/solo instr V1 All of human life is here In the service of the pigs and the beer In the service of the rope line laid The London coach and the night-time trade All of human life is there In the service of the landlord’s stare The night fisherman and drunken priest Sir, give me something to eat at least CHORUS Look what they’ve put in me Between the men and the dirt and the sea Unholy trinity – yeah, I know V2 All of human scorn laid down At the feet of the America Ground From the gentlefolk, parishioners all Still, they cross the stream when darkness falls So here all of human life you’ll find Leave your piety and wife behind Cross the Priory for gin and ale And witness all of human pain for sale CHORUS x2 (second one high up) Look what they’ve put in me Between the men and the dirt and the sea Unholy trinity – mix them up and let em go Look what they’ve put in me Between the men and the dirt and the sea Unholy trinity – yeah I know V3 All of human failure too Abandoned children and the horse for glue If a man here will ever succeed He’ll do it cambering on others’ needs All of human life is now The gin palace and the poisoned sow The dirty hands of the nightwatch men Who called you sweetheart but it’s all pretend CHORUS Look what they’ve put in me Dirt and men and sea Unholy trinity – yeah I know. HIGH END CODA CHORUS x2 And if they rise it’ll cost you – and if they don’t it’ll cost you And if they die it’ll cost you more
10.
Eviction 4/4, Eb, 90bpm Well they’d blown up the white rock headland side by the end of ’34 Then they dug out a brand new coastal road, ran it right through Anne’s front door They started running four-horse buses across town several times a day Nobody needs an old ropemaker when the world turns a different way In October there was a heavy old storm hand in hand with a twelve foot tide When it took down twenty four seafront homes, we took it as a sign As the navy beat down the free trade, the fisherman’s life got worse More and more good men came home dead and the empty shed was a curse CHORUS So it’s not an eviction Not like what I imagined, anyhow More like a river redirected And we all flow down and down One by one warehouses closed and the alley lost the night-time scene Down where we used to drink and sing, it turned back into an in-between I don’t know where Tom Page and John Prior went in that summer of ’35 But the new Poor Law was a devil, so maybe in the workhouse if they survived We moved down the coast to St Leonard’s, to work on Mr Burton’s town We took our buildings on our backs, put ‘em back up on his new ground Everything I owned in a wooden cart, dragged by the kids and wife Burnt that flag we’d carried so high, left The America Ground behind CHORUS So it’s not an eviction Not like what I imagined, anyhow More like a river redirected And we all flow down and down Now I walked down there yesterday – it’s been a whole ten years Still empty and abandoned as that day we all got cleared No, they never even used the land for nothing, left it all alone I heard some people calling it the desert, but it used to be home. CHORUS So it’s not an eviction Not like what I imagined, anyhow More like a river redirected And we all flow down and down So it’s not an eviction Not like what I imagined, anyway More like a river redirected And we all flow away flow away flow away flow away flow away

about

Songs composed during an MSL Discover artist residency at the America Ground, Hastings. The works tells the stories of lives from this community during the early 19th century, when The America Ground sprang up as an unofficial, untaxed seashore shanty town, outside the jurisdiction of Hastings Borough.

The America Ground survived almost three decades, included over 1,000 residents and more than 200 dwellings, until it was eventually cleared through eviction in 1835. The Crown claimed the right to the land, evicted the people, then left the land empty for another 15 years, before eventually subletting it to builders.

These demo songs would ideally form the basis of a live choral performance set a choir and simple music accompaniment.

credits

released May 21, 2020

Credits

Released May 21, 2020

Composed, written, recorded and performed by C J Thorpe-Tracey as part of the MSL Discover Artist Residency at The America Ground, Hastings

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