The Old Songs Podcast

The Old Songs Podcast explores old songs – traditional, industrial, street ballads – one at a time. Learn where they came from, where they've been, who sung them and who sings them still. Most of the series is available on Mixcloud. Presented by traditional singer, Jon Wilks.

All Episodes

The Old Songs Podcast

The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep2 – ‘Sweet Lemany’, ft. Hannah Martin

August 15, 2022 • The Old Songs Podcast / Hannah Martin • Season 2 • Episode 2

'Sweet Lemany' [Roud 193] is a traditional folk song that has entranced countless singers, not least Hannah Martin of Edgelarks, SykesMartin, Gigspanner and Saltlines. The song is an aubade (a piece of music for the morning) and features mystical lyrics that may (or may not) refer to a druidic figure and the magic of early summer. Ahead of her performance with SykesMartin at Cecil Sharp House on September 29th, 2022, Hannah joins Jon Wilks on the Old Songs Podcast, supported by the English Folk Dance and Song Society, to chat about the history of the song, where she first heard it, and what caught her attention in the first place. Make sure you stick around to the end of the podcast to hear a truly gorgeous, unaccompanied performance of the song by Hannah Martin herself.

'Sweet Lemany' podcast notes

Links

Over the course of the hour, Hannah Martin and Jon Wilks mention the following links:

Track listing

'Sweet Lemany', performed by Burd Ellen
'Sweet Lemeney', performed by Peter Bellamy
'Lemany', performed by Nick Hart
'Sweet Lemany', performed by Jarlarth Henderson
'Sweet Lemany', performed by the Askew Sisters
'Sweet Lemany', performed exclusively for the Old Songs Podcast by Hannah Martin

For more info on Hannah Martin, head to Edgelarks.co.uk.