I forgot to mention in last night’s post that the version of “The Fox” we listened to is by David Jones, off his wonderful Widdecombe Fair album. Mr. Jones is a familiar figure at South Street Seaport and at folk music festivals around the Northeast: I had the good fortune to see him at the Old Songs festival near Albany a year or two ago, where someone who should know told me, “David Jones… I’d listen to him sing the phone book.” Widdecombe Fair is his only children’s record, but it is more than that, full of ballads and folk songs that you may remember from your childhood, songs to learn and sing.

I happened on David Jones by chance. A second-hand book dealer in NY had an early record for sale, and I bought it on a whim (this was more than a decade ago). I then bought several tapes directly from him, including this in its old format, lacking two or three of the songs included on CD. Since that time, Dan Zanes (who is leading a renaissance in good music for children) has championed this album and its singer.

Among the songs:
Old Tommy Nobbler (a counting song) / Molly Malone / An Acre of Land (a Child ballad) / The Prickly Bush (another, known as Gallows Pole to Led Zeppelin fans) / The Sailor’s Alphabet / Widdecombe Fair (with a ghostly ending) / The Fox (of course) / The Keeper (my wife’s favorite) / The Herring’s Head (a cumulative song, like The 12 Days of Christmas)

Correction: I like Dan Zanes’ term better: “Family Music”, for kids and grown-ups to enjoy together. Widdecombe Fair is certainly that.

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