Fred Jordan (singer)
Encyclopedia
Fred Jordan was a farm worker from Ludlow
, Shropshire
, and is noted as one of the great musically untutored traditional
English
singers. He was first recorded in the 1940s by folk music researcher Alan Lomax
and, over subsequent decades endeared himself to the English folk-song revival movement. Jordan was awarded the English Folk Dance and Song Society
's highest honour, the Gold Badge, "for distinguished and unique contributions to the folk performing arts" in 1996.
At the age of 14 he left school to work as a farm labourer for three shillings (£0.15) per week. He learnt his songs from his mother, fellow farm workers and travelling families
, supplemented with some from printed sources. His repertoire included songs which had been handed-down by the oral tradition
from as far back as the era of Samuel Pepys
and from the music hall
s of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He mainly sang these songs in pubs
.
Jordan was working for a blacksmith who heard that Alan Lomax was in the area, searching for songs in the way that Cecil Sharp
had some 50 years earlier, and suggested that Lomax should listen to Jordan. Lomax made the first recording of his singing. In 1952 Peter Kennedy, working for the BBC
on secondment from the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS)
made further recordings of Jordan on a farm at Diddlebury
.
’s Royal Festival Hall
. He also toured Scotland
at this time. These performances led to him becoming a popular guest artist at folk clubs through the next two decades and appearing at further large concert venues including the Manchester Free Trade Hall
. He continued to work as a casual farm labourer, combining fencing
, hedging
, ditch
ing and harvest
ing with his new career as a singer. With the growth of folk festival
s he appeared before ever-larger audiences at festivals such as Keele, Cambridge
, Bromyard and Sidmouth. His signature song became “The Farmer’s Boy” which usually brought his concerts to an end.
Jordan’s voice was described by Peta Webb as having a “beautiful timbre
and vibrato
” and that he could “bring out the essence of a song through a wide range of subtle devices”. Derek Schofield
described him as having a “subtle and skilful use of melodic ornament
".
, television
or running water
at his primitive cottage in Aston Munslow, near Craven Arms
. He grew his own vegetables and was fond of his collection of horse brass
es.
Jordan left his cottage in 2001 to live in a residential home in Ditton Priors
due to poor health. He died here at the age of 80 on Tuesday July 30, 2002 following a heart attack
.
where he established a tradition of singing the final song of the event, usually "A Farmer's Boy".Following his death, the organisers of that festival established the “Fred Jordan Memorial Competition”, to honour Jordan's name and to encourage traditional singers up to 25 years old. Winners so far have been:
2002 Kathryn Turner and Jim Moray
2003 Fiona Bradshaw
2004 Fiona Dunne
2005 Tina Taylor
2006 Elizabeth Hearn
2007 Maz O'Connor
2008 Ffion Mair Thomas and Kate Holland
2009 Niamh Boadle
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, and is noted as one of the great musically untutored traditional
Traditional singer
A Traditional singer is someone who has learned folk songs in their original context - for example while sailing a ship or working on a farm. Until modern inventions such as the phonograph radio and cinema became common, this was the only way for ordinary people to learn songs.By the time of the...
English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singers. He was first recorded in the 1940s by folk music researcher Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of...
and, over subsequent decades endeared himself to the English folk-song revival movement. Jordan was awarded the English Folk Dance and Song Society
English Folk Dance and Song Society
The English Folk Dance and Song Society was formed in 1932 when two organisations merged: the Folk-Song Society and the English Folk Dance Society. The EFDSS, a member-based organisation, was incorporated as a Company limited by guarantee in 1935 and became a Registered Charity The English Folk...
's highest honour, the Gold Badge, "for distinguished and unique contributions to the folk performing arts" in 1996.
Early life
Jordan was born in Ludlow, the youngest of 5 children. His date of birth has been given in various sources as 16 October 1922 but this is an error arising from Peter Kennedy’s inaccurate date of birth published in an old EDFSS magazine and repeated also on Fred’s first LP sleeve. At the age of 6 he won a £1 prize for his singing of “The Gypsy’s Warning”At the age of 14 he left school to work as a farm labourer for three shillings (£0.15) per week. He learnt his songs from his mother, fellow farm workers and travelling families
English Travellers
The term English Travellers refers to certain groups of ethnic nomads, and may mean:* Romanichals, or English Gypsies of Romani origin* Irish Travellers, living in the United Kingdom* New Age travellers in Britain in the 1980s and 1990s...
, supplemented with some from printed sources. His repertoire included songs which had been handed-down by the oral tradition
Oral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
from as far back as the era of Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
and from the music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
s of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He mainly sang these songs in pubs
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
.
First recordings
Following the warWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Jordan was working for a blacksmith who heard that Alan Lomax was in the area, searching for songs in the way that Cecil Sharp
Cecil Sharp
Cecil James Sharp was the founding father of the folklore revival in England in the early 20th century, and many of England's traditional dances and music owe their continuing existence to his work in recording and publishing them.-Early life:Sharp was born in Camberwell, London, the eldest son of...
had some 50 years earlier, and suggested that Lomax should listen to Jordan. Lomax made the first recording of his singing. In 1952 Peter Kennedy, working for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
on secondment from the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS)
English Folk Dance and Song Society
The English Folk Dance and Song Society was formed in 1932 when two organisations merged: the Folk-Song Society and the English Folk Dance Society. The EFDSS, a member-based organisation, was incorporated as a Company limited by guarantee in 1935 and became a Registered Charity The English Folk...
made further recordings of Jordan on a farm at Diddlebury
Diddlebury
Diddlebury is a small village and civil parish in Shropshire, England lying in Corvedale on the B4368 road about 5 miles north east of Craven Arms....
.
Recognition and critical acclaim
Following these recordings Jordan became nationally recognised in folk music circles and left Shropshire for the first time in his life to sing on BBC programmes and in live performances at venues as significant as LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
’s Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
. He also toured Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
at this time. These performances led to him becoming a popular guest artist at folk clubs through the next two decades and appearing at further large concert venues including the Manchester Free Trade Hall
Free Trade Hall
The Free Trade Hall, Peter Street, Manchester, was a public hall constructed in 1853–6 on St Peter's Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre and is now a hotel. The hall was built to commemorate the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. The architect was Edward Walters The hall subsequently was...
. He continued to work as a casual farm labourer, combining fencing
Agricultural fencing
In agriculture, fences are used to keep animals in or out of an area. They can be made from a wide variety of materials, depending on terrain, location and animals to be confined...
, hedging
Hedge
Hedge may refer to:* Hedge or hedgerow, line of closely spaced shrubs planted to act as a barrier* Hedge , investment made to limit loss* Hedge , intentionally non-committal or ambiguous sentence fragments-See also:...
, ditch
Ditch
A ditch is usually defined as a small to moderate depression created to channel water.In Anglo-Saxon, the word dïc already existed and was pronounced 'deek' in northern England and 'deetch' in the south. The origins of the word lie in digging a trench and forming the upcast soil into a bank...
ing and harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
ing with his new career as a singer. With the growth of folk festival
Folk festival
A Folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music.-Canada:Alberta*Calgary Folk Music Festival*Canmore Folk Music Festival*Edmonton Folk Music Festival*Jasper Folk Festival*Wild Mountain Music FestOntario*Barriefolk...
s he appeared before ever-larger audiences at festivals such as Keele, Cambridge
Cambridge Folk Festival
The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of music and a wide definition of what might be considered folk. It occurs...
, Bromyard and Sidmouth. His signature song became “The Farmer’s Boy” which usually brought his concerts to an end.
Jordan’s voice was described by Peta Webb as having a “beautiful timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
and vibrato
Vibrato
Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation and the speed with which the pitch is varied .-Vibrato and...
” and that he could “bring out the essence of a song through a wide range of subtle devices”. Derek Schofield
Derek Schofield
The Hon Mr Justice Derek Schofield, born 1945, commenced his legal career in 1961 when he was appointed assistant in the office of the clerk of the court in Lancashire...
described him as having a “subtle and skilful use of melodic ornament
Ornament (music)
In music, ornaments or embellishments are musical flourishes that are not necessary to carry the overall line of the melody , but serve instead to decorate or "ornament" that line. Many ornaments are performed as "fast notes" around a central note...
".
Home life
Fred remained unchanged by his success and fame, continuing to live a simple life without radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
or running water
Running Water
Running Water may be:* Running Water, Tennessee, former name of Whiteside, Tennessee* Running Water, South Dakota, a community in Bon Homme County, South Dakota* "Running Water" from the 1983 album The Present...
at his primitive cottage in Aston Munslow, near Craven Arms
Craven Arms
Craven Arms is a small town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, located on the A49 road and the Welsh Marches railway line, which connect it north and south to the larger towns of Shrewsbury and Ludlow respectively. The Heart of Wales railway line joins the Welsh Marches line at Craven Arms...
. He grew his own vegetables and was fond of his collection of horse brass
Horse brass
A horse brass is a brass plaque used for the decoration of horse harness gear, especially for shire and parade horses. they became especially popular in England from the mid-19th century until their general decline alongside the use of the heavy horse, and remain a collectors item today.-History:In...
es.
Jordan left his cottage in 2001 to live in a residential home in Ditton Priors
Ditton Priors
Ditton Priors is a village and civil parish in south Shropshire, England.The nearest town is Bridgnorth. The village is situated near to Shropshire's highest hill, Brown Clee Hill....
due to poor health. He died here at the age of 80 on Tuesday July 30, 2002 following a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
His legacy
Jordan’s local festival was at BromyardBromyard
Bromyard is a town in northeast Herefordshire, England with a population of approximately 4,000. It lies near to the county border with Worcestershire on the A44 between Leominster and Worcester. Bromyard has a number of traditional half-timbered pubs and some buildings dating back to Norman times...
where he established a tradition of singing the final song of the event, usually "A Farmer's Boy".Following his death, the organisers of that festival established the “Fred Jordan Memorial Competition”, to honour Jordan's name and to encourage traditional singers up to 25 years old. Winners so far have been:
2002 Kathryn Turner and Jim Moray
Jim Moray
Jim Moray is an English folk singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer.-Recording artist:While studying classical composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire, Moray released the home-recorded I Am Jim Moray EP. During 2002 he appeared at the Glastonbury festival and the Cambridge Folk...
2003 Fiona Bradshaw
2004 Fiona Dunne
2005 Tina Taylor
2006 Elizabeth Hearn
2007 Maz O'Connor
2008 Ffion Mair Thomas and Kate Holland
2009 Niamh Boadle
Selected discography
- Songs of a Shropshire Farm Worker - Topic RecordsTopic RecordsTopic Records is a British folk music label, which played a major role in the second British folk revival. It began as an offshoot of the Workers' Music Association in 1939, making it the oldest independent record label in the world.-History:...
LP, 12T150 (1966) - When the Frost is on the Pumpkin – Topic Records LP, TS 233 (1974)
- In Course of Time – VWML cassette, 006 (1990)
- A Shropshire Lad - Veteran Records double CD, VTD148CD
Fred Jordan on compilation albums
The following CD albums each contain one or more tracks sung by Jordan:- Hidden English – Topic Records CD, TSCD600
- My Ship Shall Sail The Ocean - Topic Records CD, TSCD652
- O’er His Grave The Grass Grew Green - Topic Records CD, TSCD653
- First I’m Going To Sing You A Ditty - Topic Records CD, TSCD657
- They Ordered Their Pints Of Beer And Bottles Of Sherry - Topic Records CD, TSCD663
- There Is A Man Upon The Farm - Topic Records CD, TSCD670
- Come All My Lads That Follow the Plough - Topic Records CD, TSCD655
- A Century Of Song – EFDSS CD, EFDSSCD02
- The Birds Upon The Tree - Musical Traditions Double CD, MTCD333
- Classic Ballads of Britain & Ireland Vol. 1 - (unknown label) CD, RCD1775
- Old Boys (at Whitby Folk Week) - Whitby Folk Week CD, WFW 26CD.