Video Premiere: Bryony Griffith & Alice Jones - Wanton Lasses Pity Her

Hailing from the close-knit communities of West Yorkshire, Bryony Griffith and Alice Jones are both established solo artists and well-known by many who follow the English folk music scene. United by a mutual fascination with folk song and tune collections from their native county, they will release ‘A Year Too Late & a Month Too Soon (Songs from Yorkshire)‘ on 3 May 2022. It is an album that draws on a wealth of stories inspired by the landscape and language of their surroundings, not to mention the local characters they have grown up with and still live amongst today.

Bryony is one of England’s most highly regarded fiddle players and distinctive singers. She was also a member of the award-winning folk ensemble, The Demon Barbers and tours extensively with her husband, Will Hampson. Alice is a singer, step-dancer and multi-instrumentalist from Ripponden in West Yorkshire. She has grown up steeped in traditional music and dance from a young age and has performed at most of the prestigious folk festivals in the UK as well as touring in Europe and beyond. She released her critically acclaimed debut solo album “Poor Strange Girl” in 2016.

To celebrate the album’s announcement and International Women’s Day, we have the pleasure of sharing the accompanying video for Wanton Lasses Pity Her. As you can hear, their vocals seem made for each other, engaging, full of character and harmony. This is a duo you don’t want to miss – see their tour dates below.

They shared the following on Wanton Lasses Pity Her:

‘Wanton Lasses Pity Her’ is a traditional song from North Yorkshire, collected by Mary and Nigel Hudleston and published in ‘Songs of the Ridings’ under the title ‘A New Song’. In 1961, Mark Newham of Newham’s Dairy in Scarborough responded to an advert that the Hudlestons had placed in the Scarborough Mercury in search of any surviving local folk songs. He provided them with ‘a very old book of local songs’ that had belonged to his Great Grandfather James Barthram. James had been a farmer in Kirkbymoorside before moving to Scarborough to run The Fountain Inn in the 1840s.

The song tells of the woes of a young woman who has given up the joys of single life to marry a rather unpleasant man named Dirry Doodham, who treats her very badly. The language and imagery suggest the song is much older than the 1800s and we re-named it ‘Wanton Lasses Pity Her’.

The video was recorded at Kirkdale Cave which is just next to St. Gregory’s Minster, where James Barthram was baptised in 1803.

Thanks to The Newham Family of Scarborough and Philippa Jarvis of Kirkbymoorside for their help in tracing the book and the song back to their ancestors.

Filmed and edited by Sally Smith at Kirkdale Cave, Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire

Bryony and Alice have a number of tour dates coming up, including Cecil Sharp House in London on 16th March and Sidmouth Folk Festival, Whitby Folk Week and more. See details below and keep with them via their website, Facebook and Instagram.