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Two Young Brethren / The Two Brothers

[ Roud 202 ; Ballad Index BrMa152 / BuDa033 ; trad.]

Two Young Brethren is a song from the repertoire of the Copper Family. Both words and music and printed in the The Copper Family Song Book and in Bob Copper's book A Song for Every Season. Bob and John Copper sang Two Young Brethren on their 4 LP set of 1971, A Song for Every Season, and young brethren Ben and Tom Copper and their cousins Mark, Andy and Sean Barratt sang it on their CD Coppersongs 3: The Legacy Continues.

Shirley Collins recorded Two Brethren in 1966 in London as a demo. This recording was included in 2006 on her CD Snapshots.

The Valley Folk (Jean and Elaine Carruthers, John Dickinson and Steve Heap) sang Two Brethren in 1968 on their LP All Bells in Paradise. This and three other tracks from their album were reissued on the 1996 Topic Records sampler The Season Round.

Dave Weatherall & Martin Hall sang Two Brethren in 1992 on the Fellside anthology Voices: English Traditional Songs. Paul Adams commented in the CD notes:

A song from the Copper Family of Rottingdean (see notes to Wedding Song). It is a rustic idyll about a way—and pace—of life which has all but disappeared. The interesting thing about the Coppers is that they sing in harmony—a rarity in the English tradition. Stylistically this version by Dave and Martin is based on the singing of Bob Copper and his cousin, Roy. Based on, because it is no slavish copy, they have evolved their own lines.

Jon Boden sang Two Young Brethren as the August 2, 2010 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day.

Peter Bellamy used the tune and the second verse of the Coppers' Two Young Brethren in his song Farewell to the Land.

Lyrics

The Copper Family sing Two Young Brethren

Come all jolly ploughmen and help me to sing,
I will sing in the praise of you all,
If a man he don't labour how can he get bread?
I will sing and make merry withal.

It was of two young brethren, two young brethren born,
It was of two young brethren born,
One he was a shepherd and a tender of sheep
The other a planter of corn.

We will rile it, we will tile it through mud and through clay,
We will plough it up deeper and low,
Then after comes the seedsman his corn for to sow
And the harrows to rake it in rows.

There is April, there is May, there is June and July
What a pleasure it is for to see the corn grow.
In August we will reap it, we will cut, sheaf and bind it
And go down with our scythes for to mow.

And after we've reaped it off every sheaf
And have gathered up every ear,
With a drop of good beer, boys, and our hearts full of cheer
We will wish them another good year.

Our barns they are full, our fields they are clear,
Good health to our master and friends.
We will make no more to do but we'll plough and we'll sow
And prepare for the very next year.

The Valley Folk sing Two Brethren

Come all jolly ploughboys and help me to sing,
I will sing in the praise of you all.
If a man he don't labour how shall he get bread?
I will sing and make merry withal.

It is of two young brethren, two young brethren born,
It is of two young brethren born,
And one he was a shepherd and a tender of sheep
And the other a planter of corn.

We will rile it, we will tile it through mud and through clay,
We will plough it up deeper and low.
Then after comes the seedsman with his corn for to sow
And the harrows to rake it in rows.

There is April, there is May, there is June and July;
What a pleasure it is for to see the corn grow.
In August we will reap it we will cut sheaf and bind it
And go down with our scythes for to mow.

And after we've reaped it off every sheaf
And have gathered up every ear,
With a drop of good beer, boys, and our hearts full of cheer
We will wish them another good year.

Our barns they are full, our fields they are clear,
Here's a health to our master and friends.
We will make no more to do but we'll plough and we'll sow
And provide for the very next year.

Acknowledgements

As learnt from Danny Spooner by Garry Gillard