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Emily Portman and Rob Harbron stand on a hill in the clouds. Emily is gazing into the camera, while Rob is looking into the distance.
Photo Credit: Camilla Greenwell

The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep5 – ‘The Trees They Do Grow High’, ft. Emily Portman and Rob Harbron

Everything you ever wanted to know about the traditional ballad, 'The Trees They Do Grow High', sometimes known as 'Long A-Growing' [Roud 31].

Emily Portman, Rob Harbron and Jon Wilks discuss the traditional ballad, ‘The Trees They Do Grow High’ [Roud 31], a song that Emily and Rob have recorded for their new album, Time Was Away. Subjects covered include the duo’s first encounter with traditional folk music, their work with the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Emily’s interpretations of the song’s themes, its history, the source singer that Emily learned the song from, the modes and the melody, and how Rob goes about creating accompaniments for traditional songs. They also chat about the album itself and the forthcoming tour to support it. The Old Songs Podcast can be found on all decent streaming platforms.

Click to listen on: Apple | Spotify | Google | Mixcloud

The Old Songs Podcast is supported by the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

‘The Trees The Do Grow High’ podcast notes

Links

Over the course of the episode, Emily Portman, Rob Harbron and Jon Wilks mention the following things:

Track listing

  1. ‘The Trees They Do Grow High’, as performed by Martin Carthy
  2. ‘Long-A-Growing’, as performed by Steeleye Span
  3. ‘Growing (The Trees They Do Grow High)’, as performed by Eliza Carthy & Nancy Kerr
  4. ‘Long A-Growing’, as performed by Mary Ann Haynes
  5. ‘Long a-Growing’, as performed by Emily Portman and Rob Harbron
  6. ‘Long a-Growing’, as performed by Emily Portman exclusively for The Old Songs Podcast

For more info on Emily Portman and Rob Harbron, including the new album and gig dates, head to emilyandrob.uk.