Clare's father was, according to Clare, a 'noted singer', and Clare himself played the fiddle and collected folk songs and tunes.[47] Regarding his fiddle playing ability, he described himself as "a decent scraper",[48] and collected over two-hundred folk tunes in two books, the Northampton Manuscripts Nos. 12 and 13.[49]
As well as collecting folk tunes, Clare also collected many folk songs which are recorded in the Northampton Manuscript No. 18, and the Peterborough Manuscripts B4 and B7. According to George Deacon,[47] the Northampton Manuscript No. 18 contains "more polished and refined versions" of songs which were originally written up in a rougher form in the two Peterborough Manuscripts, B4 and B7. Deacon's research led him to view the two Peterborough manuscripts as more authentic, inasmuch as they showed, "less conscious interference from the poet in Clare" than the versions of the songs in the Northampton manuscript.[47]
Since Clare's death, many of his poems have been set to music by classical composers, and, more recently, by contemporary singer/songwriters working in the acoustic and folk genres. However, at least one of Clare's poems was set to music in his lifetime, although Clare arrived in London too late to attend the performance. According to Professor Simon Kövesi, "The Meeting ... [was] Clare's first poem to be set to music and performed on stage. The performance by singer Madame Vestris was at Drury Lane Theatre on 19 February 1820; the song was threaded into the pasticcio opera The Siege of Belgrade. Clare just missed the show, arriving in London for his first visit to the capital a short while after. Clare wrote that 'on the night we got into London it was announcd in the Play Bills that a song of mine was to be sung at Covent Garden by Madam Vestris and we was to have gone but it was too late. I felt uncommonly pleasd at the circumstance'."[50]
Songs and tunes collected by Clare in the Northampton Catalogue
The Catalogue of the John Clare Collection in the Northampton Public Library with Indexes to the Poems in Manuscript was compiled by David Powell and published by the County Borough of Northampton, Public Libraries, Museums and Art Gallery Committee in 1964. Included in the catalogue are the two books of folk tunes (MSS 12 & 13) and the book of folk songs (MSS 18).
John Clare, Northampton Manuscript No. 12
Catalogue entry reads:
"A small oblong music book of song and dance tunes, inscribed on p.1 'John Clare / Helpstone / 1818' and entitled on p.3 A Collection / of Songs / Airs and Dances / For the Violin.
3¾" × 6¼", 82 pp., red quarter-leather with marbled boards.
Contents consist of eighty-eight titles, but the tunes are without words and directions. The titles are noted down in Clare's hand. This is No. 109 in the Peterborough Centenary Catalogue."[49]
John Clare, Northampton Manuscript No. 13
Catalogue entry reads:
"An oblong music book of song and dance tunes. Undated.
5¾″ × 9½″, 56 pp., blue paper covers.
Contents consist of 180 titles. Directions for some of the country dances are given in abbreviated form, but the only words given are those for Black Ey'd Susan and Dibdin's The Sailors Journal. The titles are noted down in Clare's hand. A few fragmentary lines of verse are scribbled inside the back cover. This is No. 108 in the Peterborough Centenary Catalogue."[49]
John Clare, Northampton Manuscript No.18
Catalogue entry reads:
"A small oblong notebook, entitled Old Songs & Ballads, which Clare was using in 1827–8.
4″ × 6¼″, 34 pp. (+146 blank), worn brown half-calf with marbled boards.
The introduction begins: 'I commenced sometime ago with an intention of making a collection of old Ballads . . .', and contents include John Randall, The Maidens Welcome, The False Knights Tradegy, Loves Riddles, Banks of Ivory, etc. There is an additional poem, Round Oak, in pencil and several of the blank pages at the end contain traces of pencil writing which has been erased. This is No. 98 in the Peterborough Centenary Catalogue."[49]
Recordings of songs and tunes collected by Clare
in chronological order:
- George Deacon, Dream Not of Love: 17 Songs from John Clare, album, 2002
- Decent Scrapers, The John Clare Project: music from the John Clare manuscripts, album, 2015
- Becky Dellow plays numerous tunes collected by Clare in: Becky Dellow & Adam Horovitz, The Thunder Mutters, podcast (episodes 1, 3, 5, 7, 9–13, 15–17), 2020–2021
Musical settings of Clare's poems
in chronological order:
- Benjamin Britten, "The Evening Primrose", song, from Five Flower Songs, choral composition for SATB, 1950
- Malcolm Arnold, John Clare Cantata, for SATB and piano duet, 1955
- Trevor Hold, Three Songs of the Countryside, for two equal voices and piano to poems by "BB", John Clare and the composer, 1962[51]
- Trevor Hold, For John Clare, for tenor and instrumental ensemble, 1964[51]
- Richard Rodney Bennett, "The Insect World" & "Clock-a-clay", from The Insect World, song cycle for unison voices and piano, 1966
- Richard Rodney Bennett, "The Bird's Lament" & "The Early Nightingale", from The Aviary, song cycle for unison voices and piano, 1966
- Trevor Hold, Gathered from the Field, Seven songs for tenor and piano to poems by John Clare, 1975[51]
- Michael Hurd, The Shepherd's Calendar, choral symphony for baritone solo, SATB chorus and orchestra, 1975
- Terence Greaves, Three Rustic Poems Of John Clare, for soprano voice and clarinet in A, 1976[52]
- Royston Wood & Heather Wood, "The Cellar Door", song, from the album No Relation, 1977
- Kevin Coyne, "I am", song, from the album Dynamite Daze, 1978[53]
- Trevor Hold, A John Clare Songbook, Nine songs for high voice and piano to poems by John Clare, 1980[51]
- Judith Bingham, "A Winter Scene" from A Cold Spell – 5 Carols for Winter, for SSAATTBB unaccompanied choir, 1987[54]
- Vikki Clayton, Midsummer Cushion, album (tracks 1–3, 5–9), 1991
- Trevor Hold, A Little Songbook for John Clare. Five songs for soprano and piano to poems by John Clare, 1993[51]
- Gordon Tyrrall, A Distance from the Town: A musical appreciation of the work of the poet John Clare, album (tracks 1, 3–4, 6–7, 9–10, 12–13, 17, 19–20), 1998
- John Wright, "Song (Heaven to Be Near Thee)", song, from the album A Few Short Lines, 1999
- Terence Deadman, Eight Song Settings from the Poems of John Clare, compositions for tenor and piano, 2005
- Steeleye Span, "Ned Ludd Part 1 (Inclosure)", song, from the album Bloody Men, 2006
- Chris Wood, "I Am", song, from the album None the Wiser, 2013
- Andy Turner, "The Crow Sat on the Willow", song, 2018
- Andy Turner, "The Gipsey's Song", song, 2019
- Robert Farmer, John Clare – Songs from the Shepherd's Calendar, album, 2021
Songs about, inspired by, or containing references to Clare
in chronological order:
- Chris Wood, "Mad John", song, from the album Trespasser, 2008
- Pennyless, "John Clare", song, from the album Strange Dreams, 2019
More information about Clare and music
in chronological order:
- George Deacon, John Clare and the Folk Tradition, Sinclair Browne Ltd, 1983
- BBC Radio 4, John Clare's Playlist, 2013
- Derek B. Scott, John Clare and Folksong, 2015
- Tony Urbainczyk & Rose Urbainczyk, John Clare - poet and fiddler, 1793-1864, 2015
- BBC Radio 4, John Clare's Scraping, 2020
- Becky Dellow & Adam Horovitz, The Thunder Mutters, podcast (episodes 1, 3, 5, 7, 9–13, 15–17), 2020–2021
- Simon Kövesi, Julian Philips, & Toby Jones, The Meeting: A panel discussion on John Clare, his poetry and music, 2021
