Songcatcher Page #2

- That's ridiculous.

- It's true!

And I am going to be

the first to collect them

and to publish them.

Nothing I could have said

or done

would have s e cured

that appointment for you.

Nothing you do now

will, either.

Will you help me,

or not?

I have always

belie v ed in you, Lily.

Lily:
Good.

I need supplies.

The collecting must be done

scientifically.

Now, nice and loud.

(music) A holiday, O holy day (music)

(music) The first day of they ear (music)

(music) Little Matthy Groves

to church to goes (music)

(music) Some holy words to hear (music)

(music) Here some holy words

to hear (music)

(play back) (music) He spied some women

dressed in black (music)

(music) As they came into view (music)

(music) Lord Daniel's wife

was gaily clad (music)

(music) The flower of the few (music)

(music) Here the flower

of the few (music)

(music) She stepped up

to Little Matthy Groves (music)

(music) Her eyes cast

on the ground... (music)

Deladis:
(music) Come all y e fair

and tender ladies (music)

(music) Be careful

how you court young men (music)

- (music) They're like... (music)

- U h...

Could you sing those two lines again?

Thank you, dear.

Why don't you just make

a cylinder and copy off that?

Because the cylinders

are only for short songs

and they wear out.

Once again, thank you.

(music) Come all y e fair

and tender ladies (music)

(music) Be careful

how you court young men (music)

(Deladi's singing in distance)

Are you still working

on the child labor piece?

I'm trying,

not very successfully.

I wonder how many times your sister

needs to hear those songs?

No, don't, don't be angry.

It makes her very happy.

She's quite obsessed.

So am I.

Deladis:
(music) She cried out

with a thrillin' cry (music)

(music) O Lord, O Lord, I'm ruined. (music)

(sighing)

That's it, Doc.

I'm worn out

like a cylinder.

Uh, just those last two lines

once again, please, dear.

(music) She cried out

with a thrillin' cry (music)

(music) O Lord, O Lord, I'm ruined. (music)

(sighing)

That's it.

That's the very last ballad

I know.

And what a doozy.

Mm.

(Lily chuckling)

What's this for?

That's for all your hard work.

Just for singing?

U h-hmm.

- Here.

- (music) Come all ye fair (music)

(music) and tender ladies (music)

(music) Be careful

how you court young men (music)

(music) They're like a bright star

of a summer's evening (music)

(music) They'll first appear

and then they're gone. (music)

I'm gonna tie a lover's knot.

If it stays and grows,

all will be well.

Where did you get

that fancy thing?

Doc gave it to me

for singing.

(screaming)

(Lily humming)

Hello?

Oh, Eleanor,

this is just fascinating.

It really is.

You see, Deladis sings,

"For The Most Part"

in a Scots-Irish style,

but she employs

such unusual pitches.

And she dwells on notes.

Here.

(music) Tay-ay-ble, here's... (music)

Can you hear that?

That is so unusual.

I have never heard

anything like it before.

Tell me,

is her style of singing,

is that typical?

- Yes, I think it is.

- Is it really?

It's fascinating.

So what do you think

of my school, Lily?

H mm?

Oh...

- Well, I'm no expert...

- I know.

- I'm sure it's fine.

- I know.

We are trying

to make a difference.

Yes, of course.

(sobbing)

It was mine!

Elna:
Oh, Deladis,

what happened?

- Oh, Fate, did you do this?

- That was so cruel.

You give her

that fancy thing

and a whole dollar

just for singing.

- You ain't give me nothing.

- Fate, you work for the school

and I think we pay you

quite adequately.

Then I'll do nothing for Doc.

Just for the school.

Then I'll have to find

another boy who's more willing...

No, no, Eleanor,

Fate does have a point.

He has had to work a lot harder

since I've been here.

That's right, Doc.

So how's 50 a week,

young man?

I don't know.

I'll have to think on it.

While you're thinking, you can

help pack the phonograph machine.

We're going

to Bear Creek tomorrow.

She's going to Viney Butler's.

You can't lug that machine

all the way up a mountain.

We made it this far,

didn't we?

That was nothing compared

to getting up to Bear Creek.

So what am I paying you for?

- Whoa, whoa.

- Whew.

I don't know no ballads.

Why, Mrs. Butler,

they are the most

beautiful songs

there have ever been,

songs like

"Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor,"

"Two Sisters,"

"Matthy Groves."

Can't say I know them.

Deladis calls them

love songs.

No, did you ever hear

any such songs, Fate?

Del knew,

but I can't say as I do.

Deladis can't be the only keeper

of the songs in the mountains.

I can't be

of any help to you, ma'am.

I would be happy

to compensate you...

to pay you, Mrs. Butler.

Good day to you.

Hello, Viney.

Well, look who's here!

- You must be Elna's sister.

- Yes, I am.

I'm so happy to meet you.

I'm Alice Kincaid.

Well, how do you do?

I'm Lily Penleric.

What are you trudging

all the way up here for, child?

I wanted to meet Dr. Penleric.

I have something for you.

Oh. Fate.

Thank you.

My family spent summers

in Asheville.

I loved hiking up

into the mountains

and reading poetry.

That's how I met Reese,

my husband.

He wooed me with ballads

and fiddle music.

I've been writing them down

since I came to live here.

You can have them

if you like.

Thank you, thank you.

they are indeed exactly

what I'm looking for, but...

I'm afraid these haven't been

scientifically collected.

Oh.

Well I can't be sure

of your notation, you see,

because of the irregular times

and unusual modes of the tunes.

Of course,

I understand perfectly.

Oh...

that is beautiful.

Come here, child.

Viney:
You are weak as water.

Oh, that baby is sucking

the life out of you.

U h-uh.

You got to eat more.

I can barely

feed the children.

Reese gone again?

- Mrs. Kincaid, thank you.

- Thank you.

Here now, you...

make a potion out of this.

Drink it twice a day,

and do not go dragging

all over the place.

Viney, the ballads

are a precious musical legacy.

Why, they're just songs.

Oh, no, Mrs. Butler,

they're not.

They're ancient ballads

from England and Scotland

and they've been sung

for hundreds of years.

they say that my great-granddaddy

come from there.

He came over that mountain

in 1743.

Really?

No one knows that these songs

are being sung

right here in the mountains

of America, no one.

What of it?

Music experts

will want to know.

So I am going to write them down

and publish them in a songbook.

Well, Lord knows I can't

read and write anyhow.

Viney,

I think she's

a very nice lady.

Viney on re cord:

(music) Is this young Jimmy Scot himself (music)

(music) Or Jimmy Scotland's king? (music)

(music) Or is it the father

of that bastard child (music)

(music) From Scotland

just come in? (music)

(music) Or is it the father

of that bastard child (music)

(music) From Scotland

just come in? (music)

(music) He took the brown girl

by the hand (music)

(music) And lead her

across the hall (music)

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