Linstead Market is a Jamaican folk song of the mento type that tells of a mother who goes to the market with her ackee fruit but does not sell any, with the result that her children will go hungry.
Possibly the earliest publication of the tune with words
occurs in Walter Jekyll's 1907 book, Jamaican Song and Story, as item 121,
pages 219-220. In Jekyll, the lyrics are as follows:
In Helen H. Roberts' collection of folk song variants based
on field work in Jamaica, published in 1925, the version in Jekyll is
reproduced, followed by twelve variants. In some of these, "Sollas
market" replaces "Linstead market"
On page 14, Dr. Lewin explains that "Linstead Market still remains a picturesque small town market. The song is now often taken at a much faster pace for dancing but was originally sung slow and plaintively by a mother who couldn't sell enough at the market to feed her children. A quatty was a small copper coin of very small value."
Note: A quatty(or quattie) was actually one and one-half penny(halfpenny). During that time it was standard to sell goods in quatty(s) worth, which was 1.5 penny in value. If an item increased in value, then the quantity you received for a quatty would decrease. The quattie was not a minted coin. Three halfpenny(ha'penny) or six farthing would be the equivalent of one quatty.
In all the versions mentioned above except the earliest, the melody is written in 2/4 or 4/4 time, but in Jekyll, the time signature is 6/8.
The melody has been arranged for solo voice with piano. One of the earliest such publications was "Linstead Market: a Jamaican Folk-song," by Arthur Benjamin, Boosey & Hawkes, 1947 (5 pages). Among choral arrangements is one of the same title by A. H. Green, published by Oxford University Press in 1967 (8 pages). The song was included on the compact disc " The King's Singers in 1992. The song was recorded by the English folk group The Spinners, sung by their Caribbean singer Cliff Hall. The song is also published in modern collections, such as Songs of the Americas, arranged by Margery Hargest John, published by Boosey & Hawkes, London, 1993.
More recently, published in January 2014, the album by Monty
Alexander, titled "Harlem-Kingston Express, Vol. 2: The River Rolls
On", contains track #11, "Linstead Market (Live Bonus)". It is
6:37 long and features a spoken introduction. Liner notes of the album by Monty
Alexander reference the track by stating, "... this beloved old Jamaican
folk song from way before my time, is one of the staples of the Mento
repertoire."
To download the easy alphanotes and chords sheet music, look here. Enjoy!
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