Harry Cox

March 27, 1885 - May 6, 1991

Harry Cox

From his discovery in 1945 by folk song collector, E. J. Moeran until shortly before his death, Harry Cox was England’s most frequently recorded country singer and the source from whom many modern urban folk revival and folk-rock groups learned their songs.

Harry Cox’s extensive folk-song repertoire was regarded by collectors as exceptional. Before World War II, art composers and musicians interested in folk song, like Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Butterworth, and E. J. Moeran, were discovering a fast-fading number of country singers who remembered only a couple of songs they sang at the annual Harvest Home suppers. They may have known more but were possibly reluctant to sing someone else’s — old so-and-so’s song. Also, the time-consuming process of transcribing words and tunes on to paper interrupted the singers’ progression from one song to another.

One collector — one only — early in the twentieth century, way ahead of his time, decided to use the Edison Bell Phonograph, employing wax cylinders. This was Percy Grainger. Not only did he want to get all the idiosyncrasies of the music, the use of non-tempered scales, the subtle changes of rhythm, the holding or shortening of beat notes, the drops and raises, but, in addition, he wanted to capture all the nuances of the local dialect. Grainger made his recordings around the market town of Brigg in Lincolnshire, the next county north of Norfolk, and, as he would have been in Norfolk, he was fascinated by the way the singers extended their regional speech patterns within the musical framework. 

(Excerpt from Peter Kennedy's notes to the album "What Will Become of England")

Appears in 62 items.
Title Contributor(s) Date Track
Harry Cox with dancing-man toy at his home Photographer: Lomax, Alan Oct 9, 1953
Harry Cox with dancing-man toy at his home Photographer: Lomax, Alan Oct 9, 1953
Harry Cox with his daughter Myrtle and grandaughter Photographer: Lomax, Alan Oct 9, 1953
Harry Cox with scythe in field Photographer: Lomax, Alan Oct 9, 1953
Harry Cox with scythe in field Photographer: Lomax, Alan Oct 9, 1953
Harry Cox in field Photographer: Lomax, Alan Oct 9, 1953
Harry Cox with scythe in field Photographer: Lomax, Alan Oct 9, 1953
Harry Cox with scythe in field Photographer: Lomax, Alan Oct 9, 1953
Harry Cox with dancing-man toy and his granddaughter at his home Photographer: Lomax, Alan Oct 9, 1953
Harry Cox and granddaughter at his home Photographer: Lomax, Alan Oct 9, 1953
The Shooting Of His Dear Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan 1951 2
The Barley Straw Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan 1951 6
Interview with Harry Cox about his grandfather's songs (fragment) Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 1
Interview with Harry Cox about London Is Sharp As The Edge Of A Knife Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 2
London Is As Sharp As The Edge Of A Knife Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 3
Interview with Harry Cox about London Is As Sharp As The Edge Of A Knife, travelling to London, and the benefits of country life Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 4
The Bonny Bunch Of Roses Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 5
Interview with Harry Cox about The Bonny Bunch Of Roses and Napoleon Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 6
The Foggy Dew Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 7
Interview with Harry Cox about The Foggy Dew Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 8
Interview with Harry Cox about his birthplace and his upbringing Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 1
Interview with Harry Cox about his grandfather and father Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 2
Knife In The Window Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 1
Interview with Harry Cox about Knife In The Window Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 2
It's Of An Old Miser In London Did Dwell Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 3
Interview with Harry Cox about women, sex, and preserving the Cox family name Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 1
What Will Become Of England? Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 2
Interview with Harry Cox about What Will Because Of England? Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 3
Barton Broad Babbing Ballad Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 4
Interview with Harry Cox about Barton Broad Babbling Ballad and property owners Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 5
Talk/ambience Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 1
Long Peg And Awl Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 2
Interview with Harry Cox about Long Peg And Awl and Cruising Round Yarmouth Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 3
Cruising Round Yarmouth Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 4
Interview with Harry Cox about Cruising Round Yarmouth Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 5
She Was A Rum One Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 6
Interview with Harry Cox about whoring and sex Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 7
The Maid Of Australia Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 8
Interview with Harry Cox about The Maid Of Australia Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 9
Firelock Stile Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 10
Adieu To Old England Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 11
Interview with Harry Cox about Adieu To Old England Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 12
Maggie May Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 13
Seventeen Come Sunday Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 14
Interview with Harry Cox about sex and courting Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Dec 2, 1953 15
Stormy Old Weather Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 1
Interview with Harry Cox about Stormy Old Weather (The Fishes) Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 2
The Pretty Ploughboy Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 3
Interview with Harry Cox about The Pretty Ploughboy and the press gang Performer: Lomax, Alan; Performer: Kennedy, Peter; Performer: Cox, Harry Nov 27, 1953 4
The Blackberry Fold Performer: Cox, Harry; Recordist: Lomax, Alan Nov 27, 1953 5