1. Captain Swing Words and Music by Paul Clark
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The Captain Swing Riots were a widespread uprising in 1830 by agricultural workers in southern and eastern England. They were in protest both at agricultural mechanisation which displaced workers, and at their harsh working conditions. Its name came from a fictitious signature in threatening letters sent to farmers, magistrates, parsons, and others.
The script for the musical documentary drama All Change[1] includes the following exchange, meticulously researched from contemporary documents and published articles: ‘FARMER: They say we farmers don’t feed and lodge them as we used to; that we pay them less in wages now than it used to cost us to feed and lodge them. DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM: Go back to your farms. Give them food and beer if you have to, to gain time. Tell them you’ll hear their complaints at ten in the morning. In the strong light of day, then let it be known to them that this is the law. That if any person shall unlawfully and maliciously cut, break, or destroy the threshing machine, every such offender shall be guilty of felony. Being convicted thereof, he shall be liable at the discretion of the Court to be transported to beyond the seas for the term of seven years, or to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding two years. If a male, in addition to such imprisonment, if the courts shall think fit, he shall be once, twice, or thrice publicly or privately whipped. If any person shall unlawfully and maliciously set fire to any stack of corn, grain, pulse, straw, hay, or wood, every such offender shall be guilty of felony, and be convicted thereof, shall suffer death as a felon…. DUKE OF CHANDOS: Get a message to the Officer in Charge of the Buckinghamshire Yeomanry: tell him to mobilise a troop of 50 volunteers. We must maintain law and order…’ If captured, the protesters faced charges of arson, robbery, riot, machine-breaking and assault. Those convicted faced imprisonment, transportation, and even execution. Numerous arrests took place and the trials resulted in 252 death sentences, 19 hangings, 644 imprisonments and 481 transportations to penal colonies, like in Australia. In its original version of 1977, Paul Clark’s outstanding and harrowing song[2] gave a personal voice to one of the biggest popular uprisings since the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. It was sung unaccompanied by one of the actors on stage: For poor law pay, we’re forced to useless labour… Our families starve, we freeze through all the winter, We steal to eat, so to a cart we’re tethered… On market days, through Aylesbury streets they whip us… Our only choice, the workhouse or the prison. The score that follows – and the more modern performance of 2000 - has an alternative rendering of the lyric in the 3rd person - to reflect a historical perspective; it is the performer’s choice: For poor law pay, they’re forced to useless labour… Their families starve, they freeze…’ [1] All Change, Living Archive’s first local large-scale musical documentary drama was written, directed and produced by Roy Nevitt in March 1977. It was revived in October 1977; revived again in June 1982 for Anglia TV's programme Roots, after a partial revival to mark the opening of the new Milton Keynes Central Station in May 1982 by Prince Charles; revived again in November 1985 with 10 performances; finally, it was re-staged as the first-ever play performed in the newly opened Milton Keynes Theatre in October 1999, returning then to Stantonbury Theatre where it all started! [2] A download on this webpage and its link can be accessed to the modern version from the LA Band’s Real Lives album on: Captain Swing | The Living Archive Band (bandcamp.com) (2000) Marion Hill in lead |
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