Wassailing Songs for Stoke Gabriel

Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016

This song to be sung during the procession

HERE WE COME A WASSAILING

Chorus:

Here we come a-wassailing Bring us out a table among the leaves so green and spread it with a cloth Here we come a-wandering Bring us out a mouldy cheese so fairly to be seen and some of your Christmas loaf Chorus: Chorus

Our wassail cup is made Good master and good mistress of the rosemary tree while you're sitting by the fire And so is your beer Think of us poor children of the best barley who are wand'ring in the mire Chorus Chorus

Call up the butler of this house, Here we come a-wassailing put on his golden ring among the leaves so green Let him bring us up a glass of beer Here we come a-wandering and better we shall sing so fairly to be seen Chorus Chorus 1 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

This song to be sung with the children and all assembled at each of the trees being wassailed

STOKE GABRIEL WASSAIL

(Sung:) Old apple tree we wassail thee Here’s hoping thou wilt bear For the Lord doth know where we shall be When comes another year; For to bloom well and to bear well, So happy let us be; Let every man take off his cap And shout out to the old apple tree.

(Shouted:) Old apple tree, we wassail thee Here’s hoping thou wilt bear Hats full, Caps full, Three-bushel bags full, And little heaps under the stair! Hip-hip-hooray Hip-hip-hooray Hip-hip-hooray

(Shot guns fire)

(Music for this version not available)

2 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

3 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

Torbay Wassail (continued):

4 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

TORBAY WASSAIL (Stephen Lyons arr. Rosa Rebecka)

Call: I'll sing you a wassail of ale and good cheer Response: As fine a wassail as ever you'll hear Low: I'll sing you a wassail of ale and good cheer As fine a wassail as ever you'll hear

I'll sing you a wassail of silver and gold As good as a story has ever been told I'll sing you a wassail of silver and gold As good as a story has ever been told

Ch: Wassail, wassail, wassail the tree that brings us the apples that cider will be Wassail, wassail, wassail the tree brings us apples that will cider Wassail, wassail, wassail – brings us apples that will cider

Wassail, wassail, wassail the night that brings us together in darkness and light Wassail, wassail, wassail the night brings together darkness and light Wassail, wassail, wassail – brings together darkness and light

I'll sing you a wassail of singers and trees A wassail to warm and a wassail to please I'll sing you a wassail of singers and trees A wassail to warm and a wassail to please

I'll sing you a wassail of robins and wrens As pretty a wassail you'll not hear again I'll sing you a wassail of robins and wrens As pretty a wassail you'll not hear again

Wassail, wassail, wassail the night that binds us together in darkness and light Wassail, wassail, wassail the night binds together darkness and light Wassail, wassail, wassail – binds together darkness and light

I'll sing you a wassail of blossom and snow As strong a wassail as any could know I'll sing you a wassail of blossom and snow As strong a wassail as any could know

I'll sing you a wassail of apples and sun All hail to the trees now our wassail's begun I'll sing you a wassail of apples and sun All hail to the trees now our wassail's begun

Wassail, wassail, wassail the night that keeps us together in darkness and light Wassail, wassail, wassail the night keeps together darkness and light Wassail, wassail, wassail – keeps together darkness and light 5 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

NEW YEAR CAROL / LEVY DEW Arrangement by Alison Burns (2010)

that shine

the

Here comes the maiden with gold on her toe, O - pen the west gate and let the Old Year go Here comes the maiden with gold on her shoe, O - pen the south gate and let the New Year through. Here comes the maiden with gold on her chin, O - pen the east gate and let the New Year in. Here comes the maiden with gold in her eye, O - pen the north gate and let the Old Year by.

‘Levy dew’, sing ‘Levy dew’; the water and the wine, Seven bright gold wires and the trumpets that shine. ‘Levy dew’, sing ‘Levy dew’; the water and the wine, Seven bright gold wires and the trumpets that shine.

Here comes the maiden with gold on her toe, Open the West gate and let the Old Year go.

‘Levy dew’, etc

Here comes the maiden with gold on her shoe, Open the South gate and let the New Year through.

‘Levy dew’, etc

Here comes the maiden with gold on her chin, Open the East gate and let the New Year in.

‘Levy dew’, etc

Here comes the maiden with gold in her eye, Open the North gate and let the Old Year by.

‘Levy dew’, etc

Suggested glossary: ‘Levy dew’ ‘Levez à Dieu’ (“Raise to God”) referring to the wine at the communion - alternative ‘Levy dew’ corruption of old/middle English ‘levedy’ - ‘lady’ (not ‘Residue’ as collected from Bert Hodgeson and sung on ‘Holy Heathens’ by ‘Waterson-Carthy’) “water and the wine” Holy water and communion wine “seven bright gold wires” the strings of a golden harp or lyre.

6 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

WASSAIL THE SILVER APPLE (Mike O’Connor arr. Sarah Morgan)

Wassail! Wassail! May the coming year, Peace and plenty bring to all who wassail here

Drink to the bud and the blossom; Drink to the bud and the blossom; Drink to the root of the tree; Drink to the root of the tree; Drink to the fruit of the summer; Drink to the fruit of the summer; Wassail! let cider run free. Wassail let cider run free.

Fire at the spirit of winter; Fire at the spirit of winter; Fire at the spirit of night, Fire at the spirit of night; Fire at the spirit of darkness. Fire at the spirit of darkness; Wassail the bringer of light. Wassail the bringer of light.

Wassail the silver shilling; Wassail the silver shilling; Wassail the silver moon; Wassail the silver moon; Wassail the silver apple; Wassail the silver apple; Drink hail the sign of the sun! Drink hail the sign of the sun.

Wassail! Wassail! Wassail! Wassail! May the coming year, May the coming year, Peace and plenty bring Peace and plenty bring to all who wassail here to all who wassail here

7 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

THE ROBIN'S CALL (Copyright: Rosa Rebecka)

Verses:

8 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

The Robin's Call (verses continued):

So But But So So

So So

sing

9 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

The Robin's Call (continued): Chorus:

10 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

THE ROBIN'S CALL (Copyright: Rosa Rebecka)

Intro – women – small group The robin is the finest bird All in the apple tree The red upon his body For all the world to see

1. women 4. all – with extra decoration harmony He’s soared to hell on scorching wings And sleeping in the subways With water for the damned Are seeds, as yet unseen He’s sung a song of comfort And underneath the ashes For the ever-fading lamb Lay whispers of the green So sing his tree no elegy So sing the trees no elegies Though it be bare and frail That they may yet prevail Sing Wassail! Sing Wassail!

Chorusl all (sing) Wassail, (sing) wassail, (sing) wassail all (sing) Wassail, (sing) wassail, (sing) wassail Wassail. Wassail.

2. men 5. all – with extra decoration harmony The soil itself is buried Come bind the earth together At the coming of the Dark Come stretch towards the crest The robin he may tarry We breathe into each other Come the lapwing and the lark Where robins come to rest But we will not sing Death Mass So shield the budding blossom Though the world be still and stale So fragile and so pale Sing Wassail! Sing Wassail! all (sing) Wassail, (sing) wassail, (sing) wassail all (sing) Wassail, (sing) wassail, (sing) wassail Wassail. Wassail.

3. all The ruthless of the rootless The warriors of shame Come looting and polluting With smog and smoke and flame But save the seeds from scorching And rescued from the gale Sing Wassail! all (sing) Wassail, (sing) wassail, (sing) wassail Wassail.

11 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

12 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

Fire and Wine (continued):

for for -

13 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

Fire and Wine (continued):

FIRE AND WINE (Steve Ashley)

Winter's coming, Gold October bowls me over we live a shorter day Damp November makes me sneeze the sun is hunting Then December cruelly sends the for a place to stay Winter frost to freeze my knees. and Jack Frost's fingers are in the wind again Now is the time .... for fire and wine Fire for body and wine for mind Ragged Robin is see-sawin' We will sing and play 'til break of day in one half of a coconut shell And we will sing the frost away. He can't find the bacon rind and hunger makes his red breast swell. Winter brings us to the singers and the drinkers glass in hand Now is the time .... for fire and wine Roll up smokers, cards and jokers Fire for body and wine for mind Listeners all who sit and stand. We will sing and play 'til break of day And we will sing the frost away. Now is the time .... for fire and wine Fire for body and wine for mind We will sing and play 'til break of day And we will sing the frost away.

14 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

HALSWAY CAROL / HALSWAY SCHOTTISCHE (Music Nigel Eaton; Words Iain Frisk) (arr. Rosa Rebecka for Wren Music) Verses:

Lo for the tiding of the Long Night Moon Lo for the tiding of the Long Night Moon Let the sunrise call about the morning soon May the harvest last until the springtime bloom Short is the biding of the fading light Home is our comfort at the winter’s height Sing for the coming of the longest night Sing for the coming of the longest night

North wind will tell us what we need to know All of the colours of the sunrise sky When the stars are shining on the midnight snow Shine a light upon us, as day goes by All of the branches have been turned to white Sunsetting shadows fading out of sight Sing for the coming of the longest night Sing for the coming of the longest night

A winter day, the summer grass turned hay A winter day, the summer grass turned hay Frost in the field ‘ til dawn of May Frost in the field ‘ til dawn of May A summer’s light never shone as great or as bright A summer’s light never shone as great or as bright So dance in the shadows of a winter’s night So dance in the shadows of a winter’s night

15 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

(Halsway Carol continued - Chorus)

16 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

JACOBSTOWE WASSAIL

17 Orchard Wassail - Stoke Gabriel, Saturday 16 January 2016 Songs sung in the street before the procession and under the lych gate by the Wassail Singers:

JACOBSTOWE WASSAIL

Wazzail, Wazzail,

Good Master and Mistress sitting down by the fire, Whilst we poor wassailers be dabblin’ in the mire With our jolly wassail. Oh, little Robin Redbreast he has a fine wing, Give us of your of cider and we'll begin to sing With our jolly wassail. Wazzail, Wazzail!

Good Master and Mistress our wassail begin, Please open your door and let us come in With our jolly wassail. Oh, little Robin Redbreast he has a fine song, Give us of your cider; we won’t keep you long With our jolly wassail. Wazzail, Wazzail!

Your ale cup is white and your ale it is brown, Your beer is the best that e’r can be found With our jolly wassail. Oh, little Robin Redbreast he has a fine leg, Give us of your cider and we’ll begin to beg With our jolly wassail.] Wazzail, Wazzail!

Your gin it is brewed from the juniper tree Your gin is the best that ever can be With our jolly wassail. Oh, little Robin Redbreast he has a fine toe, Give us of your cider and we’ll begin to go With our jolly wassail. Wazzail, Wazzail! Wazzail!