2010 Yuletide Revelry

We have arranged the program as a narrative describing an ancient Yuletide feast with music interspersed with excerpts from Sir Walter Scott’s Marmion; Christmas at Mertoun House. (These excerpts are on the recording.) Scott (1771-1832), a Scottish poet famous for such romantic heroic works as Ivanhoe, was the first English-language author to have a truly international career in his lifetime. Written in 1808, Marmion is an epic poem about the 1513 Battle of Flodden Field and, in addition to the segment which we use, also contains the famous ballad of Lochinvar. The poem remained popular for over a century.

The sound samples are from the most representative section of a track. The times listed are the total track time, not the length of the sample! The samples range from one to two minutes in length.

O'Rourke's Feast 3:09
Turlough O'Carolan and Jonathan Swift (18th century)

Turlough O'Carolan, the best known 18th century Irish harper, collaborated with Jonathan Swift in translating an Irish poem by Hugh MacGauran of County Leitrim describing the Christmas festivities held in the Great Hall of Dromahair Castle by Brian na Murtha (16th c). Carolan also wrote the music.

Julia Lane - harp
Fred Gosbee - recitation, violin

O'Rourke's noble feast will ne'er be forgot
By those who were there, or those who were not.
His revels to keep we sup and we dine
On seven-score sheep, fat bullocks, and swine
Usquebaugh to our feast in pails was brought up
A hundred at least; and a madder our cup

Oh, there is the sport. We awake with a fright
In disorderly sort from snoring all night.
Oh how I was tricked! My pipe it was broke!
My pocket was picked! I lost my new coat!
"I'm rifled," quoth Nell, "of mantle and kercher!"
Well then fare them well, and the de'il take the searcher.
Come harper, strike up! But first, by your favor
Boy - bring us a cup. Now THAT has some savor!

Glossary
Usquebaugh = water of life or whiskey
madder- a wooden measuring 1-3 pints

Drive the Cold Winter Away 2:39
Traditional 17th century

Heap on more wood! the wind is chill;
But let it whistle as it will,
We'll keep our Christmas merry still.
Each age has deemed the new-born year
The fittest time for festal cheer;

Fred Gosbee - vocal, 12-string guitar
Julia Lane - vocal

All hail to the days that merit more praise
Than all the rest of the year,
And welcome the nights that double delights
As well for the poor as the peer!
Good fortune attend each merry man's friend,
That doth but the best that he may;
Forgetting old wrongs, with carols and songs,
To drive the cold winter away.

This time of the year is spent in good cheer,
And neighbours together do meet
To sit by the fire, with friendly desire,
Each other in love to greet;
Old grudges forgot are put in the pot,
All sorrows aside they lay;
The old and the young doth carol this song
To drive the cold winter away.

To mask and to mum kind neighbours will come
With wassails of nut-brown ale,
To drink and carouse to all in the house
As merry as bucks in the dale;
Where cake, bread, and cheese is brought for your fees
To make you the longer stay;
At the fire to warm 'twill do you no harm,
To drive the cold winter away.
Thus none will allow of solitude now

When Christmas's tide come in like a bride
With holly and ivy clad,
Twelve days in the year much mirth and good cheer
In every household is had;
The country guise is then to devise
Some gambols of Christmas play,
Whereat the young men do best that they can
To drive the cold winter away.

Thus none will allow of solitude now
But merrily greets the time,
To make it appear of all the whole year
That this is accounted the prime:
December is seen apparel's in green,
And January fresh as May
Comes dancing along with a cup and a song
To drive the cold winter away.

The Holly and the Ivy 2:40
Traditional 17th century

The damsel donned her kirtle sheen;
The hall was dressed with holly green;
Forth to the wood did merry men go,
To gather in the mistletoe.

Jula Lane - vocals and Celtic harp
Fred Gosbee - vocals, tin whistle, 12-string guitar

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown

  O, the rising of the sun,
  And the running of the deer
  The playing of the merry organ,
  Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom,
As white as any milk
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
All wrappéd up in silk

The holly bears a berry,
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To do poor sinners good

The holly bears a prickle,
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
On Christmas Day in the morn

The holly bears a bark,
As bitter as the gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
For to redeem us all

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown

The Christmas Hornpipe 2:27
Traditional

Then opened wide the baron's hall
To vassal, tenant, serf, and all;
Power laid his rod of rule aside,
And Ceremony doffed his pride.
The heir, with roses in his shoes,
That night might village partner choose

Fred Gosbee - Pennywhistle
Julia Lane - harp

Soulin' 3:27
Trtaditional

The fire, with well-dried logs supplied,
Went roaring up the chimney wide;
The huge hall table's oaken face,
Scrubbed till it shone, the day to grace,
Bore then upon its massive board
No mark to part the squire and lord.

Julia Lane - vocal, harp
Fred Gosbee - vocal, 12-string guitar

Hey, ho, nobody home
Meat nor drink nor money havie I none
Yet shall we be merry.
Hey ho nobody home

  A soul, a soul, a soul cake
  Please, good missus a soul cake
  An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry
  Any good thing to make us merry
  One for Peter, one for Paul
  Three for him who made us all

God bless the master of this house and bless the mistress also
And all the little children that round your table grow
The horses in your stable and dog before your door
And all that dwell within your gates, we wish you ten times more

  A soul, a soul, a soul cake
  Please, good missus a soul cake
  An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry
  Any good thing to make us merry
  One for Peter, one for Paul
  Three for him who made us all

Go down into your cellar and see what you can find
And if you can find something we hope you will be kind
We hope you will be kind with your apples and strong beer
For we won't come a-souling 'till this time next year

  A soul, a soul, a soul cake
  Please, good missus a soul cake
  An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry
  Any good thing to make us merry
  One for Peter, one for Paul
  Three for him who made us all

The streets are very dirty, my shoes are very thin
I have a little pocket to put a penny in
If you haven't got a penny a ha'penny will do
If you haven't got a ha'penny then God bless you

  A soul, a soul, a soul cake
  Please, good missus a soul cake
  An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry
  Any good thing to make us merry
  One for Peter, one for Paul
  Three for him who made us all

Wassail Medley 4:48
Traditional

The wassail round, in good brown bowls,
Garnished with ribbons, blithely trowls.

Fred Gosbee - vocal, 12-string guitar
Julia Lane - vocal, harp

Wassail! Wassail all over the town
Our cup it's white and our ale it's brown.
Our cup, it's made of the old oak tree
And the ale is made in Kentucky
And it's joy be to you and a jolly wassail

Good master and Missus are you within?
Oh, open up your door and let us come in
We see you a-sittin' by the boot of your fire
Not givin' us a thought in the mud or the mire
And it's joy be to you and a jolly wassail.

Where is that gal with the silly little pin
To open up the door and let us come in?
Good Master and Missus it's our desire
For a good piece of cheese and a toast by your fire
And it's joy be to you and a jolly wassail

There was an old woman: she had a little house
And for her pet she kept a wee tiny mouse
And a wee tiny stove just to keep her hopuse warm.
Now a little bit of liquor won't do us no harm
And it's joy be to you and a jolly wassail

Now, an old man from Bath drank his booze from a pail
And the is the night we sing 'Wassail!'
Good Master and Missus, alas, we part
But we bless this house from the bottom of our heart
And it's joy be to you and a jolly wassailQ

Wassail! wassail all over the town.
Our cup it is white nd our ale it is brown.
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree.
With wassailing bowl we'll drink to the.

And here's to broad May and to her broad horn
May God grant our master a good crop of corn.
And a good crop of corn, that may we all see.
With a wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.

And here's to Dobbin and to his right eye
May God grant our master a good Christmas pie
And a good Christmas pie, that may we all see
With a wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.

And here's to the girl in the lily-white smock
Who tripped down the stairs and slipped back the lock
Who slipped back the lock and pulled back the pin
To let these jolly wassailers in.

Goose Round 1:11
Traditional

There the huge sirloin reeked; hard by
Plum-porridge stood, and Christmas pie;
Nor failed old Scotland to produce,
At such high tide, her savoury goose.

Julia Lane - vocal
Fred Gosbee - vocal

Why shouldn't my goose
Sing as well as thy goose
When I paid for my goose
Twice as much as thine

Christmas is coming
The goose is getting fat
Won't you please put a penny
In the old man's hat
If you haven't got a penny
A ha'penny will do
If you haven't got a ha'penny
God bless you

The Cutty Wren 4:03
Traditional

Then came the merry maskers in,
And carols roared with blithesome din;
If unmelodious was the song,
It was a hearty note, and strong.
Who lists may in their mumming see
Traces of ancient mystery

Fred Gosbee - vocals, percussion

Oh where are you going said Milder to Moulder
Oh we may not tell you said Festel to Fose
We're off to the woods said John the Red Nose
We're off to the woods said John the Red Nose

And what will you do there said Milder to Moulder
Oh we may not tell you said Festel to Fose
We'll shoot the Cutty wren said John the Red Nose
We'll shoot the Cutty wren said John the Red Nose

And how will you shoot us said Milder to Moulder
Oh we may not tell you said Festel to Fose
With bows and with arrows said John the Red Nose
With bows and with arrows said John the Red Nose

Oh that will not do said Milder to Moulder
Oh what will you do then said Festel to Fose
Great guns and great cannon said John the Red Nose
Great guns and great cannon said John the Red Nose

And how will you fetch her said Milder to Moulder
Oh we may not tell you said Festel to Fose
On four strong men's shoulders said John the Red Nose
On four strong men's shoulders said John the Red Nose

Ah that will not do said Milder to Moulder
Oh what will do then said Festel to Fose
Great carts and great wagons said John the Red Nose
Great carts and great wagons said John the Red Nose

Oh how will you cut her up said Milder to Moulder
Oh we may not tell you said Festel to Fose
With knives and with forks said John the Red Nose
With knives and with forks said John the Red Nose

Oh that will not do said Milder to Moulder
Oh what will do then said Festel to Fose
Great hatchets and cleavers said John the Red Nose
Great hatchets and cleavers said John the Red Nose

Oh how will you boil her said Milder to Moulder
Oh we may not tell you said Festel to Fose
In pots and in kettles said John the Red Nose
In pots and in kettles said John the Red Nose

O that will not do said Milder to Moulder
Oh what will do then said Festel to Fose
Great pans and large cauldrons said John the Red Nose
Great pans and large cauldrons said John the Red Nose

Oh who'll get the spare ribs said Milder to Moulder
Oh we may not tell you said Festel to Fose
We'll give 'em all to the poor said John the Red Nose
We'll give 'em all to the poor said John the Red Nose

The Wexford Carol 4:31
Traditional

On Christmas Eve the bells were rung;
On Christmas Eve the mass was sung;
And well our Christian sires of old
Loved, when the year its course had rolled,
And brought blithe Christmas back again,
With all his hospitable train.
Domestic and religious rite
Gave honour to the holy night

Julia Lane - vocal, harp
Fred Gosbee - Irish flute

Good people all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending his beloved son
With Mary holy we should pray,
To God with love this Christmas Day
In Bethlehem upon that morn,
There was a blessed Messiah born

The night before that happy tide
The noble Virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town
But mark right well what came to pass
From every door repelled, alas
As was foretold, their refuge all
Was but a humble ox's stall

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep
To whom God's angel did appear
Which put the shepherds in great fear
Arise and go, the angels said
To Bethlehem, be not afraid
For there you'll find, this happy morn
A princely babe, sweet Jesus, born

With thankful heart and joyful mind
The shepherds went the babe to find
And as God's angel had foretold
They did our Saviour Christ behold
Within a manger he was laid
And by his side a virgin maid
Attending on the Lord of Life
Who came on earth to end all strife

There were three wise men from afar
Directed by a glorious star
And on they wandered night and day
Until they came where Jesus lay
And when they came unto that place
Where our beloved Messiah lay
They humbly cast them at his feet
With gifts of gold and incense sweet.

God Bless the Master 3:01
Traditional

England was merry England, when
Old Christmas brought his sports again.
'Twas Christmas broached the mightiest ale;
'Twas Christmas told the merriest tale:
A Christmas gambol oft could cheer
The poor man's heart through half the year.

MUSICIAN CREDITS

LYRICS