p-songs-msg - 11/29/18

Period songs and song lyrics.

NOTE: See also the files: Bardic-Guide-art, music-bib, music-msg, songs-msg, SI-songbook1-art, harps-msg, bardic-msg, guitar-art.

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This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

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Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: powers at cis.ohio-state.edu (william thomas powers)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Carols
Date: 25 Nov 1994 14:16:30 -0500
Organization: The Ohio State University, Department of Computer and Information Science

From:
                        _A Christmas Book_
        "50 Carols and Poems from the 14th to the 17th Centuries"
        edited by Eleanor Sayre; published by Clarkson N. Potter, Inc.
        (we have a first edition, copyrighted 1966, sorry no ISBN)
 
#12, Anonymous; circa 1425
 
Text: from a manuscript, about 1425, San Marino, Huntington
Library )MS. EL. 34. B7); published by J.Wickham Legg, _The Processional
of the Nuns of Chester_, The Henry J. Bradshaw Society, London, 1899,
Vol XVIII, pg 18 and facsimile, pls I-III.
 
Music: Facsimile of the tune published by Legg, see above; a modern
harmonization is published by Percy Dearmer, ed., _The Oxford Book of
Carols_, music edit., London, 1928, No. 67
 
        Qui creavit celum, lully, lully, lu,
        Nascitur in stabulo, byby, byby, by,
        Rex qui regit seculum, lully, lully, lu,
 
        Joseph emit panniculum;  byby, byby, by,
        Mater involuit puerum, lully, lully, lu,
        Et ponit in presepio, byby, byby, by,
 
        Inter animalia, lully, lully, lu,
        Jacent mundi gaudia, byby, byby, by,
        Dulcis super omnia, lully, lully, lu,
 
        Lactat mater domini, byby, byby, by,
        Osculatur parvulum, lully, lully, lu,
        Et adorat dominum, byby, byby, by,
 
        Roga mater filium, lully, lully, lu,
        Ut det nobis gaudium, byby, byby, by,
        In perenni gloria, lully, lully, lu,
 
        In seempiterna secula, byby, byby, by,
        In eternum et ultra, lully, lully, lu,
        Det nobis sua guadia, byby, byby, by,
 
It's a very nice book with good notes, documentation, translations, etc.
I'll try to post a couple of more as time permits

wilelm the smith


From: powers at cis.ohio-state.edu (william thomas powers)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Christmas Carols
Date: 6 Dec 1994 12:00:35 -0500
Organization: The Ohio State University, Department of Computer and Information Science
 
                        _A Christmas Book_ 
        "50 Carols and Poems from the 14th to the 17th Centuries"
        edited by Eleanor Sayre; published by Clarkson N. Potter, Inc.
        (we have a first edition, copyrighted 1966, sorry no ISBN)
 
                        19
                Lullay, lullay, litel child,
 
From a commonplace book of sermon material compiled by a Franciscan frier,
Johan de Grimestone, second half of the 14th century. Edinburgh, National
Library of Scotland, MS. Advocates 18.7.21, f.6[r]; published by
Richard L. Greene, ed., _The Early English Carols_, Oxford, 1935, No.155 a.
(A 15th century version is also preserved, London, British Museum, 
MS. Harley 7358, Greene's 155 b.
 
Music: not preserved
 
Refrain:  Lullay, lullay, litel child,
          Why weepest thu so sore?
 
        Lullay, lullay, litel child,
        Thu that were so sterne an wild,
        Now art become meeke and mild,
          To saven that was forlore.
 
        But for my sinne I wot it is
        That Godde's Sone suffred this;
        Mercy Lord! I have do mis,
          I-wis I will no more.
 
        Against my Fader's wille I ches
        An appel with a reuful res,
        Wherfor mine heritage I lose
          And now thu weepist therfor.
 
        An appel I took of a tree,
        God it hadde forbiden me;
        Wherfor I sulde damne'd be,     >> ' = accents not contractions<<
          If thy weeping no were.
 
        Lullay for woe, thu litel thing,
        Thu litel bairun, thu litel king;
        Mankindde is cause of thy mourning,
          That thu hast love'd so yore.       
 
        For man that thu hast ay love'd so
        Yet saltu suffern paines mo
        In head, in feet, in hande's too,
          And yet weepen well more.
 
        That paine us make of sinne free;
        That paine us bringge, Jesu, to thee,
        That paine us helpe ay to flee
          The wickkede fiende's lore.  Amen.  >> ' = contraction<<
 
                        Anonymous   


From: powers at cis.ohio-state.edu (william thomas powers)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Christmas Carols
Date: 7 Dec 1994 11:57:05 -0500
Organization: The Ohio State University, Department of Computer and Information Science
 
                        _A Christmas Book_ 
        "50 Carols and Poems from the 14th to the 17th Centuries"
        edited by Eleanor Sayre; published by Clarkson N. Potter, Inc.
        (we have a first edition, copyrighted 1966, sorry no ISBN)
 
                        10
                No la devemos dormir
 
text: Villancicos. De diverso autores, a dos, y a tres, y a quatro, y a
cinco bozes, agora nuevamente corregidos.  Venice, Hieronymo Scoto, 1556;
published by Raphael Mitjana, ed., Villancicos. De diverso autores...
_Cancionero de Uppsala_, Uppsala [1909], No. 37. as Mitjana observed, pg 54,
the text is from the Coplas written by Montesino on the parturition of the
Virgen. For the complete poem, see Montesino, _Cancionero de diversas obras
de nuevo trobadas_, Toledo, 1508, facsim. edit. El Ayre de la Almena, 
Vol XII, Valencia, 1964, ff. 41(v)-43(v).
 
music: One and four voices, printed by Rafael Mitjana, _Cancionero de Uppsala_
El Colegio de Mexico, 1944, No. 37.
 
                No la devemos dormir
                La noche sancta.
                No la devemos dormir!
 
                ?La Virgen a' solas piensa
                  Que hara'?
                Quando al rey de luz inmenso
                  Parira',
                Si de su divina esencia
                  Temblara'.
                ?O que le podra' dezir?
                No la devemos dormir
                La noche sancta.
                No la devemos dormir.
 
                        Fray Ambrosio Montesino
                                about 1450-1514

From: powers at cis.ohio-state.edu (william thomas powers)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Christmas Carols
Date: 9 Dec 1994 16:55:28 -0500
Organization: The Ohio State University, Department of Computer and Information Science
 
                        _A Christmas Book_ 
        "50 Carols and Poems from the 14th to the 17th Centuries"
        edited by Eleanor Sayre; published by Clarkson N. Potter, Inc.
        (we have a first edition, copyrighted 1966, sorry no ISBN)
 
                                7
                        I syng of a mayden
 
text: From a manuscript, first half of the 15th century, London, British 
Museum (MS Sloane 2593, f. 10[v]); published by Carleton Brown, ed.,
_Religious Lyrics of the Fifteenth Century_, Oxford, 1939, No. 81. 
 
music: not preserved. Benjamin Britten set it to music in his "A
Ceremony of Carols" Opus 28 for treble voices and harp; see also
Percy Dearmer, ed., _The Oxford Book of Carols_, music edit., London,
1928, No. 183, for a setting by Martin Shaw.
 
        
                I syng of a mayden
                That is makeles.
                Kyng of alle kynges
                To her sone she ches.
 
                He came al so stille,
                There his moder was,
                As dew in Aprille
                That falleth on the gras.
 
                He came al so stille,
                To his modere's bower,
                As dew in Aprille
                That falleth on the flower
 
                He came al so stille,
                There his moder lay,
                As dew in Aprille
                That falleth on the spray.
 
                Moder and mayden
                Was never none but she.
                Well may such a lady
                Godde's moder be.
 
                        Anonymous
                        written down in the first 
                        half of the fifteenth century
 
        makeles...without equal
        ches...chose
        spray...slender twigs
 

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: 12 Days of Christmas-origins
Date: 13 Jan 1996 00:22:50 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley

widdershins at widdershins.seanet.com (John and Susan Hutchins) wrote:
>
>> I need help finding the origins and original meaning of the 12 days of 
>> Christmas (song) for my kid's school.  Anything you can send me would be 
>> helpful.  Thank you in advance.

Here's what appears on the colophon of the copy I have, with Jan
Brett's beautiful illustrations.

"The ancient counting song named for this religious holiday is
actually quite pagan in tone and is the only carol we know that
celebrates, in the form of a list, the Christmas tradition of
gift-giving.  It is said"

		[note, "it is said," they don't say who says]

		          "to date back to a thirteenth century
manuscript in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, England.
The carol appears in print for the first time in a children's
book entitled _Mirth Without Mischief,_ published in London about
1780."

My personal suspicions is that the song is late eighteenth
century (the music certainly sounds like it) and the stuff about
the thirteenth-century manuscript in Trinity Library is a load of
dingos' kidneys.  But I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise if
somebody can come up with some solid documentation.

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin		Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West			UC Berkeley


From: lindahl at rt.com (Greg Lindahl)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Thomas Ravenscroft books available
Date: 20 Jan 1997 09:38:23 -0500

I am pleased to announce that I have finished scanning facsimiles of
the first 3 of Thomas Ravenscroft's collections of rounds and songs
from 1609 and 1611. Other folks have also graciously contributed a
large number of transcriptions into modern notation and midi of some
of these songs and rounds. Although these books are slightly
post-1600, I can come up with evidence that mnay of Ravenscroft's
rounds, at least, were "traditional", since there is a 1580 manuscript
containing 57 rounds, of which 48 are either identical or quite
similar to rounds in Ravenscroft's books. Ah, if only Elizabeth hadn't
given out that monopoly on printing music...

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ravenscroft/

Gregory Blount


Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 19:26:35 -0500 (CDT)
From: fiondel at i1.net
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Musical reference material

Gentles of the arts list,

I was finally able, today, to get in touch with a former prof who
has made early music a specialty of his.

As a comprehensive study of Early Tudor secular music, he
recommends *Music & Poetry in the Early Tudor Court*, London, 1958.
This may or may not still be in print, but I called one of our
local hard-to-find bookstores, and they had it in stock.

As far as manuscripts and/or editions of songs, he suggests the
following:

the Ritson Manuscript (London, British Library, Add. MS 5665)
the Fayrfax Manuscript (London, British Library, Add. MS 5465)
"Henry VIII's Manuscript" (London, British Library, Add. MS 319222)

All three of the above are available in modern editions, edited by John 
Stevens (London, Musica Britannica Series, Vols XVIII, 1969, and XXXVI,
1975).  Both of these volumes are available and currently in print.
>From a relatively quick perusal, they look good, understandable, 
performable.  If anyone on this list wishes to acquire either of
these two additions, and cannot in their own area, let me know.  St. 
Louis is blessed with an extraordinary music store (Shattingers) which
will be more than happy to get more copies.

Hope this is of help to my fellow performers of period music.

Fiondel the Song-Spinner


Subject: Latin Lyrics for Hymn
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 07:54:54 -0500
From: Hank Harwell <cleireac at juno.com>
To: stefan at texas.net

Below is a couple of messages we received on the Period Religion List
concerning the Latin Lyrics to O Come, O Come Emmanuel.  I know that this
is traidtionally a Christmas hymn, but it came up during a discussion
regarding hymns for a proposed service book...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
From: "sunshinegirl" <sunshinegirl at steward-net.com>
To: <perrel at egroups.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 00:30:06 -0600
Subject: [PerRel] Re: Latin lyrics for O Come OCome Emmanuel

Dug this up from my madrigal books...

Melandra of the Woods

Veni, Veni Emmanuel             O come, o come, Emmanuel
Captivum solve Israel           And ransom captive Israel
Qui gemit in exilio             That mourns in lonely exile here
Privatus Dei Filio              Until the Son of God appear

Refrain
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel          Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel         Shall come to thee, Israel

Veni, O Iesse virgula           O come, o come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Ex hostis tuos ungula,          thine own from Satan's tyranny;
De specu tuos Tartari           From depths of hell Thy people save,
Educ, et antro barathri.                And give them victory o'er the grave

Veni, veni, O Oriens            O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Solare nos adveniens:           Our spirits by Thine advent here:
Noctis depelle nebulas,         Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
Dirasque noctis tenebras.               And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Veni, clavis Davidiba,          O come, Thou Key of David, come,
Regna reclude caelica,          and open wide our heav'nly home,
Fac iter tutum superum,         Make safe the way that leads on high,
Et claude vias inferum.         And close the path to misery.

Veni, Veni, Adonai              O come, o come, thou Lord of might,
qui populo in Sinai             Who once, from Sinai's flaming height
Legem dedisti vertice,          Didst give the trembling tribes Thy law,
In maiestate gloriae            In cloud, and majesty, and awe.

From: "sunshinegirl" <sunshinegirl at steward-net.com>
To: <perrel at egroups.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 00:36:51 -0600
Subject: [PerRel] Re: Latin lyrics for O Come OCome Emmanuel

My music lists it as being, both words and music, plain song chant from
the 12th century.  The footnote states
"On December 17 in medieval monasteries, the abbot would intone the
original first stanza at vespers, both before and after the Magnificat.
On successive evenings, each of the principal officers of the monastery
would take his turn with another of the stanzas, the whole series being
known as the "Seven O"s  Each "O" hailed the coming Saviour under a
different epithet:  "O sapientia, O adonaie," etc.  After the service,
the officer was expected to stand some sort of treat, usually edible, for
all the monks.  The prayer, dispite the solemnity to modern ears that
lies in the modal plain song, was rightly joyful."

----------
> From: EofAshley at aol.com
> >
> Sorry, but my sources say that "Veni, Veni, Emmanuel" was from the
> Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum and was published in 1710, and the
melody
> was written in the 15th C.
>
> Veni, veni Emmanuel
> (I can't remember this line!)
> Qui gemit in exilio
> Privatus dei filio
> Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
> Nascetur prote Israel
> (I'm sure my spelling is hideous, as I am writing this by rote)
>
> Eleanor

Brother Cleireac of Inisliath

The Welsh pray on their knees, and on their neighbors. The Scots keep the
Sabbath, and anything else they can get their hands on. The Irish don't
know what they want but are willing to fight to the death for it.
Whereas the English consider themselves a race of self made men, thus
relieving the almighty of an awesome responsibility. (_As Others See Us_,
anon.)
<<<<<<<<


Date: Fri, 14 May 99 21:18:58 PDT
From: "Frank&Tracy Thallas JR" <hardcorps at vcn.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: prick song

> First, I see the potential for really terrible jokes, but I'm going to ask
> anyway....
>
> A book I am reading refers to plainsong and prick song.  I understand
> plainsong.  Does anyone know what prick song is?
>
> Could I get a real answer BEFORE the jokes start?
>
> Signed, Gullible
>
> Carllein

  You certainly chose an attention-getting subject line....<GGGGGG>

  According to Webster's, a prick song is:
      1) music written down in pricks (another interesting mind-picture!) or dots: written music (obsolete)
      2) counterpoint; descant.

   Hope this is helpful; the jokes should start any minute...hee hee...

  Liadain,
    who knows a p-song or two but won't repeat them in polite society....


Date: Fri, 14 May 1999 23:25:57 -0400
From: "Krystal Morgan" <krystalmorgan at worldnet.att.net>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: prick song

I don't know much about music, but I was searching for something else on
Altavista, anyway. Will this link to a 1603 publication, The School for
Music, help?

http://www.gate.net/~shipbrk/robinson/index.html

Morgana


Subject: Gaudeamus igitur
Date: Wed, 09 Jun 1999 16:35:24 MST
From: "C.L. Ward" <gunnora at bga.com>
To: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

"Gaudeamus igitur" is one of the best-known medieval student songs.  The
tune was used by Brahms for the climax of his 1860 composition, "Academic
Festival Overture".

A MIDI file of the tune may be found at:
http://ingeb.org/Lieder/gaudeamu.mid

http://www.lake.de/home/lake/buyenne/home_2/midi/kanten/gaudeamus_igitur.mid

Gaudeamus igitur,
Juvenes dum sumus;
Post jucundam juventutem,
Post molestam senectutem
Nos habebit humus!

(While we're young, let us rejoice,
Singing out in gleeful tones;
After youth's delightful frolic,
And old age so melancholic!
Earth will cover our bones.)

Vita nostra brevis est,
Brevi finietur,
Venit mors velociter,
Rapit nos atrociter,
Nemini parcetur.

(Life is short and all too soon
We emit our final gasp;
Death ere long is on our back;
Terrible is his attack;
None escapes his dread grasp.)

Ubi sunt qui ante
Nos in mundo fuere?
Vadite ad superos,
Transite ad inferos,
Hos si vis videre.

(Where are those who trod this globe
In the years before us?
They in hellish fires below,
Or in Heaven's kindly glow,
Swell the eternal chorus.)

Vivat academia,
Vivant professores,
Vivat membrum quodlibet,
Vivant membra quaelibet,
Semper sint in flore!

(Long live our academy,
Teachers whom we cherish;
Long live all the graduates,
And the undergraduates;
Ever may they flourish.)

Vivant omnes virgines
Faciles, formosae,
Vivant et mulieres,
Tenerae, amabiles,
Bonae, laboriosae!

(Long live all the maidens fair,
Easy-going, pretty;
Long live all good ladies who
Are tender and so friendly to
Students in this city.)

Vivat et respublica
Et qui illam regit,
Vivat nostra civitas,
Maecenatum caritas,
Quae nos hic protegit!

(Long live our Republic and
The gentlefolk who lead us;
May the ones who hold the purse
Be always ready to disburse
Funds required to feed us.)

Pereat tristitia,
Pereant osores,
Pereat diabolus,
Quivis antiburschius,
Atque irrisores!

(Down with sadness, down with gloom,
Down with all who hate us;
Down with those who criticize,
Scoff, mock and berate us.)

Quis confluxus hodie
Academicorum?
E longinquo convenerunt,
Protinusque successerunt
In commune forum;

(Why has such a multitude
Come here during winter break?
Despite distance, despite weather,
They have gathered here together
For Philology's sake.)

Vivat nostra societas,
Vivant studiosi
Crescat una veritas,
Floreat fraternitas,
Patriae prosperitas.

(Long live our society,
Scholars wise and learned;
May truth and sincerity
Nourish our fraternity
And our land's prosperity.)

Alma Mater floreat,
Quae nos educavit;
Caros et commilitones,
Dissitas in regiones
Sparsos, congregavit;

(May our Alma Mater thrive,
A font of education;
Friends and colleagues, where'er they are,
Whether near or from afar,
Heed her invitation.)

(Translation by J. Mark Sugars 1997)

Wæs fiu Hæl (Waes Thu Hael)

::GUNNORA::

Gunnora Hallakarva, OL
Baroness to the Court of Ansteorra


Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 15:53:30 -0400
From: Christine A Seelye-King <mermayde at juno.com>
Subject: SC - Boars head songs and menus

At our last Chourusters' guild meeting, Baron William expressed doubts as
to the periodicity of the "Boar's Head Carol".  I was looking through my
email
files for something else, and ran across this message (which originally
came from Temair and the Early Music list) that I thought might be of
interest.  I sent it along to the Choruster's list, and his responses are
below.  My thought was, there is quite a bit of information as to the
meal that went along with the song, and we should be able to create a
menu based on the descriptions therein.  

Christianna

- --------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Terri Spencer <taracook at yahoo.com>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 19:19:01 -0800 (PST)
Subject: SC - Boars head songs

Here are three "culinary" songs from a book of Middle English Lyrics. 
All are 15th century Christmas/Twelfth night songs.  They all start off
with the famous boar's head, and one describes a fine yule feast. 
First the one everyone has heard, perhaps even served boar to:

The bores hed in hondes I bringe,
With garlondes gay and birdes singinge!
I pray you all helpe me to singe,
Qui estis in convivio.   (Who are at this banquet)

(Refrain)
Caput apri refer,        (The boar's head I bring)
Resonens laudes Domino.  (Singing praises to the Lord)

The bores hede, I understond,
Is chef service in all this londe,
Whersoever it may be fonde,
Servitur cum sinapio.    (It is served with mustard)

The bores hede, I dare well say,
Anon after the twelfthe day,
He taketh his leve and goth away
Exivit tunc de patria.    (He has left the country)


Another:
At the beginning of the mete,
Of a bores hed ye schal ete,
And in the mustard ye shall wete;
And ye shall singen or ye gon.

(Refrain)
Po, po, po, po,
Love brane and so do mo.

Wolcum be ye that ben here,
And ye shall have right gud chere,
And also a right gud fare;
And ye shall singen or ye gon.


And another:
The bores hede in hond I bring,
With garlond gay in portoring;
I pray you all with me to singe,
With Hay!

(Refrain)
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
The bores hede is armed gay.

Lordes, knightes, and squiers,
Persons, prestes, and vicars - 
The bores hede is the furst mess,
With hay!

The bores hede, as I you say,
He takes his leive and gothe his way
Soon after the tweilfeth day,
With hay!

Then comes in the secund cours with mikel pride:
The cranes and the heirons, the bitteres by ther side,
The pertriches and the plovers, the woodcokes and the snit,
With hay!

Larkes in hot schow, ladys for to pik,
Good drink therto, lucius and fin ñ
Bluet of almain, romnay and win,
With hay!

Gud bred, ale, and win, dare I well say,
The bores hede with musterd armed so gay.

Furmante to pottage, with venisun fin,
And the hombuls of the dove, and all that ever comes in.

Capons ibake, with the peses of the row,
Reisons of corrans, with oder spises mo.

That one loses momentum at the end, along with meter and refrain.  A
few notes - not really anything new, but confirmation:

Boars head is served with mustard - all the songs insist on it!  
Another word for course - mess.
Another word for chef - chief.
Among the good drinks: bruet of almond, sweet wine and wine.  Could
they be drinking the almond milk?   
Seems the boar "leaves the country" and "goes his way" after twelfth
night.  No more fresh pork until spring?

Just one more, from a drinking song with many verses:
Bring us in no butter, for therin are many heres; 
Nor bring us in no pigges flesche, for that will make us bores;
But bring us in good ale.

Tara

(To which William responded:)

Well, there is much to be learned here.

1)  Apparently the Boar's Head Carol is indeed period.

2)  It was possible to get the bores to leave the country.

3)  Mo (as opposed to Curleigh or Lareigh got all the "branes".

4)  The Boar's head, which is described as an "armed gay", is "the first
mess" and as such has precedence over lords, knights, and squires.

5)  In addition to mustard, Boar's head is served "with hay".

6)  Snit is also served with hay, along with various non-kosher
waterfowl.
I'm not certain I actually want to know more about that.

7)  Finally, whoever wrote that ditty about (among other things) butter,
never heard the old Scottish proverb:  "The mair durt, the less hurt".

Amazing what one can infer from period documents, no?

William


From: Sandy Straubhaar <orchzis at hotmail.com>
Date: December 4, 2005 2:49:50 PM CST
To: bryn-gwlad at ansteorra.org
Subject: [Bryn-gwlad] RE: 1600s Christmas

I was listening to the Oxford Waits sing Christmas songs today and was reminded of this gem.  Enjoy!  (you can even sing it, if you know the tune of Dargason, which is pretty well-known)  -- brynhildr.

The Shropshire Wakes or Hey for Christmass.
To the Tune of Dargason.
Printed at the Golden Ball in Smithfield by P. Brooksby.

[circa 1680-90]

Come Robin, Ralph and little Harry
And merry Thomas at our green
Where we shall meet with Brigit and Sary
And the finest young wenches that e'er were seen

[chorus]
Then hey for Christmas once a year
Where we have cakes, both ale and beer
And to our Christmas feast there comes
Young men and maids to shake their bums

There's a fiddler for to play ev'ry dance
When the young lads and lasses meet
With which the men and maids will prance
With the fiddler before them down the street

[chorus]
Then hey for Christmas once a year
Where we have cakes, both ale and beer
And to our Christmas feast there comes
Young men and maids to shake their bums

The morrice-dancers will be ready
Meat and drink enough to lade ye
And in a fool's dress will be little Neddy
To entertain our Christmas lady

[chorus]
Then hey for Christmas once a year
Where we have cakes, both ale and beer
And to our Christmas feast there comes
Young men and maids to shake their bums

Thus did they daunce from noon till night
And were as merry as cup and can
Till they had tyr'd the fiddler quite
And the sweat down their buttocks ran

[chorus]
Then hey for Christmas once a year
Where we have cakes, both ale and beer
And to our Christmas feast there comes
Young men and maids to shake their bums

The rest unto hot-cockles went
But Neddy gave Nelly a blow too hard
Then all together by th'ears they went
And all their sporting soon was marr'd

[chorus]
Then hey for Christmas once a year
Where we have cakes, both ale and beer
And to our Christmas feast there comes
Young men and maids to shake their bums

They took the fiddler and broke his pate
And threw his fiddle into the fire
And drunkenly went home so late
That most of them fell in the mire

[chorus]
Then hey for Christmas once a year
Where we have cakes, both ale and beer
And to our Christmas feast there comes
Young men and maids to shake their bums


From: Michelle Heitman <michelle.m.heitman at GMAIL.COM>
Date: February 24, 2012 4:05:43 PM CST
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] music for competition

On Fri, Feb 24, 2012 at 3:34 PM, Neassa inghenn Cearnach
<hclafinhan at aol.com> wrote:
<Can anyone tell me about the song "I Have a Yong Suster"? Or where I can find out about it?

Is it suitable for a competition?

Thanks for any help!

Neassa >>

I don't have my hands on the piece right at the moment,
(sorry, I'm kinda up to my elbows in feast food right now),
but there's a Jstor paper that references this song,
and I DO remember that it is in the author's era of research
(which is from the 13th century to 1600), so it is certainly
period.

I also remember it being called a "Riddle Song".

The author of the Jstor paper was Karin...Bok...something.
It was a hypenated last name, but that's all my memory
can dredge up.  The article was something like
"Popular Song and the Middle Ages", or something similar.

Oh!  I also have this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7DNkCQGD-g

Fiondel
(back to cooking now...and come to the feast...!)


From: Mathurin Kerbusso <mathurin at GLADIUSINFRACTUS.COM>
Date: February 24, 2012 6:05:02 PM CST
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] music for competition

<<< Can anyone tell me about the song "I Have a Yong Suster"? Or where I can find out about it?

Is it suitable for a competition? >>

It is certainly Period and suitable for competition. It is Middle English from MS. Sloane 2593 (c. 1430).

A very good recording is available on John Fleagle's World's Bliss, I got my mine from Magnatune but you have to be a member and download the whole album. Well worth it in my opinion.
-- 
Mathurin
"Non nobis solum"


From: Mathurin Kerbusso <mathurin at GLADIUSINFRACTUS.COM>
Date: February 24, 2012 6:21:02 PM CST
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] music for competition

A very good recording is available on John Fleagle's World's Bliss, I got my mine from Magnatune but you have to be a member and download the whole album. Well worth it in my opinion.

Correction, you can also listen to it for free at Magnatune:

http://magnatune.com/artists/albums/fleagle-bliss/
-- 
Mathurin

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