A history of the Welsh folk song "Ar Lan Y Môr," tracing the print history of the tune and words together, as well as the penillion alone.
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The Bird Song
The history and historical context of the folk song "The Bird Song," also known as "Leather-wing Bat," and "Birds Courting Song." From early literature to ballads to verses collected in the early 1900s.
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A Gloucestershire Wassail Song
Lyrics 1. Wassail, wassail, all over the town,Our toast it is white, and our ale it is brown;Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree,With the wassailing bowl we’ll drink to thee,Drink to thee, Drink to thee,With the was-sail-ing bowl we’ll drink to thee. 2. Here is to Cherry* and to his right cheek,Pray God send my master a good piece of beef,And a good piece of beef that we may all see;With the wassailing bowl we’ll drink to thee.Drink to thee, drink to thee,With the wassailing bowl we’ll drink to thee. 3. Here is Cherry and to his right eye,Pray God send my master a good Christmas…
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Deck the Hall – A Comprehensive History – Part 4
Part 3 completed the 1800s. Part 4 covers the 1900s and moves us into the modern era. It is in this time period the “folk song collecting” in Wales began in earnest, particularly with the Welsh Folk-Song Society. We’ll spend a bit of time exploring a wide variety of tunes in the Nos Galan family that illustrate the folk tune process, how tunes evolve over time. Also of note in Part 4 is the beginning of the most modern version of Deck the Hall, published in Father Finn’s Carol Book in 1917. 1903: New Year’s Eve – Harmonic Fourth Reader, by Frederic H. Ripley and Thomas Tapper (1903-HF-Ripley) This is…
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Deck the Hall – A Comprehensive History – Part 3
We ended Part 2 at the middle of the 19th century. Part 3 carries us through 1900. Of particular interest is the 1862 version, arranged by John Thomas, with words by Thomas Oliphant – the first time we see the “Deck the hall with boughs of holly” lyrics. Also of note is the 1877 Pennsylvania School Journal version, with the bowdlerized lyrics that have now become the modern standard. 1852: New Year’s Eve. (Nos Galen.) – Recollections of Wales, No. 8, by Brinley Richards (1852-RW-Richards) Dating this number was a little difficult, as the piece itself was undated. When I first published this page, I erroneously dated it to 1861,…
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Deck the Hall – A Comprehensive History – Part 2
Continuing the history of the song "Deck the Halls," also known as "Nos Galan." Covering publications and manuscripts from 1800-1850.
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Deck the Hall – A Comprehensive History – Part 1
The origins of the Christmas carol "Deck the Hall." From the old Welsh air "Nos Galan," to modern versions.
