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Orange Peel Morris Dancers |
Jane and Doug invited Orange Peel Morris back to wassail their apple trees on their 'Hamden House' property on the outskirts of Orangeville. Last year’s apple season was the best ever — so we must have invoked the appropriate spirits last time!
It was a fine night on 2003 January 17— clear, -25°, only a bit breezy, with a full moon. Very cold, though not as frigid as the wind of last year! Again, cold enough to want to dance, not watch; and too cold for instruments not meant to be played outside below freezing!
Only as many grace notes as clumsy fingerless gloves and frozen fingertips
would allow!
Nancy, Grainne, Chris, John, and Lucy.
Dancing Mr. Dolly.
What are they looking for? ... Mr. Dolly, again ... ?
We danced Mr. Dolly and Much Wenlock — the latter being the fertility thing full-blown ...
Mark then sang the Carhampton Wassail, which he had seen Jim Binding sing on 1994 January 17th at the Butchers Arms in Carhampton, Somerset, England. Jim is only the fourth singer of this wassail since the Second World War, the song being passed down from one singer to the next. Carhampton folk claim to have sung this wassail continuously for more than 250 years. Only somewhat following tradition, we sang the wassail, put cider-soaked toast on the tree boughs (to bring good spirits), and then threw snow-balls through the tree (to frighten away bad spirits). ... no firing of guns so close to town! ...
Carhampton Wassailing Song:
“Old apple tree, we wassail thee,
And hope that thou wilt bear,
For the Lord doth know where we shall be
Come apples another year.
To bloom well, and to bear well,
So happy let us be.
Let everyone take off their hat,
And shout out to the old apple tree!”
Shouted by everyone:
“Old apple tree, we wassail thee,
And hope that thou wilt bear
Hatfuls, capfuls, three bushel bagfuls
And a little heap under the stairs.”
“Three cheers for the old apple tree!”
“Hip! Hip! — Hooray!”
“Hip! Hip! — Hooray!”
“Hip! Hip! — Hooray!”
Jane spreading cider-soaked toast on the trees.
Grainne and Len trying to light the cake — which once again, would not light,
despite the 100-proof spirits Len was pouring on ... Minus 25° is too cold
for lots of things!
That was enough to convince us to retreat inside Jane and Doug's fine house for their wonderful hospitality — cider, ale, cake, cheeses (English and Canadian), and many other goodies.
Our hosts, Jane and Doug (in the middle) and friends.
And so we sang inside, going through various seasonal songs, led by John, in his fine style:
The Boars Head Carol
Gloucestershire Wassail
Gower Wassail
Here We Come A-wassailing
The Holly and The Ivy (the old tune, sung with vigour!)
Past Three A Clock
We also added in some of our ‘pub carols’, especially ‘While Shepherds Watched’ to Pentonville and to ‘On Ilkla Moor Bah’at’, ‘Shepherds Arise’, and ‘Christmas Tree’
and many more songs, wandering quite far from the wassail theme — but taking advantage of the fine musical talents of John, Tom, and Dick and others.... Please be gentle on our (mis)appropriations of various traditions ...
Tom
John in fine form!
Lucy, Chris, Len, and Tina
John and Nancy sticking Morningstar, after Cathy started, and with Len ‘fooling’
from the floor level.
Wassail to all, and especially to Jane and Doug for their generosity and hospitality! "To next year! — wassail!"
And this is what last year’s wassail produced! We’ll hope for a repeat this season!
Minus 25° but surprisingly warm without any wind! A great wassail, complete with
John’s pop-gun and the wonderful hospitality of Grainne and Foote!
For a printable version of this photo, please click here.
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Corrections and Comments to
Updated: 2004 February 06
