A Folk Song A Day

As Jon says,“The King in question being the wren I believe, it’s one I learnt from Martin Carthy.” Timely indeed and fitting the wren boy tradition for today. It’s a most curious custom and one that I’ve read up on for my Advent Calendar project. I think it comes down to the fact that the wren is still active and singing in winter, like the hare in its thick seasonal fur and the evergreen holy, ivy and so forth it therefore gained a significance. Mainly Norfolk has some sleeve notes that take the line of kingly sacrifice. I note the suggestion of a substitute for the real monarch, but would love to know more about this and any reliable source of or evidence for the idea. As has been pointed out on this site already ideas of pagan ritual may well be more recent invention than genuine history. But then there’s the whole dressing up in straw disguises that all suggests something truly arcane. Still as Reinhard’s site makes clear the custom is where Steeleye derived their Please To See The King album title from. Perhaps the historians can enlighten us a little more, while I sincerely hope that any wren boys still out there are content with a symbolic bird. I’ve always liked the busy little chaps flitting around the bushes and think they are best left that way.

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Just a final reminder that the climax of alternative advent calendar, with all of the month’s songs should be live on the other blog as you read this. There are actually 26 songs with a decidedly secular theme, concentrating on winter and aspects of the season other than the Nativity. All the songs are together in one audio player so just click play and sit back and enjoy… Whatever your beliefs and preferences it’s a great selection of music.

All that remains is to wish you all a very happy Christmas and thank you for stopping by. For those who are here for the first time round there are still many delights to come. For those who are here for the second time, it’s still a daily treat. Even now I can scarcely believe the wealth of great song, great joy and knowledge that is there to pick through. Thanks to all of you for your invaluable contributions.

In the words of Sir Nodrick Holder of Wulverrampton… “IT’S CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!”

Jon says, “I’m bringing a bit of fire and brimstone gravitas to proceedings… Happy Christmas by the way. No ploughing though you lot, OK?”

I say… Seasons greetings, whoever or whatever you believe in. Special wishes to our regular contributors who have helped fill in the first half of the story. Special wishes to Jon (and family and colleagues too), for great entertainment, inspiration, teaching and the gift of song. A thought spared for those for whom the wassail bowl is empty and a harsh rebuke for the knaves that make it so. But as we know, it’s the season to feast and I have slain the mighty nut to prepare for my family. I have an ambitious menu to cook, but will log in just to make sure you’re all enjoying yourselves. Finally, as we know, it’s not actually Jesus’ birthday today, so I’d like to wish Happy Birthday to Alastair Cook, who will hopefully still be tonking the kookaburra round Australia with élan, and to redress the balance Darran, a hale and hearty Australian fellow I work with. Cheers!

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Jon says, “This is maybe my favourite ‘folk carol’. I first learnt this from Coope, Boyes and Simpson so that myself, John Spiers and Benji Kirkpatrick could perform it at a private architects’ office party.” That sounds like a cue for a Monty Python sketch, but here we are on the eve of Christmas. Hopefully you’re all set for a good day, shopping done, food preparations started, an early finish, perhaps a tipple of something tasty on the way home, presents wrapped, a warm glow on the home front and so on. What can go wrong?

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What was it I was saying yesterday? Another tune to throw me completely, but I’ve realised how much I enjoy the chorus vocals. It’s good hearty communal singing that sounds thoroughly enjoyable and makes me wonder whether there’s a group near me. If I can stand close enough to someone I can copy, who knows what might happen? Mind you, the local choirs have been in the Whitgift shopping-centre. First there were men of a certain age in matching blazers and slacks: then the woman in Santa hats doing the actions, on cue, to Oops I Did It Again. For the want of an Uzi, a massacre was avoided. Instead I ran pell-mell for the shelter of M&S, only to find myself confronted by a store so chock full of seasonal gubbins that I emerged empty handed, dazed and confused. Anyway I digress… Jon says of this one, “Definitely an improvement on the original melody. Again devised by the genius collective mind of BACCApella (the tune is Young Banker.)”

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You can buy the December digital album now from all good download stores: