Here are some song to sing at Wassails. Our Wassail is held at the end of January every year and we invite everyone to sing these first two songs with us. They were brought and taught to us by Pip Wright //www.pipwright.co.uk/ a singing leader, teacher and community musician Pip created the second song for our orchard and encouraged us to create our own lyrics for the verses.
Lyrics, score / sheet music / chords & tunes all here so that everyone can practice and join in with voices and instruments together. We gather around our Winter Peach Apple, the largest tree in the orchard, planted in 2013, do a dance, sing these songs, play instruments and there’s a lot of shouting of Huzzah & Wassail.
2 page Wassail welcome and songs handout
Wassail the Silver Apple – Song by Mike O’Connor
Listen to tune (recorded at Pip Wright’s Singing workshop)
Peace and plenty bring, to all who wassail here.
—
Byth-yach – Avalow ryb an Mor (Cornish for: Wassail – Apples by the Sea)
Song by Pip Wright & volunteers of the Orchard
Listen to recording (recorded at Pip Wright’s Singing workshop with added instrumentals by Phil Heasman)
CHORUS: Byth-yach, Wassail, Wassail, Wassail
Byth-yach, Wassail, Avalow ryb an Mor (sing after every verse)
May there be rainfall and sunshine and breezes,
May there be apples and honey this year! (Pips choir group, 11th Aug 24)
May the seasons forever keep changing,
May the leaves fall and new buds appear. (Sharon T. 12/12/24)
—
May there be bobbing and carving and pressing
May there be pies, cakes and crumbles to share. (Pips choir group)
May there be children and running and laughter
May there be singing and memories to share (Sarah White & Mary Cahill, 6/10/24)
—
May there be friendship and toil and laughter,
May there be dancing and cider galore!
May there be scything and pruning and staking,
May the trees feed us abundance and joy! (Pips CORE choir group, 11th Aug 24)
—
May there be bees for pollen and honey,
May there be plenty of flowers for them. (Carol & Alex, 6/10/24)
May volunteers be abundant, keen, eager and willing
To learn and contribute, the frui-ts to bear! (Phil Heasman)
—
May there by Oss’s with cloaks flowing wide,
Teasing and prancing round glowing bonfires. (Elise Langley 5/1/24)
May there be workshops to learn about nature,
Sharing our knowledge, being valued and heard. (Sarah Lindsay)
—
May there be all types of cookers and eaters,
Each with their history for years to come. (Jane, Wendy and Marion, 6/10/24)
May nature be nurtured, abundant and fruitful,
May all our revels be joyful and fun (Louise & Sue, 6/10/24)
—
May there be bobbing and carving and pressing
May there be pies, cakes and crumbles to share. (Pips choir group)
May there by Oss’s with cloaks flowing wide,
Teasing and prancing round glowing bonfires. (Elise Langley 5/1/24)
—
Eve gave Adam an apple, an apple, an apple.
Adam he ate it, now look what we know!
So we peopled the planet, the planet, the planet,
and now we will love it and care for it still. (Mary & Mattie, 6/10/24)
—
Let’s toast to the trees with our cider and cheer,
Sing loud as we dance through the orchard this year.
Dip toast in the cider then hang on the branches,
Raise hats to the bounty of Great Mother Earth. (Elise Langley 5/1/24)
Now add your verse!!
Write it into the beautiful embroidered book on the bookshelf in the CORE (made by Marion Heasman) or send it to info@stivesorchard.co.uk
Meur ras (thank you) to:
Music: Pip Wright www.pipwright.co.uk, Words: everyone! Cornish translation: Jim Daniel
Pip created this song for our orchard and helped us create the verse lyrics.
Listen to the Tune (The verses were penned by those of us attending a workshop with Pip. The singing was recorded December 2024 and instruments and percussion were added by Phil Heasman)
Old Wassail song
Old apple tree we wassail thee
And hoping thou will bear
For who doth know where we shall be
‘Til apples come another year
For to bear well and to bloom well
So merry let us be
Let everyone take off their hats
And cry out to the old apple tree
Old apple tree we wassail thee
And hoping thou will bear
Hat fulls, cap fulls, three bushel bag fulls
in a little heap under the stairs
Source: Maud Karpeles, Cecil Sharp’s Collection of English Folk Songs, II, 528. Noted by Cecil Sharp from William Crockford at Bratten, Somerset, 12 September 1906.