2007 Solstice Singers Zoo Gig
Padstow May Song
Chorus: Unite and unite, now let us unite,
For summer is a-come in today;
And whither we are going, we all will unite,
In the merry morning of May.
1. (Women) The young men of Padstow, they might if they would,
For summer is a-come in today;
They might have made a ship änd gilded it with gold,
In the merry morning of May!
2. (Men) The young maids of Padstow, they might if they would,
For summer is a-come in today;
They might have made a garland of the white rose and the red,
In the merry morning of May!
(Chorus)
3. (Women) O, where are the young men that now here would dance?
For summer is a-come in today;
O, some they are in England, and some they are in France,
In the merry morning of May!
4. (Men) O, where are the young maids that now here would sing?
For summer is a-come in today;
They are in the meadows a-flower gathering,
In the merry morning of May!
(Chorus)
5. (All) Now we fare you well and we bid you all good cheer,
For summer is a-come in today;
We'll call no more unto your house before another year,
In the merry morning of May!
O, where is St. George, O, where is he now?
He's out in his long boat, all on the salt sea o.
Up flies the kite, down falls the lark-O,
Aunt Ursula Birdwood, she had an old yow,
And it died in her own park-O.
Halantow
1. (Solo) Jake is gone to wear the horn; it was the crest when you were born,
Your father's father wore it then, his father wore it too.
Chorus:
Hal-an-Tow, Jolly lum-a-low,
We were up long before the day-o,
To welcome in the Summer; to welcome in the May-O!
For summer is a-coming in and winter's gone away, O!
2. (Women) What happened to the Span-i-ards, who made so great a boast-o,
Oh they shall eat the feathered goose, and we shall eat the roast, o.
3. (Men) Robin Hood and Little John are both gone to the fair-o
And we will to the merry greenwood to hunt the buck and hare, o!
4. (All) We'll bless the merry muses with all their power and might, o,
And send their peace upon us, send peace by day and night, o!
Now We Are Met (round)
Now we are met, let mirth abound, and let the catch and toast go 'round.
And let the catch; and let the catch; and let the catch and toast go 'round.
The toast go 'round, the toast go 'round, let the catch and toast go 'round.
Country Life
Chorus:
But of all the things, if choose I may
I like to rise when the sun she rises
‘Twould be rambling through the new-mown hay.
Early in the morning;
For…
I like to hear them small birds singing
Merrily upon their laylums,
2. (Solo) In Winter when the sky is gray,
And hurrah for the life of a country boy,
We hedge and we ditch our times away,
And to ramble in the new mown hay.
But in the summer when the sun shines gay,
We go rambling through the new mown hay.
1. (Solo) In Spring we sow; at the harvest mow;
For…
And that is how the seasons round they go.
Oaken Leaves (round)
Oaken leaves in the merry wood so wild, when will you grow greena?
Merry maid, and thou be with child, lullaby mayst thou singa.
Lula lullaby, lulla-lulla-lullaby, lullaby mayst thou singa.
Cuckoo (round)
Cuckoo as I mee walked in a May morning
I heard a bird sing.
Here’s a Health to the Company
1. Kind friends and companions, come join me in rhyme
Come lift up your voices in chorus with mine
Let us drink and be merry, all grief to refrain
For we may and might never all meet here again
Chorus:
Here's a health to the company and one to my lass
Let us drink and be merry all out of one glass
Let us drink and be merry, all grief to refrain
For we may and might never all meet here again
2. Here's a health to that wee lass whom I love so well
For style and for beauty, there’s none can excel
There's a smile upon her countenance as she sits upon my knee
Oh, there’s no man in this wide world as happy as me
3. Our ship lies at anchor, she's ready to dock
I wish her safe landing without any shock
And if ever I should meet you by land or by sea
I will always remember your kindness to me
Wild Mountain Thyme
1. Oh the summer tìme is a- coming,
Will you go, laddie, go?
And the leaves are sweetly turning,
And the wild mountain thyme
Chorus:
Grows a- round the bloomín' heather,
And we'll all go together,
To pull wild mountain thyme,
Will you go laddie, go?
all around the bloomin' heather,
Will you go, lassie, go?
3. If my true love will not go
Then I shall surely find another,
2. I will build my love a bower
To pull wild mountain thyme,
By a clear crystal fountain
All around the bloomin' heather,
And in it I will pile
Will you go, laddie, go?
All the flowers of the mountain,
Hey Ho to the Greenwood (round)
Hey ho, to the greenwood now let us go, sing heave and ho;
And there shall we find both buck and doe, sing heave and ho;
The hart and hind and the little pretty roe, sing heave and ho.
Sumer is I-Cumen In (round)
Sumer is icumen in, lhude sing cucu;
Groweth seed and bloweth meed, and springth the wode nu,
Sing cucu!
E-we bleateth after lamb, looth after calve cu;
Bulloc staerteth, bucke verteth,
Merry sing cucu!
Cucu, cucu, well singes thu, cucu,
Ne swik thu nahver nu.
May Day Song
1. (DP) I've been a-wand'ring all this night
I will bring you a branch of May.
And the best part of the day,
But when I come back home again
2. (DP+TN) A branch of May I bring you here,
And at your door I stand,
As long as life shall last.
It's only a sprout, but it's well budded out
By the work of God's own hand.
5. (TN) The moon shines bright, the stars give a
light
3. (Women) The hedges and fields are clothed in
A little before 'tis day.
green,
We call once more unto your house
As green as the early leaf.
All in this month of May.
The clouds above will water them
With morning rain so sweet.
6. (All) My song is done, I must be gone,
No longer can I stay;
4. (Men) The life of man is but a span,
God bless you all, both great and small,
He's cut down like the grass;
And send you a joyful May.
But here's to the green leaf of the tree
Running Order:
Processional - Padstow Mayers' Song
Morris Stick Dance - "Donkey Riding"
Hal An Tow - Selection of Jack o' the Green
Now We Are Met
Country Life
Oaken Leaves
Cuckoo Round
Here's A Health
Wild Mountain Thyme
Hey Ho, To The Greenwood
Maypole dance - Selenger's Round
Summer is a Cumen In - Garland Dance
Morris Dance - "Lollipop Man"
Mayday song
Helston Furry - recessional