Chapter 14
Part 14 of Ancient Ballads and Songs of Lancashire, edited by John Harland. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Lancashire May Songs One evening, towards the close of April 1861, says Mr. Harland, I was surprised by a party of weights who had come into my garden in the hamlet of Swinton and township of Worsley,
and who serenaded the family in a song, the words of which I could not make out from their singing. There were four singers, accompanied by a flute and a clarinet, and they together discoursed the most simple and rustic music. I could not at first understand what was evidently a local custom of ancient date, as it was not Easter or Witsentide or May Day or any of the old popular festivals. My inquiries on the subject resulted in my obtaining from
the dictation of an old mayor the words of two songs called by the singers themselves May Songs, though the rule is that they may be sung before May comes in. My chief informant, an elderly man named Job Knight, living in Swinton, told me that he himself went out to May singing for about fourteen years, though he has discontinued the practice for some years. He says the time the mayors commence is usually about the middle of April, though
some parties start as early as the beginning of that month, but the songs cease with the evening of the 30th of April. Job says he can remember the custom for about thirty years, and he never heard any other than the two songs which follow. There are usually, he says, five or six men with a fiddle and sometimes a flute or clarinet. The songs are printed just as recited by Job Knight, and when I ventured to hint that one line, the third
in the third verse of song two, was too long, he sang it over to show that all the words were somehow brought into the strain. The first song bears marks of some antiquity, first in the double refrain, or second and fourth lines in each stanza, which are poetically and musically far superior to the others. Next in the picture of manners conveyed by the worshipful master of the house in his chain of gold, the mistress with gold along
her breast, etc. The phrases house and harbour, riches and store also point to earlier times. The last line of this song appears to convey its object and to point to a simple superstition that these songs were to draw, or perhaps drive, these cold winters away. There are various lines in both songs in which the sense seems to have been marred from the songs having been handed down by oral tradition only, but I have not ventured to alter these in
any way. The second song seems more modern than the first. The refrain or fourth line of each stanza is again the most poetical and musical in the whole song. Old May Song 1 All this pleasant evening together come we, for the summer springs so fresh, green and gay. We'll tell you of a blossom that buds on every tree drawing near to the merry month of May. Rise up the master of this house,
but on your chain of gold, for the summer springs so fresh, green and gay. We hope you're not offended with your house we make so bold, drawing near to the merry month of May. Rise up the mistress of this house with gold along your breast, for the summer springs so fresh, green and gay. And if your body be asleep, I hope your souls are dressed, drawing near to the merry month of May. Rise up the children of this house all in your rich attire, for the summer springs
so fresh, green and gay. For every hair upon your head shines like the silver wire, drawing near to the merry month of May. God bless this house and harbour your riches and your store, for the summer springs so fresh, green and gay. We hope the Lord will prosper you both now and evermore, drawing near to the merry month of May. So now we're going to leave you in peace and plenty here, for the summer springs so fresh, green and gay. We shall not sing you May again until another year,
for to draw you these cold winters away. New May Song 2, called also The Basers, said to have been written by a Swinton man. Come listen a while on to what we shall say, concerning the season, the month we call May, for the flowers they are springing and the birds they do sing, and the Baysias are sweet in the morning of May. When the trees are in bloom and the meadows are green, the sweet smelling cowslips are plain to be seen, the sweet ties of nature, which we
plainly do say, for the Baysias are sweet in the morning of May. All creatures are deemed in their station below, such comforts of love on each other bestow, our flocks they're all folded, and young lambs sweetly do play, and the Baysias are sweet in the morning of May. So now to conclude with much freedom and love, the sweetest of blessings proceeds from above. Let us join in our song that writes Happy May We Be, for we bless with contentment in the morning of May.
Footnote. This last line would read better thus, for we're blessed with content in the morning of May. End of footnote. Footnote. The Basia is the name given in this part of Lancashire to the auricular, which is usually in full bloom in April. The name for it is not to be found in Gerard's History of Plants or Culpepper's British Herbal, nor in the glossaries of Halliwell, Nears, etc. The auricular was introduced into this country from Switzerland about the year 1567.
Can its Lancashire name have any relation to auricular, QD, little ear? FCH in Notes and Queries, 3rd series, 2, 305. After noticing the conjecture as to the derivation of the word Basia, it seems more probable that Basia was originally Bersia, the usual name of the auricular in the eastern counties. Certainly a very coarse name for a very beautiful flower, but founded no doubt upon the resemblance of the leaf to an ear, which gave occasion to the botanical name of
auricular. Another correspondent concurs as to this derivation and states that the common French name for the auricular is Oreille D'Or. End of footnote. Both these songs have appeared with musical notation in Messrs. Chambers' Book of Days and are here reprinted with their permission. Stretford and Northern May Song. Mr. John Higson of Droylston, in an article entitled Stretford As We Found It and Heard of It, which appeared in the Ashton Reporter of June 23rd and 30th,
1860, writes, We cannot refrain from noticing the custom of singing May carols under the chamber windows of the drowsy villagers on the eve of the 1st of May. Of course the poet of the gang fits the song to suit each particular case, extemporizing lines addressed to the several sons and daughters by name. Here is one version of it. We omit verses 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9 as almost identical with some of those of the old Swinton May Song. 4. Rise up ye little children and stand all in a row,
for the summer spring so fresh, green and gay. We should have called you one by one, but your names we do not know, drawing near to the merry month of May. 5. Rise up the little infants the flower of the flock, for the summer spring so fresh, green and gay. The cradle that you do lay in, it stands upon a rock, drawing near to the merry month of May. 6. Rise up the fair maid of this house, put on your gay gold ring, for the summer spring so fresh, green and gay, and bring
to us a can of beer, the better we shall sing, drawing near to the merry month of May. 7. Fair flora in her prime, down by yon riverside, where the fields and meadows they are green, where little birds are singing, sweet flowers they are springing, and summer spring so fresh, green and gay, drawing near to the merry month of May. Mr. Higson adds that the air is said to suit the words and the occasion admirably, though some of the lines are a little too long and perosy,
and the seventh verse has both an additional line and a different arrangement. The song is not devoid of merit, and the tune is made to come in. In the third line of the fifth verse, a simple pun is perpetrated. In a private communication he writes, I have met with an elderly woman who, when a girl, has assisted to sing this May song at Barnton in Cheshire. The carol also prevails about Northenden. There is yet another version, printed under the title of
the Cheshire May song in Mr. J. O. Halliwell's Palatine Anthology, page 185, which he states was kindly communicated to him by George Ormerod Esquire, FSA, of Sedbury Park, Gloucestershire, the historian of Cheshire. We give the first verse as showing its similarity as well as its difference. All on this pleasant evening together come are we, for the summer springs so fresh, green and gay, to tell you of a blossom that hangs on every tree, drawing near to this morning of
May. O, this is pleasant singing, sweet Mayflower it is springing, and summer comes so fresh, green and gay. The third line of the second verse runs, and turn unto your loving wife, so comely to behold. The third line, third verse, and if your body's sleeping, we hope your soul has rest. The next seven verses are provided to suit the age, sex and condition of members of the particular household addressed. We give these in order to complete the various readings of this
curious May song. The 11th and last verse is substantially the same as in the Swinton and the Stretford versions. Mr. Halliwell adds that the verses he prints are a selection from a series sent from High Le in Cheshire to Mr. Armourod by a lady resident there in 1827. She mentioned that, The series of stanzas is widely extended to suit all classes of persons that may be required to be
addressed, and the rural minstrels occasionally improvise in a style corresponding to what is here given. Songs of the Mayors. This Mayor's song, says Hone in his everyday book, 1.567, is a composition, or rather a medley, of great antiquity, and I was therefore very desirous to procure a copy of it. In accomplishing this, however, I experienced more difficulty than I had anticipated, but at length succeeded in obtaining it from one of the Mayors. The following
is a literal reprint of it. The Mayors' song. The hedges and trees, they are so green, as green as any leak. Our heavenly Father, He watered them, with His heavenly juice so sweet. The heavenly gates are open wide, our paths are beaten plain, and if a man be not too far gone, he may return again. The life of man is but a span, he flourishes like a flower. We are here today and gone tomorrow, and we are
dead in an hour. The moon shines bright and the stars give a light, a little before it is day, so God bless you all, both great and small, and send you a joyful May. The Mayors call. Come, lads, with your bills to the wood wheel away. We'll gather the boughs and we'll celebrate May. We'll bring our load home as we've oft done before, and leave a green bough at each good master's door, at each good neighbour's door, at each pretty maid's door. Tomorrow, when work's done,
I hold it no wrong if we go round in ribbons and sing them a song. Come, lads, bring your bills to the wood wheel away. We'll gather the boughs and we'll celebrate May. May Eve song. If we should wake you from your sleep, good people, listen now. Our yearly festival we keep, and bring a Maythorn bough. An emblem of the world it grows, the flowers its pleasures are, but many a thorn bespeaks its woes, its sorrow and its care. Oh, sleep you then and take your
rest, and when the day shall dawn, may you awake in all things blessed, a May without a thorn. And when tomorrow we shall come, oh, treat us not with scorn, from out your bounty give us some, be May without a thorn. May he who makes the May to blow on earth his riches shed, protect thee against every woe, shower blessings on thy head. After bringing home the May, there is another ditty. Mayors May Day song. On the mayors' dayn to smile,
master mistress, hear our song. Listen but a little while, we will not detain you long. Life with us is in its spring, we enjoy a blooming May, summer will its labour bring, winter has its pinching day. Yet the blessing we would use wisely, it is reason's part. Those who youth and health abuse, fail not in the end to smart. Mirth we love, the proverb says, be ye merry but be wise. We will walk in wisdom's ways, there alone true pleasure lies. May that
now is in its bloom, also fragrant and so fair, when autumn and when winter come, shall its useful berries bear. We would taste your home-brewed beer, give not if we've had enough, may it strengthen, may it cheer, waste not air the precious stuff. We have money something crave, for ourselves we ask no share, John and Jane the whole shall have, they're the last new married pair. May it comfort them to prove, and a blessing bring to you, blessings of connubial love, light on all like
morning dew. So shall May with blessings crowned, welcomed be by old and young, often as the year comes round, shall the May day song be sung. Fare ye well good people all, sweet tonight may be your rest, every blessing you befall, blessing others you are blessed. End of part 14.
