RHSO Wassailing

This page has the lyrics for the Wassail songs sung at the annual RHSO Wassail. For ease of reading during Wassail, this page will change to white background on the day of Wassail.

Sheet music can be found below.

Click the likes below to access the specific songs:

Introduction

Lancashire Wassail

Yorkshire Wassail

Apple Tree Wassail - Somerset

Apple Tree Wassail - Devon

A Nursery Rhyme for Rivers

Gloucestershire Wassail

Introduction

Wassailers were originally rural luck visitors who travelled from house to house blessing the landowners and their property. Apple Tree wassailing has its origins in the West Country where the trees were sprinkled with cider to attempt to ensure a good harvest. It is a form of tree-worship and has parallels in prehistoric rite noted in cultures across the world.

Lancashire Wassail

Here we come a wassailing among the leaves so green,
And here we come a-wandering so fair as to be seen.

Love and joy come to you and to you your wassail too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year

Our Wassail cup is made of the rosemary tree,
And so is your beer of the best barley

Love and joy come to you and to you your wassail too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year

We are not daily beggars that beg from door to door,
But we are neighbours’ children who you have seen before

Love and joy come to you and to you your wassail too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year

Bring us out a table and spread it with a cloth
Bring us out some mouldy cheese and some of your Christmas loaf!

Love and joy come to you and to you your wassail too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year

Yorkshire Wassail

We've been a-while a-wandering among the leaves so green.
But now we come a wassailing so plainly to be seen

For it's Christmas time, when we travel far and near;
May God bless you and send you a Happy New Year.

God bless the master of this house, likewise the mistress too
And all the little children that round the table go

For it's Christmas time, when we travel far and near;
May God bless you and send you a Happy New Year.

We have a little purse made of leather stretching skin;
We’d like a silver sixpence to line it well within

For it's Christmas time, when we travel far and near;
May God bless you and send you a Happy New Year.

Call up the butler of this house put on his golden ring
Let him bring us up a glass of beer and better we shall sing

For it's Christmas time, when we travel far and near;
May God bless you and send you a Happy New Year.

Good Master and good Mistress, while you're sitting by the fire,
Pray think of us poor children that's wandered on the mire

For it's Christmas time, when we travel far and near;
May God bless you and send you a Happy New Year.

Apple Tree Wassail - Somerset

Old Apple Tree, we'll wassail thee, and hoping thou wilt bear
The lord does know where we shall be to be merry another year
So to blow well and to bear well and so merry let us be
Let everyone lift up their cup and ‘health to the old apple tree’!
Repeat as required

Apple Tree Wassail - Devon

O lily, O lily, O lily-white pin,
Oh please to come down and let us come in!
O Lily, O lily, O lily-white smock,
Oh please to come down and pull back the lock!

Our wassail jolly wassail! Joy come to our jolly wassail!

O Master and Mistress, oh are you within?
Oh please to come down and let us come in
Oh Master and Mistress oh pray do not mock,
Oh please to come down and pull back the lock

Our wassail jolly wassail! Joy come to our jolly wassail!

There was an old farmer who had an old cow,
But how for to keep her he didn't know how.
He built up a barn for to keep his cow warm
And a drop of old cider will do us no harm

Harm me boys harm, harm me boys harm,
And a drop of old cider will do us no harm
Oh well may the bloom, oh well they may bear,
So we may have apples and cider next year

A Nursery Rhyme for Rivers

(Written by the High Wych Wassailers—1999)

Come worthy folk of Sawbridgeworth a wassail for to go
To bless the trees and hurry growth to help a good crop grow.

And its up and down the twitchells see the people throw
A drink to the left, a drink to the right as onward they all go
To Wassail, Wassail, Wassail as onward they all go.

The stars shine bright in heav’n above and light the apple trees
The Rivers plums and pears we love, bad spirits we displease

And its up and down the twitchells see the people throw
A drink to the left, a drink to the right as onward they all go
To Wassail, Wassail, Wassail as onward they all go.

The wassail cup anoints the trees, the amber liquid flows
The drums are beaten with such glee to help the orchard grow.

And its up and down the twitchells see the people throw
A drink to the left, a drink to the right as onward they all go
To Wassail, Wassail, Wassail as onward they all go.

Build bonfire high, and set alight, the sparks will rise up high
With red and gold to silver go as they reach to the sky.

And its up and down the twitchells see the people throw
A drink to the left, a drink to the right as onward they all go
To Wassail, Wassail, Wassail as onward they all go.

The future lies ahead of us, a health unto you all
With apple cake and cider too a frolicking home we fall.

And its up and down the twitchells see the people throw
A drink to the left, a drink to the right as onward they all go
To Wassail, Wassail, Wassail as onward they all go.

Gloucestershire Wassail

Wassail! wassail! all over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.