For the Venereum Arvum Yuletide YouTube Xmas Card this year I thought it might be nice to do The Gower Wassail. Weirdly, despite being immersed in folk from birth, Rapunzel wasn't too familiar with it, so it seemed the natural thing to acquaint her with the source, which I've always believed to be the singing of The Gower Nightingale, Mr Phil Tanner. Looking on Digitrad however the song is sourced to various wassails sung by Watersons, Jean Ritchie, John and Tony Langstaff Revels - no mention of the venerable Mr Tanner! Also looking at the version in Digitrad, whilst the chorus follows Mr Tanner's Aldi-dals, rather than the Fol-de-dols typical of revival performances, it doesn't quite add up. Anyway, here's the transcription I made of the longer of Phil Tanner's versions (4'42") in the hope others too might seek out the source of this quite remarkable song and its even more remarkable singer.

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The Gower Wassail (Traditional / Phil Tanner)

A-wassail, a-wassail, throughout all this town
Our cup it is white and our ale it is brown
Our wassail is made of good ale and cake
Some nutmeg and ginger, the best we could get

Al di dal - al di dal di dal
Al di dal di dal - al di dal di dee
Al de deral - al de derry
Sing too rel I do

Our wassail is made of an elderberry bough
Although my good neighbour, we'll drink unto thou
Besides all on earth, we'll have apples in store
Pray let us come in for it's cold by the door

We know by the moon that we are not too soon
And we know by the sky that we are not too high
We know by the star(s) that we are not too far
And we know by the ground that we are within sound

With a company resigned for to taste of your ale
Out of that little kilderkin that's next to the well
We want none of your pears (?) beer, nor none of your snell (?)
But a drop from that kilderkin that's next to the well

Now master and mistress if you are within
Pray send out your maid with her lily-white skin
For to open the door without more delay
Our time it is precious and we cannot stay

You've brought here your jolly wassail, which is very well known
But I can assure you we've as good of our own
As for your jolly wassail, we'll care not one pin
But it's for your good company I'll let you come in

Here's a health to our Colley and her crooked horn
May God send her Master a good crop of corn
Of barley and wheat and all sorts of grain
May God send her Mistress a long life to reign

Now master and mistress thanks to you we'll give
And for our jolly wassail as long as we live
And if we should live 'til another new year
Perhaps we may call and see who do live here

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We based our version loosely on the above, loosing the kilderkin verse, and the domestic response, if only to bring it down to a more manageable duration. Other deviations occur by way of organic immediacy. Already we're calling it The Aldi Wassail (though the best Xmas fare is invariably to be had at Lidl...). For those who wish to hear it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZYBhP7mUgU