Stower

Re Last Christmas 'Twas My Chance: A ballad with the rhyming title "The Pedlar opening of his Packe, To know of Maydes what tis they lacke" and begins "Who is it will repaire" (Pepys: reprinted in Pepysian Garland, p116". No contemporary version of the tune exists but Pills, 1719-1720, V, 25 contains a song beginning "Last Christmas 'twas my chance", in the same distinctive four-and-a-half line stanza pattern of the ballad". (Simpson)

This is the tune Simpson prints. All the tunes from Simpson are available in Bruce Olson's website, archived here (Bruce Olson's website in the Quick Links drop down); this is a direct link to the abc for Simson's tunes: The British Broadside Ballad and its Music - abc of tunes. Alternatively you can find it in Pills Vol V (I haven't checked it - my copies are on my other machine!), but if you don't have Pills, you can download it from archive.org. Here is a link to the Pepys ballad text: The Pedlar opening of his Packe at UCSB.


Nowel's Galiard is given as anon; if you don't have Fitzwilliam you can PM me an email address I'll send you a scan of the two pages. (I'd put the abc up here, but I don't think I've got time at the moment).


Mick