When the Saddleworth Rushcart was revived in 1974 the Morris men also resurrected an old song, sung by their predecessors. To the traditional tune of 'Brighton Camp' the Rushcarters sing the following words, taken directly from the banner of the Greenfield village 'Armistice Cart' of 1918:

Oh the Rushcart lads are bonny bonny lads
The Rushcart lads are bonny
Oh they dance round 'cart and whistle like a lark
And that's as good as ony
They shoulder t'gun to fight the hun
Fight as good as ony
Oh the Rushcart lads are bonny bonny lads
The Rushcart lads are bonny

With the kind permission of the Saddleworth Morris Men, Deborah has used this song in the play, just altering the words slightly for the first Act when the young men have not yet gone to fight. On Rushcart Day the song is woven with another song, composed for this production by the great folk singer Mike Waterson just before he died. Director Barrie Rutter commissioned his friend, Mike, to write the song knowing that he was dying and would never see it performed. Our MD Conrad Nelson has arranged the two songs to accompany the joyful Rushcart sequence that concludes the first half of the play. Following the wedding scene in Act Two, when Ted, Will and Frank leave for the front line, they finally sing the complete words from that historic cart.

AN AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY LARK by Deborah McAndrew, is published by Methuen and available to purchase from the Northern Broadsides website.