In the 70s there was a British band on the Folk scene called "1812" who performed a hilarious vocal version of the eponymous Overture. Derek Craft and Geoff Bodenham were the personnel - Derek was also a talented "serious" musician, so the music itself (played on guitar and flute) stuck pretty close to the original.

The lyrics were hung on variations of the use of "1812", so a train was caught at 18:12, a school rugby team won 18-12 and great-great-grandad was born in 1812.

The whole thing culminated in the only use of a cap pistol as a percussion instrument that I have ever witnessed. (Well, a cannon might have been a bit much in a Folk Club!)

I have a tape of them performing it on a BBC folk programme, and made copies of it for Derek and Geoff a while back, as they apparently hadn't a record of that particular show.

If anyone is interested, I could transcribe the lyrics.

Alan