Robyn and all, I've got some questions about the singing of this. I find it great fun to sing this song, but in our informal group of pub singers here in Portland, Oregon there is some controversy about what, if anything is the chorus.
In this part of the world, the first stanza ("Unite and unite and let us all unite...") often gets sung as a chorus. Others sings the "Oh where is [King, not Saint] George, oh where is he oh...." as the chorus. Are either of them that?
Also, as far as I can tell from the pictures, the "oss" is a great shiny black cylinder worn over someone's body and head, and it has -- something -- a horse's head? a bunch of ribbons? some ornament? on top of it and toward the front. Is that right? Does it have a tail? Does it have more than one person inside? How on earth could someone fall down in that and manage to get up again?
Could you tell us a bit more about the rituals involved? Singing, drinking, following the 'oss' through town, I've got, but where does the whole thing come from? Did it ever actually look like a hobby horse?
Blessings,
Barbara