The Hal-An-Tow

This is the version together with the tune, sung at Helston in Cornwall on May 8th each year

Robin Hood and Little John
They both are gone to Fair O
And we will go to the merry green wood
To see what they do there O
And for to chase O to chase the buck and doe.

Chorus
Hal and Tow Jolly Rumble O!
For we are up as soon as any day O
And for to fetch the summer home
The summer and the May O
For summer is a come O
And winter is a gone O

Where are those Spaniards
That make so great a boast O
They shall eat the grey goose feather
And we will eat the roast O
In every land O
The land where'er we go.
Hal an tow......etc

As for that good knight St. George
St.George he was a knight O
Of all the knights in Christendom
St.George he is the right O
In every land O
The land where'er we go.
Hal an tow......etc

But to a greater than St. George
Our Helston has a right O
St. Michael with his wings outspread
The archangel so bright O
Who fought the fiend O
Of all mankind the foe!
Hal an tow......etc

The following verse is not sung now as we believe 'Aunt Mary Moses or Moyses (a Cornish surname) referred to a local character used as a cloak for the royalist 'God Bless King Charles'.


God bless Aunt Mary Moses
And all her power and might O
And send us peace in merry England
Both day and night O
And send us peace in merry England
Both now and evermore O!
Hal an tow......etc

There is a Cornish translation by Talek in Peter Kennedy's folk songs of Britain and Ireland and while no Cornishman would challenge a Talek tanslation, the words do not scan easily to the tune. Single syllable words have to stretch over too many notes and Vyghan (little) sounds strange on one crochet.
Sing the song lustily and loud and your audience will be singing the chorus all the way home.

BAZ

MIDI file: HALTOW.MID

Timebase: 480

Tempo: 160 (375000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: F
TimeSig: 6/8 36 8
Name: Hal An Tow
Start
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End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the January 15 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Hal An Tow
M:6/8
Q:1/4=160
K:F
A2AA2F|G2GD2A|B2cd2c|B2AG2B|A2AAAF|GGGD2A|
B2cd2c|B2AG2B|A3AGF|G3D2B|A2GF2E|F6|A3G3|
F6|A2AG2F|G6|A3AGF|G5A|B2cd2c|B2AG2B|A2AA2F|
G2GD2A|B2cd2c|B2AG2B|A2AAGF|G3D2B|A2GF2E|
F3F3||