Some information for you that is not mentioned clearly anyone in this long thread, and which is possibly assumed by the experts -

(1) "The Hal An Tow" is used to refer to the performance and song, done every year, in Helston Cornwall on May 8th, where it has been performed and sung for a very very long time. No doubt it may have older / wider origins, but the Helston 'version' is certainly older and more authentic than the versions by the Watersons or the Oyster Band, much as we may love them.

If we take the view that the meaning of a word is its use, as Wittgenstien would have it, then this is the meaning of The Hal An Tow. For example, an old man in the Blue Anchor pub in Helston, at around 9.15am this year, finished his very early pint and said "I am going to go now and watch The Hal An Tow" - and off he went (this is true, I heard him say it).

(2) The lyrics sung in Helston are exactly as here -
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4211

- except that recently, Cornish enthusiasts have added a verse about St Piran.

(3) This years performance (May 8th 2009) was filmed by an amateur here -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDYkfNfrxWE

a slightly clearer view, from last years performance -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JWd6mpR-fY


Note they do it around 8 times in different locations. These are just local people following an old tradition.

I suppose my point in posting this is to say that The Hal An Tow is not some old dead song lost in mists of time and folk singer tributes. At 8.30 on a brisk May morning, with whistles and oggie oggies, its very much alive.

My personal interest here is that I used see this every year in early 1970s when I was a child, as we lived hear Helston and my father played St Michael, being a drama teacher at the school. It was the same then as it is now, with the exception of the people in blue / the St Piran verse.

Why not go to Helston early on May 8th and see for yourself ?

Hope this helps,
Gabriel