ORKNEY NEW YEAR'S SONGMany years ago the late Patrick Shuldam-Shaw taught me the "Orkney New Year's Song which seems to parallel English Wassail Songs
This is guid New Year Even's nicht
We are a' Queen Mary's men
And we've come here to claim oor richt
And that's afore oor LadyAuld man gae tae yer ale-in-vat. We are a'…
And hand us here twa pints o' that. And that's afore…Guid wife gae tae yer pork ham
And cut it large and cut it roond
Be sure ye cut na your big thoom [repeat tune for line three]Here's tae the ane wi' the yellow hair
She's in the hoose an' we maun hae herI wish yer kye may a' weel thrive
And everane a guid calfI wish yer mares weel in their boal
And every ain a stag foalI wish yer hens may a' weel thrive
And every ain lay three times fiveI wish yer geese weel fae the hill
And everane twelve at her heelBe ye maids or be ye nane
Ye'll a' be kissed ere we gang hame
I am no musician, so the only way I can give you the tune is in Tonic Solfa
t t t s t l d* - [*this is the higher doh, the rest are low]
m m m r d r m
s t s m r d r m
s l s m s t rthe first two lines have a ta-ti ta-ti ta-ti taaa rhythm
the second two go ti-ta ti-ta ti-taaa (ti)
-Source: Ron Shuttleworth