The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #174501   Message #4231518
Posted By: Mick Pearce (MCP)
11-Nov-25 - 12:11 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Sing We All Merrily
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sing We All Merrily
As promised, here is the song Sing We All Merrily as collected by Janet Blunt from Linda Welch in Adderbury, 1918. Janet Blunt notated all three verses separately, but they all use essentially the same tune and singers would be able to fit the other verses without problems. In the original transcription Janet Blunt had "Days that we love best. Days of the year", which I have changed to what I think is the more sensible, "Days that we loved, best days of the year".

The version from Lady Maisery et al uses essentially the same tune, but changed into 3-time instead of 2. I'll post a transcription of that later.




%abc-version 2.0
X: 1
T: Sing We All Merrily
M: 2/4
L: 1/4
Z: Mick Pearce
C: Traditional from Linda Welch, Adderbury, 191
S: Collecterd by Janet Burton from Linda Welch, Adderbury, Oxfordshire, UK. 10th Dec 1918
K: Caeo
E G/E/|C/C/ C|D E/D/|C2|
w: Sing w all me-ri-ly! Christ-mas is here.
E G/E/|C C|D E/D/|C2|
w:Days that we loved, best days in the year.
c B/A/|G/< C/-C/> C/|A G/F/|E >
w: Bring forth the hol-ly_ the box and the bay,
E|C D/E/|F/ A F/|G F/D/ C2|]
w: To deck out the cot-tage for glad Christ-mas Day.


SING WE ALL MERRILY
(Traditional)
Sing we all merrily! Christmas is here.
Days that we loved, best days of the year.
Bring forth the holly, the box and the bay.
To deck out the cottage for glad Christmas Day.

Sing we all merrily! Be of good cheer.
Talk of the absent, and wish they were here.
Sisters at service and brothers away
Oh! How I wish they was with us today!

Sing we all merrily! Sing of Christ's Birth.
Sing what the angels sang, Peace upon Earth.
Parents and children in white garments dressed,
Hasten to church to sing praise with the rest.

Source: Janet Blunt's transcription as linked by Reinhard above.