Songs for Harvest Festivals

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: GUEST,The Fantum
Date: 18 Sep 02 - 07:56 AM

There are a couple of humourous songs by Sid Kipper

One is a parody of "Plough the fields and scatter" and contains the chorus

All good things around us
Belong to someone else
With one accord we praie the Lord
And tighten up our belts

The other is from one of his later albums either "Boiled in the bag" or "East Side Story"

This has a harvest theme and has a line like

Everybody brings their harvest home....

If theres any interest come back

The Fantum

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: GUEST,Penny S. (elsewhere)
Date: 17 Sep 02 - 07:26 AM

We plough the fields etc is, I believe, from a German source, as the hymn books I know always have the first line in German "Wir pflugen (with an umlaut) und wir streuen" as a reference, and the title of the tune is "Wir pflugen" (with an umlaut).

Penny

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: Hrothgar
Date: 17 Sep 02 - 06:48 AM

"Bringing in the Sheaves?"

Subject: Lyr Add: BLESSED QUIETNESS
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Sep 02 - 07:04 PM

If it is for a service, not a harvest supper, what about Blessed Quietness?:

BLESSED QUIETNESS

Joys are flowing like a river, since the Comforter has come
He abides with us forever, makes the trusting heart his home.

Chorus
Blessed quietness, holy quietness, what assurance in my soul
On the stormy sea, speaking peace to me How the billows cease to roll.

Like the falling rain from Heaven, like the sunlight from the sky
So the Holy Ghost is given, falling on us from on high.

See a fruitful field is growing blessed fruits of righteousness
And the streams of light are flowing in the lonely wilderness

What a wonderful salvation, where we always see His face
What a peaceful habitation, what a quiet resting place.

Joys are flowing like a river, since the Comforter has come
He abides with us forever, makes the trusting heart his home.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: Peg
Date: 16 Sep 02 - 11:34 AM

Yes, probably that lyric from the Godspell song may have come from an older source...the bible, in fact. I was not aware of another song but it makes sense there would be an older hymn using those same words. Most of the lyrics from Godspell are directly drawn from actual scriptural quotes, most of them from the parables I believe.

I guess for a "service" (mentioned in the first post) religious lyrics are appropriate; but the thread title says "festivals." So I ama bit unclear about the nature of the event this person needs these songs for. Since I ama a pagan and have used these songs for pagan festivals, I offered my suggestions with that in mind, as well as Christian based hymns.

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: mouldy
Date: 16 Sep 02 - 02:51 AM

Thinking of John Barleycorn...I have heard it sung to the tune of "We Plough the Fields and Scatter". May have been by Steeleye Span, but I can't quite remember. The trouble is, while my mouth is coming out with the hymn words, my brain is joining in with the chorus: "Drink your wine from out a glass, your cider from an old tin can. But Barleycorn in the nut-brown bowl shall prove the better man" for the second half of the hymn verse.

Andrea

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: greg stephens
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 02:40 PM

Peg: why " it has fairly religious lyrics, however"? Surely that's not a problem at a Harvest Festival Service?

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: greg stephens
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 02:36 PM

Don't think "Plough(plow) the fields and scatter" is from any musical, Godspell or otherwise..It must be 200 years old if its a day. Unless it was used in Godspell for a bit of archaic colour?

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: Sooz
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 02:30 PM

Thanks for all your suggestions!

Subject: Lyr Add: COME, YE THANKFUL PEOPLE, COME
From: toadfrog
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 01:35 PM

The song is all over the Web, HERE for example. THIS site has the tune, although unattractively presented.

Oh, yes, here it is on CYBER HYMNAL, I couldn't find it at first. It is a great song:

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God's own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God's own field, fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take His harvest home;
From His field shall in that day all offenses purge away,
Giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast;
But the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified, in Thy garner to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels come, raise the glorious harvest home.

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: Peg
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 12:59 PM

come ye thankful people come is the first line of "Harvest Home" the hymn...Maddy Prior has a nice version of it on her Year CD.

We plow the fields and scatter is the first line of a song from the musical Godspell known as All Good Gifts. just in case you want to find it by title. It has a fairly religious lyric however.

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: greg stephens
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 11:43 AM

I did a radio prog on this once. To the best of my recollection I used:
We plough the fields and scatter.
Come ye thankful people come
John Barleycorn
Harvest Home (the one with the "Drink boys drink" chorus)
Harvest Home Hornpipe (get a clog-dancer in if you can)

Pretty obvious choices really, and all the better for being well-known and well-loved.

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: Mr Happy
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 11:23 AM

'oats and beans and barley grows'

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: Peg
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 11:14 AM

Harvest Home? traditional hymn but pagans have modified it for their use, too!

Westlin' Winds/Song Composed in August by Robert Burns.

All Among the Barley--trad. Nancy Thym recorded this one.

Couple original ones I sang in groups I was in: Harvest by Barbara Blatner. Lammas Night by Colin Rowntree.

John Wood; the seasons described pertaining to a brewer of beer!

Corn Rigs an' Barley Rigs; words R. Burns, tune Paul Giovanni (from The Wicker Man soundtrack)

Subject: RE: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From:
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 05:54 AM

Have you thought of 'John Barleycorn?' we always use it for our seasonal celebration. Cheers, Jay Burrows

Subject: Songs for Harvest Festivals
From: Sooz
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 04:02 AM

Any suggestions for songs suitable to sing as part of a Harvest Festival Service?