When I took my Nance to Church

Subject: When I took my Nance to Church
From: Tradsinger
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 03:31 PM

Many years ago, I learnt a song from one Dave Russell in Gloucestershire called "When I took my Nance to Church". The chorus is:

When the bull did prance and the cows did dance
And the pigs all grunted in the stye
The old dog barked and the little lark sang
Merrily in the sky
The old cock crowed,let everybody know
The hens all chuckled in the porch
And the ducks and the drakes what a noise they made
When I took myNance to church.

The old morris dancer Sam Bennett from Warwickshire knew a version of it and always claimed that it was sung by William Shakespeare to Ann Hathaway on their wedding day. Total nonsence, of course, as I don't think the song is that old but it makes a good story. However, I was pleased to sing it at on my daughter's wedding day this year. I have heard it sung in a Worcestershire pub, and there is a recording of it from Tetbury on the Saydisc label.

What I am asking Mudcatters is whether anyone else has come across versions of it.

It's great to sing to an audience as if they can't manage all the words, they can at least make the animal noises!

Gwilym