Seasonal Quiz 2010

Subject: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 03:07 PM

SEASONAL QUIZ

Always difficult making up folk quizzes these days. No point in asking people who wrote "Dirty Old Town" when Google is available. Still, here goes. Add your answers to the thread as you get them. To give an edge to the proceedings, I'll post this simultaneously on fRoots and Mudcat, see where it gets answered most quickly. Some quizzer aficionados(yes I'm thinking of you, Vic, among others) frequent both forums, so you'll have to choose where your allegiances lie.

1 So, who sung of the little ones going out to play in the yard, and when did they do it?

2 Where Basil Spenser and John Piper might sing of Herod the King?

3 What went at a speedy two forty?

4 Link some unenclosed land ½ mile NE of Sissinghurst Green, with some high land above the next town up the Wharfe from Otley.

5 Link these four:
a)"And lamp-oil light across the night
Has caught the streaks of winter rain"
b)"The minstrels played their Christmas tune
Tonight beneath my cottage eaves"
c)"Outside snowier yet and cold
Piercing searching biting cold"
d)"While shepherds watched their flocks by night
All seated on the ground"
So, what was the volume of the sack?
(a full explanation of the answer needed for this one I think)

6 Seasonally link a badly spelled multi-coloured horse to a badly spelled insect.

7 An endless Housey Housey cry at a Holiday Inn, and what have you got?

8 The dream of a ploughboy, some brooks and a VW: they add up to what?

9 What do they sing at Tony Rose's and my Alma Mater? (bit of a cheat that, demanding specialist personal knowledge. A regal Philippa might help).

10 And the final really tricky one, a pint or the equivalent to the first correct answer: in 5(b), what tune were they playing?

(NB I might have mixed up my capitals and lower cases to be confusing, occasionally)

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: Mo the caller
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 04:45 PM

3. Was it a sleigh horse?

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 05:24 PM

2 Coventry Cathedral
3 Santa's Sleigh

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: johnadams
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 05:46 PM

4 While Shepherd's Watched Their Flocks By Night

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 05:55 PM

Mo right on 3. John MacKenzie wrong, it wasn't Santa's sleigh I think, though it was a sleigh.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: johnadams
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 06:02 PM

7 Bing Crosby

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 06:11 PM

7 7 is correct.Vic Smith is struggling on his own over on fRoots.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 06:44 PM

9?

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: johnadams
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 06:48 PM

5 Vic Smith beat me to it on fRoots to say that all the pieces were written by a Poet Laureate.

John Betjeman, William Wordsworth, Carol Ann Duffy and Nahum Tate.

Although Vic pointed me in the right direction, I tracked down that the volume of the (butt of)    sack presented to the Poet Laureate is 108 gallons.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: johnadams
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 06:56 PM

John M,

If both Tony and Greg went to Queen's it doesn't look like that one.

I'm struggling to connect the broadside ballad King Pippin to Oxford and the only thing i can think of is the reference in the song...

It's surprising to think how we Whig Apples swim,
Yet the Oxenford Rennet means nothing to Him

Anywhere near Greg?

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: johnadams
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 06:59 PM

6 Pantomime

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: GUEST,Hilary
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 07:24 PM

3. Bobtailed bay
9. The Boar's Head Carol

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: johnadams
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 07:43 PM

Bobtailed bay? Nice one.

But I can't connect the Boar's Head Carol with Greg's supplementary clue of 'regal Philippa' - what would that be all about?

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: GUEST,Hilary
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 07:47 PM

Regal Philippa is Philippa of Hainault, queen to one of the Edwards. I think it was the III. "The Boar's Head Carol" is still sung at Queen's College in Oxford, or at least according to the Christmas Revels Songbook.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: johnadams
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 08:05 PM

I was still puzzled about the link until I discovered that Queen's College, Oxford was founded in her honour.

When I was with The Druids we used to sing the version of The Boar's Head which came from Reading rather than Oxford. I think there were two words that differed.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 05:30 AM

The story of why they sing the Boar's Head carol at Queen's is quite interesting(well, I find it quite interesting anyway).
Queen Philippa, wife of Edward III and mother of the Black Prince, founded the college. And it was specifically set up to cater mainly for students from Cumberland and Westmoreland. At Oxford, it was the usual thing at Christmas for the colleges to shut and the students and fellows would go home and visit their families; but this was in the 14th century, before the building of the M6, ands winter travel in the far north was not a doddle. So the Queen's College uniquely stayed up at Christmas, and celebrated together. They had a Gaudy(feast) on Christmas day, and the Boar's Head carol was sung each year as they carried in a roast boar's head with an apple in its mouth in the old way. And that custom is carried on till today each year; though with better transport people can go home for Christmas, so the Gaudy is held a few days beforee Christmas now.
Another nice touch is that the Black Prince's hunting horn is passed round full of booze as a loving cup that everyone drinks from, after the food is finished. We used to sit and smoke free cigars too, but in this more censorious age the young genetlemen(and ladies even!) have to go outside into the quad to smoke. With the current practice of filming everything on mobile phones I expect you could even find a video of the Boar's Head processional entry, but I am not going to look. This is a secret rite as far as I am concerned.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 08:44 AM

OK we've got
2 Coventry Carol
3 the horse pulling the Jingle Bells sleigh
4 we've got While Shepherds Watched, but I want an actual explanation.
5 Poet Laureates on the subject of Christmas, butt of sack.
7 Bing Crosby White Christmas
9 Boar's Head Carol

1,6,8 and 10 to go
(6 is not pantomime though I suppose that is an ingenious answer of a kind! But not what I am after, which will fit the question much better. We need a quite well-known misspelled insect)

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: tijuanatime
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 09:10 AM

8. 'O Little Town of Bethlehem'. Vaughan Williams collected the tune attached to 'The Ploughboy's Dream' in Herefordshire, at a guess (I don't have Roy Palmer's book to hand). The lyrics come from Philips Brooks, an American bishop.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 09:32 AM

Spot on!

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: johnadams
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 10:14 AM

4 we've got While Shepherds Watched, but I want an actual explanation.

Link some unenclosed land � mile NE of Sissinghurst Green, CRANBROOK

with some high land above the next town up the Wharfe from Otley. - ILKEY MOOR

Both are tunes for While Shepherds Watched used in Yorkshire

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 11:02 AM

Come on, John, you'll have to do better than that. Are they both tunes for While Shepherds Watched?(I'd have put "both" in italics if I knew how)

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: johnadams
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 12:38 PM

Sorry, I'm terminally busy mastering a CD against a deadline at the moment and not thinking straight.

Cranbrook is the tune for On Ilkley Moor Bah't 'At and is used with the wurds While Shepherd's Watched along with scores of other tunes including Yellow Submarine.

Can I go now Sir?

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 12:39 PM

Get mastering

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 10:22 AM

refresh. Still a few questions unanswered: 1, 6 and 10 to be precise.
Funny, each year there seem to be less and less quizzers about, both on fRoots and Mudcat. Are we a dying out breed?

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: EnglishFolkfan
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 11:53 AM

Q 10 (5b) "The minstrels played their Christmas tune, Tonight beneath my cottage eaves...... continues:

"And who but listen'd? till was paid
Respect to every inmate's claim;   
The greeting given, the music played   
In honour of each household name,   
Duly pronounced with lusty call,   
And 'merry Christmas' wished to all!"

"every inmate - in honour of each household name" indicates this may be the traditional Wassail "Here We Come A-wassailing" aka "God bless the master of this house"

Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a-wand'ring
So fair to be seen."

which has many variations, but includes the household members: Master, Mistress, Butler, Maid, Children etc


Greg, If this correct then I suggest when you're next in Market Drayton you enjoy a Pint from the new Joules Brewery in the Red Lion next door & raise the glass in a "cheers" to Effie. If the answer is wrong then I recommend a pint in commiseration :)

Am still animallexicographing to try and answer Q6 and halfway to Q1 (haven't frooty looked for hints yet)

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: GUEST,surreysinger sans cookie
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 12:20 PM

Sorry English Folkfan - I put that suggestion up last night on fRoots forum, and he told me I was wrong!!

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: EnglishFolkfan
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 01:57 PM

Thanks Surreysinger, best don the thinking cap again then ~ I have some nagging thought this scenario has been acted out on screen or maybe Radio. Could be the BBC Radio 4 Christmas Eve 2005 " Voices at the Door" programme The story of the unwanted visitors who made Victorian Christmas hell! Presented by Georgina Boyes with Norma Waterson & the Producers Dave Sheasb/Andy Cartwright.

"Georgina Boyes and guest Norma Waterson uncover the other side of the sweet 'Dingley Dell' traditional Christmas image. A look at the underside of Victorian seasonal good cheer."

Unfortunately I've deleted the recording of this off my iTunes :(

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 02:08 PM

Good tidings of comfort and joy, perhaps for 10

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 04:52 PM

No 1 could be Rolf Harris, Two litle boys. first Christmas no 1 in 1969.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 04:53 PM

That was me, cookie-less.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 05:35 PM

There is no crossword type trickery or anything about Question !0.It's a straight question with a straight answer. Where was Worsdworth writing about, and where might you go to find an authority on that type of thing?

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 05:36 PM

In question 1 it is definitely a yard. And it is not in England.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 05:58 PM

I can only see, either Child In a Manger, or We Wish you a Merry Christmas. From reading all of the poem

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: EnglishFolkfan
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 08:12 PM

Question 10       'The Hunt is Up'

"William Irwin (1822-1889)

The following notes are a digest of Greg Stephens' excellent article, 'A Really First-Rate Country Fiddler', which you can read in full online at harbourtownrecords.com

It 'involved going around the village at night on Christmas Eve, wishing the inhabitants "Merry Christmas" by name outside each house', and playing the tune, 'The Hunt Is Up' - hence the name of the custom. William Wordsworth (1770-1850) describes one such Christmas visit, as Stephens points out, in the introductory poem to his River Duddon sonnets."

Quoted from: Pete Cooper Notes on English Fiddle Tunes

Yes, to get to the above I Googled it by using 'william wordsworth west gallery music' I was thinking along the lines of Wordsworth visiting Thos Hardy country, but it seems he didn't leave Cumbria to experience the home visit caroling custom. I also found a link showing he spent a Christmas visit in his youth to Hawkshead.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: EnglishFolkfan
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 08:38 PM

Question 1 So, who sung of the little ones going out to play in the yard, and when did they do it?

My initial instinct was very simplistic & is probably wrong, but I can't think of another, so by interpreting yard as hard area rather than garden I would say 'Boys & Girls come out to play'. I have referenced it thus:

"Girls and boys, are come out to play,
The moon doth shine as bright as day;

is a nursery rhyme that has existed since at least 1708. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 5452"

'Girls and Boys Come Out to Play'


Question 6 still has my brain locked into: Pinto = multi coloured horse = panto and maybe my spelling isn't crazy enough to deduce the dyslexic insect yet!

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: Artful Codger
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 09:59 PM

For 10, the continuation posted by EFolkFan brought to mind "The Gloucestershire Wassail", except that only the animals and servants are named (perhaps in some versions the family members are as well, since otherwise it's a rather glaring omission!), and the inmates are not explicitly wished "Merry Christmas."

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: Artful Codger
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 10:04 PM

For 1, could it be Stan Rogers and Christmas break (in "First Christmas")?

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 06:40 AM

Well English Folkfan solved number 10, well done, I owe you a pint. Let me know how this transfer might be arranged: where are you? By the by, you quote Pete Cooper quoting me. Here is the original from my life of William Irwin; I have put the whole section in because I find thje Isle of Man bit amusing.

"Another source of money was the Christmas custom of hunsupping. This is also spelt hansopping, and derives from the name of the tune "The Hunt is Up". (Over the water in the Isle of Man the tune name has got even more removed from its origin, and turns up as "The Wandescope" or "Unnysup", complete with Gaelic etymology). Anyway, in the Lake District, hunsupping involved going round the village at night on Christmas Eve, wishing the inhabitants "Merry Christmas" by name outside each house, and playing the old tune (which is called "Hunt's Up through the Woods" in Langdale). The householder would then oblige with a contribution. Houses that couldn't be reached on the Christmas Eve round could be visited later over the twelve days of Christmas. Intriguingly, the £3-4-5½ for the 1851 Langdale hunsupping doesn't appear in the diary till January 14, 1852. This has led some folklorists to suppose that fiddlers out hunsupping went back weeks later to collect the money. I think the explanation is simpler: I would guess that, like many a busker since, he stacked the small change in a jar on the mantelpiece, and didn't count it till the dark days in the New Year when he had real need of the halfpennies and farthings. He had other earnings paid in bigger coins to see him over Christmas.

Wordsworth gives a good account of the Grasmere hunsupping in his introduction to his "Duddon Sonnets". It's well worth a read in its entirety, but here is a taster:
"Keen was the air, but could not freeze
Nor check the music of their strings
So stout and hardy were the band
That scraped the chords with strenuous hand"
Stout and hardy would be excellent words to describe Irwin, a man who walked into the Duddon valley from Langdale, but it wasn't actually him that Wordsworth was writing about, the poem was written in 1819, just before Irwin was born. It is tempting to wonder whether Irwin met Wordsworth. Highly likely, I should imagine, they were both prominent people in the same locality for many years from 1840. However the Poet, unfortunately, had a keen ear for the inner music of nature but little or none for that of his fellow men: so we don't hear much from him about fiddlers in pubs or local dances. Leech gatherers, on the other hand, found it easy to get his undivided attention. It may be that an account of an Irwin/Wordsworth meeting may exist in the pages of some contemporary diarist, and will turn up sooner or later when someone spots the reference. Until then, we can only speculate.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 06:41 AM

UNless I have missed something, this just leaves 1 and 6 to be cracked.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: EnglishFolkfan
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 09:07 AM

Glad the late night inspiration worked for Q 10 Greg! So answer for Q1 was wrong ... maybe you mean schoolyard...

Our paths have often crossed Greg via the Shroppy Fly (sadly a bout of lurgy kept me from the Hurdy-Gurdy Day this month) plus other sessions here in Market Drayton. They will no doubt cross again, maybe for some Folk music back in the Red Lion with the new ale. Brewery Launch day is 12th Dec to coincide with MD's Farmers Market Christmas Extravaganza complete with Brass Band I believe, but the Potteries CAMERA Stoke folk are bussing over for a special brewery tour on the 4th. Next time I bump into Tony W out shopping I'll remind him I'm Effie!

Meanwhile, please indulge me in passing on some local (Shropshire) Folkie good news ~

I've spent the past couple of years trying to persuade Festival Drayton to host Folk Gigs and may have opened their eyes to a way of promoting them. Meanwhile we are enjoying the monthly Sunday night Folk concerts at The Hive in Shrewsbury, 100 seater intimate venue, all sell outs and promoted by the estimable organisers of Shrewsbury Folk Festival. So far we have been delighted by Jackie Oates, Crooked Still, Kris Drever with John McCusker & Donald Shaw! Bella Hardy is 12th December & Jez Lowe in January. The rest of the superb 2011 line up is here:

2011 Folk Concerts @HiveShrewsbury

Tickets for the Cecil Sharp Special Project Concert at @TheatreSevern Shrewsbury in March 2011 are selling well, as are the now available Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2011 tickets I understand. Theatre Severn too have an excellent Folk Concert series and a great website. There are Folk Concerts elsewhere in North Shropshire's Whitchurch & Wem, and a great South Shropshire scene too. All imho an improvement on what was happening in the Live Folk music world of Shropshire a few years ago.

Greg, I know you have worked hard over in Stoke to promote live Folk music and with a tradition of Folk Clubs in that area it has kept North Staffordshire Folk thriving. Well done Greg, and the rest of The Boat Band of course!

Thanks for the promo indulgence, now to tackle Q's 1 & 6 ~

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 09:25 AM

Pantomime for 6?

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 09:32 AM

Sorry, no to pantomime. A bit farfetched, but neat. Johnny Adams tried that over on fRoots! They have had the odd hint on fRoots, so I will oblige here: I might mention that the badly spelled insect was possibly more famous than the person whose birth we will shortly be celebrating.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: Mo the caller
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 06:57 PM

GEORiE porgie pudding and PIE?? Not very seasonal though.
Jack (short for John) Horner eating his Christmas pie??

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: EnglishFolkfan
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 09:08 PM

Q1 So, who sung of the little ones going out to play in the yard, and when did they do it?
Answer Line 4 - 'In the yard where the children play the whole year long'

George Straight sings Noel Leon on Merry Christmas Wherever You Are
Song credits: Mike Geiger/Woody Mullis/Ricky Ray Rector

"Leon Dixon leaves his Christmas lights up all year 'round
It's somethin' different about our town
We've often wondered why he never takes 'em down
But Leon leaves his Christmas lights up all year 'round
There's a big bright noel flashin' off and on
In the yard where the children play the whole year long
We've all gotten used to it year by year
Now it's kinda gotten to be a part of things 'round here

Peace on earth, Good will to men
Christmas time is here again
Can it be all that wrong
To feel like Christmas all year long

Leon got sick, it's been back awhile
Short on luck and money, but he still wore that smile
And nobody could stand to see him do without
So we all drove over to see if we could help out
Yeah, the noel flashed on and the bills stayed paid
I felt so warm as we drove away
I had never seen Christmas spelled so clear
As when I saw "LEON" flashin' in my rear view mirror

Peace on earth, Good will to men
Christmas time is here again
Can it be all that wrong
To feel like Christmas all year long
Noel Leon"

Have never heard this American Country singer or song before but some online digging rootled this out and I had a listen on Spotify free, more spoken rather than sung! If this isn't the answer then I am really stumped! But hey thanks for the intro to another crimble comedy song.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 03:53 AM

Would 6 have something to do with Skewball/Stewball, a skewbald being a parti-coloured horse?

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 04:37 AM

Well I have pinto, or skewbald, and a Beatle, or Beatles, but no cigar.
Unless it includes Star, which is a mis-spelling of Starr, as in Ringo?
Panto star is the best I can do, I'm sure it's not right though

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: greg stephens
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 05:39 AM

Well have a look at skewbald(but badly spelled) and a Beatles Christmas song.And more important, dont just look, listen.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: GUEST,surreysinger sans cookie
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 06:00 AM

Ahem ... having already provided the Beatle and skewbald parts of the links on fRoots (and I do inhabit both of these forums ... fora?) and just established the link .... The song "Stewball" - ie the misspelled horse, ie should have been Skewbald (as in the Martin Carthy version of the song) has chord and melody structure virtually if not totally identical to the tune of Happy Christmas (War is Over), performed by John Lennon (the mis-spelled Beetle/Beatle) and the Yoko Ono band.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 06:25 AM

Sorry, don't frequent fRoots, never have.

Subject: RE: Seasonal Quiz 2010
From: EnglishFolkfan
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 08:40 AM

Greg, was the Q1 answer correct then?
Like others on here I haven't been across to fRoots. So don't know if it was answered over there.

Interestingly if you Google any of these Q's straight then this Mudcat thread is listed at the top but not fRoots!