The Nailsbourne Beasts' Song

Subject: RE: The Nailsbourne Beasts' Song
From: doc.tom
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 06:25 AM

And Martyn Babb was singing it last night at Shammick Acoustic - part of the usual cycle of seasonal ditties we always forget at other times of the year! Despite the flooding, we had a great night with The Village Quire from central Wales as our guests - they got through! - they even got away this morning despite wash-outs, landslips, etc.

Subject: RE: The Nailsbourne Beasts' Song
From: GUEST,Tim_Graham
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 05:50 AM

Hi,

I've only just seen this thread! I was singing with Chris and Anne last week and recorded the Beasts song for my blog, check it out here http://asundaysong.blogspot.co.uk/

Tim

www.timgrahammusic.co.uk

Subject: RE: The Nailsbourne Beasts' Song
From: Artful Codger
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 02:53 AM

[refresh] Well, no reply yet from Chris. Tune, anyone?

Subject: RE: The Nailsbourne Beasts' Song
From: Artful Codger
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 09:00 PM

Thanks for that, Mick. And I should have checked over the lyrics more closely--the danger of researching when tired. Of course, the misuses of "Chorus:" (the colon properly indicates "as follows" rather than "as above") didn't help.

Subject: RE: The Nailsbourne Beasts' Song
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 06:23 PM

AC

Re your original post, the words at concertina.net are for a 3-verse set and include:

  When the cock sang "Christ is born"
  And the donkey roared "Praise our sweet Lord"

which seem to be the 2 lines you quote, but reversed. It also seems to jibe with what quantock said above about the version in the Songs and Stories of Ruth Tongue book.


Also if you look at this page Concertina Research & Resources, you'll find an email address for Chris (in the first para - Circulation - it's an email link); I won't put it here, but it looks like the address I had for him (my email address book is on another machine not in service at the moment, so I can't check exactly).

Mick

Subject: RE: The Nailsbourne Beasts' Song
From: Artful Codger
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 05:27 PM

Correction to my first link above; should have been this:
http://www.concertina.info/carols/
There, the lyrics can be found on this page:
http://www.concertina.info/carols/files/words/nailsbourne_beasties_song.doc

Unfortunately, due to spam attacks, the folks who run the concertina.info site and host the Bradford on Avon Carollers pages are not electronically reachable through that site. Can someone pass word to Chris Timson, Anne Gregson or anyone else involved with the carollers that I'd like to get the tune for this song? Or can you furnish (by PM!) their working email address?

Subject: RE: The Nailsbourne Beasts' Song
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 11:36 AM

The British Library has a recording (2:44) Nailsbourne Beasts Song - Archival Sound Recordings - index entry. "If you are a member of a licensed UK higher or further education institution you can log in and listen to this recording, or download it to your PC." (quote from the entry).

Mick

Subject: RE: The Nailsbourne Beasts' Song
From: quantock
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 09:46 AM

The song (3 verses) appears in the book: "Songs and Stories of Ruth Tongue, self styled folklorist from Somerset" by M. B. Rhodes. It includes a score. The book is published by the Halsway Manor Society.
www.halswaymanor.org.uk.

Subject: Lyr/Tune Req: The Nailsbourne Beasts' Song
From: Artful Codger
Date: 25 Sep 11 - 12:26 AM

Would someone furnish the tune, in any form, of the xmas carol "The Nailsbourne Beasts' Song"? It begins "Oh the beasties all heard the angel call" and the chorus begins "And the ruddick sang, oh the little ruddick sang." I've found a two-verse set of lyrics at this site:
www.concertina.info/carols/

But these are probably not the complete lyrics, since the snippet I was able to view of a JSTOR article from 1959 included this bit:
"And the Dunk[ey] he roared, 'Praise Our Sweet Lord'. When the Cock sang 'Christ is born'."

If you don't ken ABC, PM me and I can furnish an email address where you can send a sound clip, score scan or some such. Thanks in advance!