Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail (Ian Robb)

Subject: Lyr Add: HOMELESS WASSAIL (Ian Robb)
From: Barbara
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 08:01 PM

Someone was asking for less than run-of-the-mill Christmas Songs, and it occurred to me that this one might fill the bill. Ian admits, in his liner notes on "Heart's Delight", Finest Kind's second CD, that he borrowed from other traditions including a couple lines from Stephen Foster. This, to my ear, in no way keeps this from being a powerful song.
Blessings,
Barbara

HOMELESS WASSAIL
(Ian Robb c 1998)

Wassail, wassail all over the town,
Our cup is white and our ale is brown;
But huddled on this iron grate
We poor and hungry curse our fate.

Chorus:
No Wassail bowl for such as these,
No turkey scraps, no ale, no cheese;
This Christmas Eve our heart's desire
Is a bottle of gin and a trash-can fire.

Good Christian mind as home you go,
With dreams of holly and mistletoe,
That the holly bears a dreadful thorn
For those who wake to a frozen dawn
Oh, where is he that holy child
Once born of Mary, meek and mild?
And wither peace, good will to men
Now and forevermore, amen?

All ye who dine with face aglow
In regenenciatrio
Pray, pause awhile at pleasure's door
And sup some sorrow with the poor.

Wassail, wassail all over the town
Our cup is white and our ale is brown;
This cold and hunger pain and care,
Sweet Jesus Christ, it's hard to bear!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: Jeri
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 10:15 PM

Thanks for typing the lyrics! I've wanted to learn this song, but hadn't gotten around to transcribing it.

Would someone please tell me what "regenenciatrio" means?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: Barbara
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 10:30 PM

It's in the Boar's Head Carol, in the Oxford Book of Carols. I think there;s a translation there, and I'm pretty sure I ran it together. It should be " In Reginency atrio" or some such. In the manner of kings?
Here's what good old DT says about the phrase in the Boars head Carol:
In Reginensi atrio: (in the Queen's hall)
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: lamarca
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 11:27 PM

It's Latin - in atrio = in the atrium, or hall; reginensi somewhere from Latin words regina = Queen,rex = King, reginensi = of the royalty(?), declined into one of them there parts of speech I've forgotten...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: Ana
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 11:54 PM

That looks great Barbara - just wish I could hear the melody (quickly!!) -I s'pose I'll just have to hunt out the CD. Ana

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: Barbara
Date: 16 Nov 99 - 03:33 AM

I wouldn't mind transcribing it, but the odds of my getting to it before the weekend are slight. The CD is definitely worth having. And if you buy it, you get the lovely 3 part harmonies. I think Sandy at Folk-Legacy carries them, and if not, Ann Downey has a webpage for them (the lable is "Fallen Angle" NOT a typo).
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: Jeri
Date: 16 Nov 99 - 11:20 AM

Lookie what I found: Heart's Delight Lyrics and Song Samples. The RealAudio sample of Homeless Wassail is of the chorus only.
The lyrics and a sample of Jack Ashton (discussed on another thread) is here as well
If you go to the page, you'll see what other recordings Ann Downey's on, and see your mouse trails turn into tiny musical notes.
I also highly recommend the CD!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: MMario
Date: 16 Nov 99 - 11:44 AM

well - if you don't have a java4 compatible browser, you won't see anything at that site....

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: Ana
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 02:13 AM

aah Mmario - you poor wee lamb. You'll just have to get a bigger one (computer).

and

Jeri - aren't you a clever sausage then!.

Ana

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: Barbara
Date: 20 Nov 99 - 10:45 AM

My most recent Sing Out just came in with the words and tune printed therein! So, give me a few days, and I'll post the tune for you. Still in dress rehearsal mode for Peter Pan (opens Nov 26, day after Thanksgiving.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: Tune Add: HOMELESS WASSAIL (Ian Robb)
From: Barbara
Date: 03 Dec 99 - 01:40 AM

Well, I finally got around to transcribing this. I see the program has translated it into 4/4 -- I had it in 2/2 with the occasional measure of 3/2. I think the program may have edited those out. Give me a day or so, and I'll post the midi at Alan's site, too.
Blessings,
Barbara

MIDI file: homeless.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0720 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0576 0 69 064 0144 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 71 080 0048 0 71 064 0012 1 69 080 0144 0 69 064 0036 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0576 0 69 064 0144 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 76 080 0288 0 76 064 0072 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 76 080 0576 0 76 064 0144 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0576 0 69 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:4/4
Q:1/4=100
K:C
E8|A3Bc2e2|d2BAG3B|c2A2B2AG|E2G2A4|-A2E2A3B|
c2e2d2B/2A3/2|G3Bc2A2|BAG2E2G2|A6G2|c2c2c2Bc|
d2d2e3d|c2A2BA2G|A2G2EFG2|c2c2c2Bc|d3de4|
-e2edccA2|B2AGE2G2|A19/4||

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: alison
Date: 09 Dec 99 - 08:24 AM

Just putting it on the site now Barbara.

Have a listen see if it sounds right..... I took it exactly as you had it.. so I don't know if the time signature changes are there...

Mudcat MIDIs

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: Barbara
Date: 09 Dec 99 - 10:23 AM

That's it! Thanks alison -- I shipped a MIDI to Joe, but looks like you beat him. Gadzooks, what's this place coming to?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Homeless Wassail
From: GUEST,Doug
Date: 16 Dec 06 - 08:43 PM

I believe that In Regensi atrio should be [In Regency, a trio ...)

Seems to fit, and makes a lot more sense to me.

Subject: Tune Req: Homeless Wassail
From: Sleepy Rosie
Date: 10 Jan 09 - 11:34 AM

Further to my request for reccomendations on songs about homelessness:

I found the lyrics and supposedly the tune in DigiTrad, but the link for the tune leads to no-where land.

Can anyone supply the tune?
Cheers SR

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Homeless Wassail
From: Sleepy Rosie
Date: 10 Jan 09 - 11:46 AM

Oh here's a link to another site that has it. Just found:

Homeless Wassail

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Homeless Wassail
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 12 Jan 09 - 06:05 AM

Rosie - A while back there was a computer crash at Mudcat which caused a lot of problems. Most of the damage has now been sorted out, but one result was that various lnks within the system no longer work. The links to MIDI files are something not yet fixed.
If something is in the Digital Tradition there are a couple of alternative options for finding a tune.

Firstly, if you look at the top right of most pages, there is a box saying "Quick Links" and a blue arrow next to it. Clicking on the arrow brings up a list of things worth looking at both within Mudcat and externally. Near the bottom of the list is one which says "Download your own copy" (of the Digital Tradition). Alternatively click on THIS LINK, which will take you to the same place.
The Digitrad database of songs can be downloaded to your own computer along with MIDI tunes and a programme which plays them. The player allows you to change the speed of the tune and alter the key. It also lets you use a different "instrument" sound for listening. It also means that if for some reason you cannot access Mudcat, you still have the song database to play with.

The second solution is online.
Although Mudcat Cafe is "The home of the Digital Tradition", there are at least two other web sites which are "mirrors" of the Digitrad.
The ones I am aware of are "Yet Another Digital Tradition" http://sniff.numachi.com/ and "Folk Songs from Digital Tradition" http://www.8notes.com/digital_tradition/.
The people responsible for these sites have added extras, such as printable sheet music to the Digitrad. The 8notes site is a commercial one which offers a bunch of free stuff, presumably to persuade you it's worth spending money for the premium service on other stuff such as classical scores, arrangements and transcription into other keys.

Quack!
Geoff the Duck.