Lyr Req: Christmas's Lamentation / Welladay

Subject: Welladay: need corrections
From: Tom French
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 12:08 PM

I am looking for corrections to Welladay, some words which I can't make out clearly on Nowell Sing We Clear #4. It is from Popular Music of Olden Time by William Chapell, reprinted by Dover 1965. I can't get the book in time. If anyone knows the song, has the book, or can hear better than I (lost some of my high end hearing teaching elementary band early in life) I'd appreciate some help. I've bracketed the phrases that I feel very unsure of, but then I may have mistakes beyond that. Thanks,
Tom

WELLADAY

[ Christmas is my name; far ] have I done,
Have I done, have I done, have I done without regard
Where [ the trait men by flaunt there be flown ]
There be flown, there be flown, there be flown to [ love before ]
There they in pomp and in pleasure do wait
That which old Christmas was wont for to be
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay
Houses where music was wont for to [ be ]
Nothing but bats and [ owlings ] do sing
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay

Christmas dinner is turned into stones
Into stones, into stones, into stones and silken rags.
And [ lazy money sleeps and makes moans, ]
And makes moans, and makes moans, and makes moan in my [ wee bag ]
Houses where pleasures once did abound
Nought but the dog and the shepherd is found
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay
Places that Christmas revels do keep
Now have become habitations for sheep
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay

And the [ shepherd God ] doth deface
Doth deface, doth deface, doth deface [ mother nature's frown ]
And the village [ doth go ] to decay,
To decay, to decay, to decay in every town.
Landlords, their rent so highly enhanced
Plowman and family therefore [ mayn't ] dance
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay
Farmers that Christmas would still entertain
Scarce have enough themselves to maintain
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay

Briefly for to end here I do find,
I do find, I do find, I do find [ no festive day ]
Christmas feasting and dancing must wait.
They must wait, they must wait, they must wait for a season to come again
Yet winter the holly and ivy doth give
Carols and wassails in memory do live
Welladay, welladay, welladay, so here I'll stay
Thus where the boar's head and Yule log have been
Christmas again will surely be seen
Welladay, welladay, welladay, so here I'll stay

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Welladay: need corrections
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 12:17 PM

Is this (DT) the same version?

Subject: Lyr Add: WELLADAY
From: Anglo
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 12:20 PM

  Christmas is my name, Far have I gone, 
  	Have I gone, (have I gone),
  Have I gone without regard.
  Whereas great men, By flocks there be flown,
  	There be flown, (there be flown),
  There be flown to London-ward.
  There they in pomp and in pleasure do waste
  That which Old Christmas was wont for to feast,
  	Welladay, Welladay,
  	Welladay, where should I stay?
  Houses where music was wont for to ring,
  Nothing but bats and owlets do sing,
  	Welladay, Welladay,
  	Welladay, where should I stay?

  Christmas dinner is turned into stones,
  Into stones and silken rags.
  And Lady Money sleeps and makes moans,
  And makes moans in miser's bags.
  Houses where pleasures once did abound
  Nought but a dog and a shepherd is found.
  Places that Christmas revels did keep
  Now have become habitations for sheep.

  Pan, the shepherd's god doth deface,
  Doth deface Mother Nature's crown.
  And the tillage doth go to decay,
  To decay in every town.
  Landlords their rents so highly enhance,
  Ploughman and family barefoot may dance.
  Farmers that Christmas would still entertain
  Scarce have enough themselves to maintain.

  Briefly, for to end, Here I do find,
  I do find so great disdain.
  Christmas feasting and dancing must wait
  For their season to come again.
  Yet winter the holly and doth give,
  Carols and wassails in memory do live,
  	Welladay, Welladay,
  	Welladay, so here I'll stay.
  Thus, where the Boar's Head and Yule Log have been,
  Christmas again will surely be seen,
  	Welladay, Welladay,
  	Welladay, so here I'll stay.  

That's it, as on Nowell 4. It's basically an adaptation from the 8 verse text in Chappell.

---

Line breaks added. --JoeClone

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Welladay: need corrections
From: Anglo
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 12:21 PM

The DT verses are the first two from Chappell.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Welladay: need corrections
From: Anglo
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 08:03 PM

Oops, sorry, I thought I didn't need html linebreaks any more.

---

Anglo, I put the line breaks in. I also added pre-formatted text tags so the indentations show up. If this isn't the way you want it, please let me know and I'll fix it. --Jeri (for PM purposes) the JoeClone

Subject: Lyr Add: CHRISTMAS'S LAMENTATION
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 08 Dec 01 - 11:38 AM

Though Anglo has already posted part of this, I shall add the whole thing rather than mess about indicating which verses go where.  It will be seen that the set recorded by Nowell Sing We Clear has been altered in some places.  The text in the DT,  CHRISTMAS LAMENTATIONS  is not only incomplete and without a tune, but names no source whatsoever.  The below may perhaps serve as a useful replacement for it.

CHRISTMAS'S LAMENTATION

Christmas is my name, far have I gone,
Have I gone, have I gone,
Have I gone, without regard;
Whereas great men by flocks there be flown,
There be flown, there be flown,
There be flown to London-ward.
There they in pomp and pleasure do waste
That which old Christmas was wonted to feast,
Welladay! welladay,
Welladay, where should I stay?
Houses where music was wont for to ring,
Nothing but bats and owlets do sing.
Welladay! welladay,
Welladay, where should I stay?

Christmas beef and bread is turn'd into stones,
Into stones and silken rags;
And Lady Money sleeps and makes moans,
And makes moans in misers' bags:
Houses where pleasures once did abound,
Nought but a dog and a shepherd is found,
Welladay!
Places where Christmas revels did keep,
Now are become habitations for sheep.
Welladay! welladay,
Welladay, where should I stay?

Pan, the shepherd's god, doth deface,
Doth deface Lady Ceres' crown,
And the tillage doth go to decay,
To decay in every town;
Landlords their rents so highly enhance,
That Pierce, the ploughman, barefoot may dance;
Welladay!
Farmers, that Christmas would still entertain,
Scarce have wherewith themselves to maintain.
Welladay! welladay,
Welladay, where should I stay?

Come to the countryman, he will protest,
Will protest, and of bull-beef boast;
And for the citizen he is so hot,
Is so hot, he will burn the roast.
The courtier, sure good deeds will not scorn,
Nor will he see poor Christmas forlorn?
Welladay!
Since none of these good deeds will do,
Christmas had better turn courtier too.
Welladay! welladay,
Welladay, where should I stay?

Pride and luxury they do devour,
Do devour housekeeping quite;
And soon beggary they do beget,
Do beget in many a knight.
Madam, forsooth, in her coach must wheel,
Although she wear her hose out at heel,
Welladay!
And on her back wear that for a weed,
Which me and all my fellows would feed.
Welladay! welladay,
Welladay, where should I stay?

Since pride came up with the yellow starch,
Yellow starch, poor folks do want,
And nothing the rich men to them will give,
To them give, but do them taunt;
For Charity from the country is fled,
And in her place hath nought left but need;
Welladay!
And corn is grown to so high a price,
It makes poor men cry with weeping eyes.
Welladay! welladay,
Welladay, where should I stay?

Briefly for to end, here do I find,
I do find so great vacation,
That most great houses seem to attain
To attain a strong purgation:
Where purging pills such effects they have shew'd,
That forth of doors they their owners have spued;
Welladay!
And where'er Christmas comes by, and calls,
Nought now but solitary and naked walls.
Welladay! welladay,
Welladay, where should I stay?

Philemon's cottage was turn'd into gold,
Into gold, for harbouring Jove:
Rich men their houses up for to keep,
For to keep, might their greatness move;
But in the city, they say, they do live,
Where gold by handfulls away they do give:
I'll away,
And thither, therefore, I purpose to pass,
Hoping at London to find the golden ass.
I'll away, I'll away,
I'll away, for here's no stay.

This from William Chappell's Ballad Literature and Popular Music of the Olden Time (1859).  Chappell wrote:

"The words and tune of this ballad are contained in [John] Gambles's MS. commonplace book [1659, no. 60].  The ballad is also in the Roxburghe Collection, i. 48, entitled "Christmas' Lamentation for the losse of his acquaintance; showing how he is forst to leave the Country, and come to London.  To the tune of Now the Spring is Come"...
Christmas's Lamentation must... be a ballad of the reign of Elizabeth or James I., although the Roxburghe copy is not of so early a date.  Yellow starch is mentioned in the sixth stanza, and it came into fashion in the latter part of the reign of Elizabeth, and continued until November, 1615, the date of the execution of the celebrated beauty, Mrs. Turner, for participation in the poisoning of Sir Thomas Overbury.  When the Lord Chief Justice Coke sentenced her to death, he ordered that, "as she was the person who had brought yellow starched ruffs into vogue, she should be hanged in that dress, that the same might end in shame and detestation."  "Even the hangman who executed this unfortunate woman was decorated with yellow ruffs on the occasion."  (Rimbault's Life of Overbury).
The rhythm of the first part of the... tune is peculiar, from its alternate phrases of two and three bars, but, still, not unsatisfactory to the ear.
I have not thought it necessary to print, at length, all the repetitions of words that occur in the ballad, as they are sufficiently indicated by the first stanza which is here adapted to the music."

The first verse shown above gives the pattern for the whole song.  As Chappell prints the text, it looks as if the first Welladay stands on its own, but the staff notation appears to indicate that the whole refrain should be sung there; I have made a midi accordingly, with no guarantee that my understanding of it is correct.  It should be noted that the spelling of the text in Chappell is modernised.

A midi of the tune (vocal line only) as given by Chappell goes to  Mudcat Midis;  in the meantime, it can be heard care of the  South Riding Folk Network  site:

Christmas_Lamentation.mid