Lyr/Tune Add: Helston Hal an Tow

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Helston Hal an Tow
From: Reinhard
Date: 06 May 13 - 12:19 AM

Mike Waterson sang the Take no scorn... verse in 1965 in their BBC TV documentary Travelling for a Living.

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 May 13 - 08:57 PM

As You Like It, Act 4, Scene 2

The forest.

Enter Jaques, Lords and Foresters.

Jaq. Which is he that kill'd the deer?
Lord. Sir, it was I.
Jaq. Let's present him to the Duke like a Roman conqueror; and it would do well to set the deer's horns upon his head, for a branch of victory. Have you no song, forester, for this purpose?
For. Yes, sir.
Jaq. Sing it: 'tis no matter how it be in tune, so it make noise enough.

[Song]

For. What shall he have that kill'd the deer?
His leather skin and horns to wear.
Then sing him home:

[The rest shall bear this burden:]

Take thou no scorn to wear the horn.
It was a crest ere thou wast born.
Thy father's father wore it,
And thy father bore it.
The horn, the horn, the lusty horn,
Is not a thing to laugh to scorn.

[Exeunt.]

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: Little Robyn
Date: 04 May 13 - 08:57 PM

Thanks for adding that Indi. Do you know when it was added?
They weren't singing it in 1972 when I first went there and it hadn't been added by 1990, when we returned so I suspect it was written by a teacher and added sometime in the last 10 - 20 years. Perhaps someone with an interest in Cornish history and folklore?
Robyn

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: GUEST
Date: 04 May 13 - 07:20 PM

Wasn't the Take no scorn... Verse added in by Mike Waterson for their version? I think he got it from Shakespeare.

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: GUEST,Indi
Date: 04 May 13 - 12:44 PM

Can I just say - this needs to be updated and corrected.
Between the Spaniard's verse and St George's verse, there is another verse that has been there for several years that goes:

St Piran showed his care for us
And all our son's and daughter's O
He brought the book of Christendom
Across the western waters O
And taught the love of Heaven above to Cornish men below

Also, the Aunt Mary Moses verse IS still sung - at the first performance and the last performance on the day.

Please, take my word as the truth. I have danced the hal an tow for several years and know what I am talking about
Thanks

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: Wotcha
Date: 21 Nov 99 - 11:10 AM

BAZ:

Thanks!!!

Cheers, Brian

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: Abby Sale
Date: 21 Nov 99 - 10:53 AM

Baz, et al

I have from Northrop what you give for the song in Cornwall on May 8. But he adds that the celebration is for "Furry Day" there. Any notion what that's about?

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: Kernow John
Date: 21 Nov 99 - 04:52 AM

This was asked about in another thread.
Refresh
Regards Baz.

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From:
Date: 20 Apr 99 - 05:14 PM

First line I have to Hal an Tow

Take no scorn to wear the horn
It was the crest when you was born
Your father's father wore it
And your father wore it too.

I believe I have heard a further first verse! If anyone has it please post it.

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From:
Date: 14 Apr 99 - 03:14 PM

Refreshed.

Kernow bys vyken!

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: Bert
Date: 28 Oct 98 - 02:25 PM

Thanks Bobby, I don't know how I missed that verse.

Bert.

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Date: 27 Oct 98 - 03:49 PM

The first bit remembered by Bert "T'was down in Albert Square . . . etc." is the chorus of the song. The first verse goes:

So now I'll sing to you,
About a maiden fair,
I met the other evening
As the corner of the square.
She'd a dark and roving eye,
And her hair was covered over.
We rode all night
In the pale moonlight,
Way down to Lamorna.

Otherwise, my recollection is much the same as Bert's, give or take a word or two.

Kernow bys vyken!

Bobby Bob.

Subject: Lyr Add: WAY DOWN TO LAMORNA
From: Bert
Date: 27 Oct 98 - 10:21 AM

From memory...

Chorus.
'Twas down in Albert Square, I never shall forget,
Her eyes they shone like diamonds and the evening it was wet, wet, wet.
Her hair hung down in curls she was a charming rover
we rode all night in the pale moonlight, a way down to Lamorna.

When she got in the cab, I asked her for her name
and when she gave it me, well mine it was the same
I lifted up her veil for her face was covered over
to my surprise it was my wife I took down to Lamorna

Chorus.

She said I know you now, I knew you all along
I knew you in the dark and I did it for a lark
and for that lark you'll pay for the taking of your Donah
You'll pay the fare for riding there, a way to Lamorna.

Chorus.

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: Aldus
Date: 27 Oct 98 - 08:37 AM

Since we are on the subject of Cornish songs.. does anyone know the words to "Way Down In Lamorna"?

Subject: Tune Add: CORNISH MAY SONG
From: Bruce O.
Date: 27 Oct 98 - 01:19 AM

I don't have anything but the 1st line of the song given by Jones, but it starts the same as that above, "Robin Hood and Little John".

X:1
T:Cornish May Song
S:Ed. Jones, 'Bardic Museum', 1802
Q:1/4=120
L:1/4
M:C
K:Eb
EE3/4F/4EG/A/|BB3/4c/4Bc/d/|eBB/c/B/A/|G2E2|EE3/4F/4EG/A/|\
B/B/B3/4c/4Bc/d/|eBB/c/B/A/|G2E3/2||B/|cccB/A/|\
G/A/B/c/Bc/d/|eBB/c/B/A/|GE2z/B/|cccB/A/|G/A/B/c/.Bc/d/|\
eBB3/2A/|GEE3/2|]

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: BAZ
Date: 01 Mar 98 - 07:09 PM

I don't know if it is written down anywhere I only know I turn up at Helston (about 8 miles from me) at 7am. every year May 8th and it all happens. The processional died out for about 30 years in the early 1900's but the play has always kept going.

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: Bruce O.
Date: 01 Mar 98 - 07:00 PM

Where is the mummers' play that goes with it? I could only turn up two Christmas ones from Cornwall (Tiddy's book noted in the other thread). The article I mentioned in the other thread (JEFDSS, 1960) has some references to the processional at Helston, but the article doesn't touch folk plays.

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: BAZ
Date: 01 Mar 98 - 06:47 PM

Joe-Thanks for the encouragement
BAZ

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: therapon
Date: 01 Mar 98 - 02:25 AM

Joe, you should be president. And Baz could be secretary of Cornish.

Subject: RE: lyr and tune Helston Hal an Tow
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Mar 98 - 02:18 AM

Baz, when somebody posts a song like this, there isn't much to say in response; and I sometimes wonder if that's disappointing to the person who took the effort to post the song. So, I just wanted to say that this is darn wonderful.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: THE HAL-AN-TOW
From:
Date: 28 Feb 98 - 07:20 PM

The Hal-An-Tow

This is the version together with the tune, sung at Helston in Cornwall on May 8th each year

Robin Hood and Little John
They both are gone to Fair O
And we will go to the merry green wood
To see what they do there O
And for to chase O to chase the buck and doe.

Chorus
Hal and Tow Jolly Rumble O!
For we are up as soon as any day O
And for to fetch the summer home
The summer and the May O
For summer is a come O
And winter is a gone O

Where are those Spaniards
That make so great a boast O
They shall eat the grey goose feather
And we will eat the roast O
In every land O
The land where'er we go.
Hal an tow......etc

As for that good knight St. George
St.George he was a knight O
Of all the knights in Christendom
St.George he is the right O
In every land O
The land where'er we go.
Hal an tow......etc

But to a greater than St. George
Our Helston has a right O
St. Michael with his wings outspread
The archangel so bright O
Who fought the fiend O
Of all mankind the foe!
Hal an tow......etc

The following verse is not sung now as we believe 'Aunt Mary Moses or Moyses (a Cornish surname) referred to a local character used as a cloak for the royalist 'God Bless King Charles'.


God bless Aunt Mary Moses
And all her power and might O
And send us peace in merry England
Both day and night O
And send us peace in merry England
Both now and evermore O!
Hal an tow......etc

There is a Cornish translation by Talek in Peter Kennedy's folk songs of Britain and Ireland and while no Cornishman would challenge a Talek tanslation, the words do not scan easily to the tune. Single syllable words have to stretch over too many notes and Vyghan (little) sounds strange on one crochet.
Sing the song lustily and loud and your audience will be singing the chorus all the way home.

BAZ

MIDI file: HALTOW.MID

Timebase: 480

Tempo: 160 (375000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: F
TimeSig: 6/8 36 8
Name: Hal An Tow
Start
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End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the January 15 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Hal An Tow
M:6/8
Q:1/4=160
K:F
A2AA2F|G2GD2A|B2cd2c|B2AG2B|A2AAAF|GGGD2A|
B2cd2c|B2AG2B|A3AGF|G3D2B|A2GF2E|F6|A3G3|
F6|A2AG2F|G6|A3AGF|G5A|B2cd2c|B2AG2B|A2AA2F|
G2GD2A|B2cd2c|B2AG2B|A2AAGF|G3D2B|A2GF2E|
F3F3||