Morris Timetable

• Back

More Mari Info

• Back

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.I looked over Jordan and what did I see,
Coming for to carry me home,
A band of angels coming after me,
Coming for to carry me home.Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.If you get there before I do,
Coming for to carry me home,
Tell all of my friends I'm a coming too,
Coming for to carry me home.Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.

• Back

Gloucestershire Wassail

Wassail, wassail, all over the town!
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree,
With the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek,
Pray God send our master a good piece of beef,
And a good piece of beef that may we all see;
With the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.Wassail, wassail, all over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree,
With the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.Here is to Fillpail and to her left ear,
Pray God send my master a happy New Year,
And a happy New Year as e'er he did see;
With our wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.Wassail, wassail, all over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree,
With the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.Come, butler, come fill us a bowl of the best,
We hope that your soul in heaven may rest;
But if you do draw us a bowl of the small,
Then down shall go butler, bowl and all.Then here's to the maid in the lily white smock,
Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock!
Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin,
For to let these jolly wassailers in.

• Back

Bread of heaven

Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand:
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through:
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side:
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.

• Back

Jerusalem

And did those feet in ancient time,
Walk upon Englands mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen?And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark satanic mills?Bring me my Bow of burning gold!
Bring me my Arrows of desire!
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand.
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In Englands green and pleasant land.

• Back

Cwm Rhondda

Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
Hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore,
Feed me now and evermore.Open thou the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream shall flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar,
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be thou still my strength and shield,
Be thou still my strength and shield.When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.

• Back

Hallelujah

Well I've heard there was a secret chord,
That David played, and it pleased the Lord.
But you don't really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth,
The minor fall and the major lift.
The baffled king composing Hallelujah.Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
HallelujahWell your faith was strong but you needed proof,
You saw her bathing on the roof,
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya.
She tied you to her kitchen chair,
And she broke your throne and she cut your hair,
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah.Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
HallelujahMaybe there's a God above,
But all i've ever leaned from love,
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya.
It's not a cry that you hear at night,
It's not somebody who's seen the light,
It's a cold and it's a broken Halleluja.

• Back

Wild Rover

I've been a wild rover for many a year,
And I've spent all my money on whiskey and beer.
And now I'm returning with gold in great store,
And I never will play the wild rover no more.And it's no, nay, never,
No, nay, never, no more.
And I'll play the wild rover,
No, never, no more.I went into an ale-house I used to frequent,
And I told the landlady my money was spent.
I asked her for credit, she answered me "Nay",
Saying "Custom like yours I can have any day".And it's no, nay, never,
No, nay, never, no more.
And I'll play the wild rover,
No, never, no more.I took from my pocket ten sovereigns bright,
And the landlady's eyes opened wide with delight.
She said "I have whiskeys and wines of the best,
And the words that I told you were only in jest"And it's no, nay, never,
No, nay, never, no more.
And I'll play the wild rover,
No, never, no more.

• Back

You'll Never Walk Alone

When you walk through a stom
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark.At the end of the storm,
There's a golden sky,
And the sweet silver song of a lark.Walk through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Through your dreams be tossed and blown.Walk on, walk on,
With hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone.You'll never walk alone.

• Back

Danny Boy

Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling.
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,
It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,
Oh, Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so!But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying,
If I am dead, as dead I well may be,
You'll come and find the place where I am lying,
And kneel and say an Ave there for me.And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me,
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!

• Back

The Wold in Union

There's a dream, I feel, so rare, so real.
All the world in union, the world as one.Gathering together, one mind, one heart.
Ev'ry creed, ev'ry color, once joined, never apart.Searching for the best in me, I will find what I can be.
If I win, lose or draw, it's a victory for all.It's a world in union, the world as one.
As we climb to reach our destiny, a new age has begun.We may face high mountains, must cross rough seas.
We must take our place in history, and live with dignity.It's a world in union, the world as one.
As we climb to reach our destiny, a new age has begun.

• Back

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear,
the hour I first believed.Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come.
T'was grace that brought us safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

• Back

Dirty Old Town

I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town, dirty old townClouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Spring's a girl from the streets at night
Dirty old town, dirty old townI heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town, dirty old townI'm gonna make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town, dirty old town

• Back

The Farmers Anthem

Come all jolly fellows that long to be mellow,
Attend unto me I bessech thee.
For a pint when it's quiet, come lads let us try it,
For thinking can drive a man crazy.I have lawns I have bowers, I have trees, I have flowers,
And the lark is my morning alarmer.
So jolly boys now, 'tis God speed the plough,
Long life and success to the farmer.Come lads while you're able, come sit round my table,
Let me not hear one word of complaining.
For the tinkling of glasses, all music surpasses,
And I love to see bottles a-draining.'tis here I am king, I can laugh, drink and sing,
Let no man approach as a stranger,
But show me the ass, who refuses a glass,
And I'll treat him to hay in a manger.I have lawns I have bowers, I have trees, I have flowers,
And the lark is my morning alarmer.
So jolly boys now, 'tis God speed the plough,
Long life and success to the farmer.Let the wealthy and great roll in splendour and state,
I envy them not, I declare it.
For I eat my own lambs, and chickens and hams,
And I shear my own fleece and I wear it.With ploughing and mowing, and reaping and sowing,
Kind Nature affords me a plenty.
With my cupboard well stored, a plentiful hoard,
And my garden provides every dainty.I have lawns I have bowers, I have trees, I have flowers,
And the lark is my morning alarmer.
So jolly boys now, 'tis God speed the plough,
Long life and success to the farmer.

• Back

The Farmers Boy

The sun went down beyond the hill,
Across the dreary moor,
Weary and lame a poor boy came,
Up to a farmer's door.
"Can you tell me if any there be,
That will give me employ".For to plow and to sow, to reap and to mow,
To be a farmer's boy, for to be a farmer's boy.'"My father's dead and mother left,
With children large and small.
And what is worse for mother still,
I'm the largest of them all.
Though little I be, I fear no work,
If you will me employ."For to plow and to sow, to reap and to mow,
To be a farmer's boy, for to be a farmer's boy.The farmers wife cried "take the lad,
Let him no longer seek..."
"Yes father do" the daughter cried,
As the tears ran down her cheek.
"For those that will work, 'tis hard to want,
And to wander for employ."For to plow and to sow, to reap and to mow,
To be a farmer's boy, for to be a farmer's boy.In course of time he grew a man,
And the good old couple died.
They left the lad the farm they had,
and their daughter for his bride.
So the boy that was now farmer is,
Often sits and thinks with joy.
And blesses the day he came that way.
To be a farmers boy, for the be a farmers boy.

• Back

Wassailing

Wassailing is an ancient English tradition rooted in folklore, community and the celebration of the winter season.The word wassail traditionally means “good health”. Over the centuries, the tradition has taken many forms, from singing and sharing a warm, spiced wassail drink to visiting orchards, where songs, toasts and lively celebrations are used to awaken the apple trees and bless them for the coming harvest.During our Chepstow wassails, the butler directs the wassail and decants cider from their wassail bowl. After sips are taken, the drink is held up to a rousing shout of WASSAIL! Traditionally there is a bonfire, Morris dancers, and singers. People form a circle around the tree, sing, and hang offerings of toast onto the branches. The Butler pours some cider onto the roots of the tree and gives a speech after which there is more singing and dancing. Sometimes, a shotgun is fired over the tree to ward off any malevolent spirits that may be foolish enough to interrupt the proceedings. We use party poppers (we have lost our shotgun!)

• Back

Mari Lwyd

The Mari Lwyd is a Welsh winter tradition that dates back many centuries. The Mari is a decorated, shrouded horse skull carried from house to house or pub by a group of performers, who attempt to gain entry in exchange for food and drink through songs, rhymes and riddles. This exchange is known as the Pwnco - a battle of songs and rhymes between the Mari Lwyd group and the inhabitants of the house or pub. After plenty of singing, daft capers and good-natured banter, the Mari group is eventually allowed inside to enjoy food and drink. There is usually more singing and lively banter, after which the Mari group offers a blessing to the house and its inhabitants, wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year before moving on to the next port of call.The Chepstow Mari Lwyd takes place on the steps of Chepstow Museum on Bridge Street, where a large part of the town, along with many visitors, turns out to watch the proceedings. Several Morris sides also take part, accompanied by musicians and players of various traditional instruments, adding to the lively atmosphere of the occasion.

• Back

Morris Dancing

Morris dancing is a traditional English folk dance, dating back at least to the 15th century, in which groups perform rhythmic steps and choreographed figures to music, often with bells, sticks, swords or handkerchiefs.

• Back

Ceilidh

What is a Ceilidh?
Most ceilidhs follow a simple routine. A band plays live, and before each dance the band or a caller talks the room through the steps. When the music starts, everyone dances it through several times, so by the end you have the hang of it.Kettlehawk host a Ceilidh at the end of the Chepstow Wassail and Mari Lwyd event which is held at the drill hall (Lower Church Street, Chepstow, NP16 5HJ). Their Ceilidh features soaring melodies, sax riffs and driving rhythms to get your feet flying. This is a ticketed event which can be bought online, or on the day (£10 per person).

• More information provided by Kettlehawk Ceilidh Band

• Back