Castle Carols have been asked to sing at a ‘Wassail!’ which is to take place at Long Mynd Cider, Colebatch on 17th January 2026.
For those who aren’t up-to-date with their Old Norse, the word ‘Wassail!’ is a salutation meaning, roughly, ‘Good Health’.
Traditionally, there are two types of Wassail. The ‘good fortune and good health’ variety, happening around Christmas, wishes good thoughts in return for a small consideration such as money, gifts, a drink and a nibble maybe, and is the forerunner of door-to-door carol singing.
Then there is the custom of visiting orchards in cider-producing areas in order to sing to the trees to promote a good harvest for the coming year and, while you’re at it, to make a lot of noise to frighten away any bad spirits that may just be hanging around.
This event is of the latter variety, and John Kirkpatrick has written a song specifically for it. Words and sound files of the four parts are below.
John notes the following:
A-Wassailing Tree To Tree
“This is much more rough and tumble than the way we usually sing in Castle Carols.
The whole idea of Wassailing an apple tree is to make lots of noise to drive away the evil spirits and rouse the life that has gone to sleep for the winter.
I’ve accompanied the recordings of the parts on accordion, but the plan is on the night to sing unaccompanied except for any percussive noise you can bring to hand – rattles, whistles, pots and pans, hand held percussion e.g. tambourine, triangle, small drums, shakers, castanets, a tin of stones, etc. As long as you can carry it, almost anything goes.
In the end section any random noises will be welcome – either shouting the sounds mentioned in the lines or anything else that arises out of you!
What I haven’t done in the recordings is to repeat the “A-Wassailing….” lines at the end of each section.
We’ll have to divide in half so that that can happen.
It’s in 3/2 time – three beats to a bar, but not like a waltz. It’s a triple hornpipe!
Wassail!“
Here are the words (please click on the image):
…..and here are the sound files: (please click on the three dots on the right-hand side of the soundbar if you wish to download):
Tune:
Alto:
Tenor:
Bass:
STOP PRESS – now available…….
All four parts:
Castle Carols 