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Regional and historical carols and
songs from midwinter traditions
With bands of carollers and wassail songs,
tales of Mowbray Pies and ghosts - and hospitable customs like Mumping and Clementing, the Winter season in the English countryside was a time of fireside
celebration and travellers’ voices at the door. Now, you can't say better than that now, can you? This album is the
inspiration for this page, and while the album is the central piece, and, of course the participants on the album, we will,
as usual, provide you with an example or two of carols and songs, and provide you with the usual links, in their usual
places, to other websites that are relevant to the topic at hand.
Drawing on first-hand accounts of old customs, traditional stories and carols from the small towns and villages
in the English counties, Fire and Sleet and Candlelight brings these once common experiences back to life. The incomparable
accapella harmonies of Coop Boyes & Simpson, Fi Fraser, Jo Freya and Georgina Boyes featured on an album of music
from the production were an outstanding success with audiences on Classic FM , BBC Radio 2 and 3 and led to a sell-out tour in England and The Netherlands.
Coope Boyes & Simpson, Fi Fraser, Jo Freya
and Georgina Boyes
a review of the album from the BBC had this to say:
"The powerful, utterly distinctive harmonies of Coope Boyes and Simpson with the additional vocal tones of the Fraser Sisters
and Georgina Boyes produce a dense, resonant sonority ... Here are songs from Albion's past to be enjoyed at any season but
since it's that time of year ... light the candles, sit close by the fire and wallow in the aural gorgeousness of Coope, Boyes,
Simpson, Fraser, Freya and Boyes." BBC Radio 2 website
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| No Masters NMCD21 2004 |
Hark, Hark What News (Good News)
While Shepherds Watched their
Flocks by Night
(Sweet Chiming Bells)
Drive the Cold Winter Away
Diadem
Gloucestershire Wassail
Personent Hodie
Clementsing
I Saw Three Ships
King Pharim
Hail Smiling Morn
The
Cherry Tree Carol
Peace
o’er the World
(The
Bradda’ Anthem)
Shepherds Rejoice
Down in Yon Forest
in Staffordshire.and it's from
the website we got the absolutely
delightful picture of the
carol singers from
there are other really great
photographs as well, illustrating
the life of the village down the years.
and in the photograph:
Carol singers - ca 1920.
Adolphus John (Jack) Pass
shown on left; his daughter,
Margaret, in front of him.
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