Gloucestershire Wassail

"Gloucestershire Wassail", is an old song, sung around the Feast of Yule, by parties who go about dressed with boughs and ribons, carrying a bowl, which they expect to be filled with beer or cider, and a toast put therein. It is still customary in many parts of England to hand round the wassail, or health-bowl, on New Year's Eve. The tune of this song is traditional popular music of the day a universal favourite (tune) in Gloucestershire. This arrangement of "Gloucestershire Wassail", traditionally strophic in structure, has been changed to a rondo form with the original popular tune serving as the refrain or chorus and the text of the many verses serving as just that a verse, giving emphasis to the text as sung by carousing, rural merry-makers to their feudal lords. It is scored for a 4-part SATB ensemble with piano accompaniment. Performance time: 4:55+-