With the resurgence of Wassailing on the Isle of Wight,here is a new 'traditional' Wassail song with Wight dialect (see lyrics). The free sheet music is at this link:https://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/132118.html
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The Isle of Wight has its own traditional dialect which is unique to the Isle. This song celebrates that dialect by weaving it into this new 'traditional' Wassail song. Vocals created using Vocaloid Miriam. Music by Malcolm Brown; Lyrics by Malcolm Brown and Alan Phillips (who also provided the Isle of Wight dialect).
For those not familiar with "Wassail", the word can be traced back to at least Anglo Saxon times when "Waes Hael" was a drinking toast meaning "Good Cheer". Later it became traditional for farmers to toast their animals to wish then good health and this evolved into toasting apple trees and chasing away evil spirits to ensure a bumper crop of apples. Wassailing has had a resurgence in the last hundred years and the practice now takes place all over England - and the Isle of Wight! Usually held in January, Wassailers visit orchards, toast the apple trees and bang pots and pans to drive away the bad spirits. Bread soaked in cider is often left on the trees for the good spirits. Wassailers then visit local houses with their Wassail Bowls to ask for free cider and food. There is always lots of eating, singing, dancing and of course drinking! Sounds fun to me!
Wight Wassail
Wassail, Wassail all over the Wight
Good Health to you Goodman, Good Health to your Wife
Come open your door, we’re shrammed so much
And give us zome cider to zwally an’ glutch
(Chorus)
Wassail, Wassail, A jolly gurt Wassail,
So bring out some nammet and join our Wassail.
We hope that your apple trees prosper and bear
And bring forth good cider with ample to spare
So when we return and Wassail you next year
You’ll have twice the cider and no more small beer
Our Wassail is made from fine cider the best
With nutmeg and ginger it’s perfectly dressed
Our bowl it is made from a great willow tree
And now all you Caulkheads we’ll drink it in three
Come Missus and give us a mighty gurt feast
To scoggel and snobble and scrannel like geese
We'll zwally your cider and gollop your beer
And when we're all crapzick we'll give you a cheer!
Come ladies and damsels in your fancy shawls
And your lily white smocks, good health to you all
The year has now passed and with it your sins
But there’s lots of gurt new ones as this year begins.
(Chorus)
Final or alternative Chorus:
Wassail, Wassail, a gurt Wight Wassail
So bring out some nammet and join our Wassail
Isle of Wight dialect:
Gurt - Great
Shrammed – Benumbed with cold
Zwally and Glutch - swallow and gulp
Nammet - Bread, Cheese and strong drink
Scoggel - Gulp down
Snobble - Devour greedily
Scrannel - Eat greedily
Gollop - Gulp down
Crapzick – Sick from over-eating or drinking
Caulkheads – Wight Islanders