Shurdington Wassail Song

Archive recording – Dick Parsons

Dick Parsons – Waysailing Bowl

Contemporary recording – Green Willow BandWaysailing Bowl – Green Willow Band

Dick Parsons was the last of the Shurdington waysailers.  Dick, his brother Bert and friends would go wassailling in the area of Up Hatherley and Shurdington on St Stephen’s Day (26 December), apparently up until the 60s, carrying a hand-carved bowl made of sycamore.  They sang unaccompanied but as “a tenor, two baritones and a bass”.  Dick’s tune is rather unusual and more sparse than the usual Waysailing Bowl type of tune.  On 28 July 1974 Gwilym and Carol Davies recorded some verses of the song from him at the Cheese Rollers pub, Shurdington, and Dick later dictated more verses.

Here we come a-wassailing all over the town,
Our cup is it white and our ale it is brown
Our bowl it is made of the sycamore tree
To my waysailing bowl I’ll drink unto thee.

(Come butler, come butler) fill us a bowl of the best
Hoping your soul in heaven may rest
In heaven may rest where we shall all be
To me waysailing bowl, we’ll drink unto thee.

For if he should fill us a bowl of the small
Down will go butler, bowl and all
Down he shall go to the bottom of the sea
To me waysailing bowl, we’ll drink unto thee.

Here’s to the (h)ox and to his right horn
God send my master a good crop of corn
A good crop of corn that we may all taste
To me waysailing bowl, don’t drink it in haste.

Here’s to the ox and to his right ear,
God send my master a barrel of beer
A barrel of beer that we may all taste
To my waysailing bowl, don’t drink it in haste.

Here’s to the ox and to his right eye
God send my master a good Christmas pie
A good Christmas pie that we may all taste
To my waysailing bowl, don’t drink it in haste.

Here’s to the ox and to his right leg
Wishing my master a barrel of keg
A barrel of beer that we may all taste
To my waysailing bowl, don’t drink it in haste.