Name: Hunting The Wren by Peter Lagan
Duration: 6 min 14 s
Description: On St. Stephens Day (December 26) in Ireland, a procession takes place where a pole with a holly bush is carried from house to house and families dress up in old clothes and with blackened faces. In the past an actual wren would be killed and placed on top of the pole.

Glenn Gould plays Bach: The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (1959 Live)

Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria (Remastered 2023, Live 1959)

This week we’re joined by Senior Properties Historian Dr Susan Greaney and Professor Ronald Hutton to investigate the mysterious white horses and giant chalk figures that adorn hillsides across England. Find out who created them, when and why they were created and the stories behind many of England’s most famous hill figures, from the Uffington and Westbury White Horses to the Cerne Abbas Giant and the Long Man of Wilmington.

To discover more about the Uffington White Horse or plan a visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/uffington-castle-white-horse-and-dragon-hill

Episode 169 - White horses and hill figures in England

Trad Arr. 
Featuring Kev Howard on Digeridoo

John Barleycorn MP3

On St. Stephens Day (December 26) in Ireland, a procession takes place where a pole with a holly bush is carried from house to house and families dress up in old clothes and with blackened faces. In the past an actual wren would be killed and placed on top of the pole.

Hunting The Wren

From the soundtrack of the film Lift to the Scaffold, as featured on Jazz on Film Records Original Remastered French New Wave 5-CD Box Set
http://www.jazzonfilmrecords.com

Miles Davis - Au Bar Du Petit Bac (remastered from the soundtrack to 'Lift to the Scaffold')

Peg Powler is the mythical hag of the River Tees, the North East river that winds its way down from the North Pennines in Cumbria, through beautiful countryside, industrial Teesside to its mouth at Redcar and Hartlepool.
The word 'Tees' is from the Celtic, 'boiling, bubbling, surging', reflecting the fierce and dangerous nature of this meandering river.  The myth of Peg Powler came about to protect young children and wayward young men from wandering too close to its edge with the warning, 'Don't go too near or Peg Powler will get you!'.  The myth went on to say that Peg would pull you in by the ankles and drown you.  She is said to be about when green foam appears on the river's surface - Peg Powler's suds - or the finer foam, known as Peg Powler's cream. 
The song explores they myth, from a general safety warning to the origins in river goddess worship and ritual sacrifice of young children to the river gods.  It was said that Sunday is Peg Powler's favoured day for catching her prey, adding weight to the river goddess accounts.
In Lancashire, her equivalent is called Jenny Greenteeth.  in the film Legend, Meg Mucklebones (interestingly, Legend Director, Ridley Scott was from Teesside).  There are river hag myths all over the world, in every river or water source.  

Peg Powler

A seasonal medley, as featured at the Kit & Cutter gig in which Rachel persuades the Innocent Hare to scamper somewhat differently to how we've been doing it hitherto, though the Owld Grye lumbers along much as ever, albeit differently each time, especially shivering out in the winter fields, looking on wistfully as the cry goes up for the hunt.  Or is the hunt a dream stirring deep in the heart of the old horse?  Either way, Rapunzel & Sedayne folklore has us singing The Owld Grye at the Colpitts in Durham circa 1995 before we ever spoke to each other; before that Sedayne picked it up from the singing of the great Jim Eldon.  The Innocent Hare comes from The Copper Family songbook, and The Young Tradition and innumerable floorsingers, though we'll always acknowledge the genius of John and Charlotte of the Durham City Folk Club who make one of the finest noises on the planet. Image from St. Alban's Cathedral, 3rd December 2011 - on our way to the Kit & Cutter gig for which this session was a rehearsal, entirely live in the Barley Temple, as ever, with thanks to the more random elements of The Folk Process.  We'll be recording The Innocent Hare for the Weirdlore CD to tie in with the Weirdlore event in June; so think of this as a demo. http://www.weirdlore.com/

We'd like to dedicate this recording to our friend 'Dancing' Jim Wetherspoon in the hope that he'll be up and dancing again soon enough.

*

Rachel : electro acoustic guitar & singing
Sean : kaossilator, black sea fiddle & singing



*

Once he was a young horse
He was a young horse in his prime
And his master used to ride him
And he thought he was very fine

But he's still my own bonny sweet
Who rode so many's the mile
Over hedges, ditches, brooks and bridges
Gates and cleared many the stile

Poor old horse, poor old horse,
Oh cherry old grye

And his legs and his irons
Have all gone to decay
Likewise his poor old body
It's all withered away

Poor old horse, poor old horse,
Oh cherry old grye

Out from the warm stable
To the fields he has to go
Let it rain hail or sun shine
Or the winds blow high and low

Poor old horse, poor old horse,
Oh cherry old grye

Once he wore the clothing
Of the lindsay oh so fine
And his eyes they did sparkle
And his mane it did shine

Poor old horse, poor old horse,
Oh cherry old grye

He's stealing all my hay
Spoiling all my corn
He's ripping at the short grass
That grows against the wall

Poor old horse, poor old horse,
Oh cherry old grye

They'll beat him,
Whip him
Cut him
Til the huntsman let him go

Poor old horse, poor old horse,
Oh cherry old grye

*

Sportsmen arouse, the morning is clear
The larks are singing all in the air

Go tell your sweet lover, the hounds are out
Go tell your sweet lover the hounds are out
Saddle your horses, your saddles prepare
We'll away to cover to seek for a hare

We searched the woods the groves all around
The trail being over, the game being found...

Then up she springs, through brake she flies...
Then up she springs, through brake she flies...
Follow, follow the musical horn
Sing follow, hark follow, the innocent hare

The huntsman blows his joyful sound
Tally ho, me boys, all over the downs

From the woods to the valleys, see how she creeps
From the woods to the valleys, see how she creeps
Follow, follow the musical horn
Sing follow, hark follow, the innocent hare

All along the green turf she pants for breath
The huntsman he cries out for death

Relope, relope, retiring hare
Relope, relope, retiring hare
Follow, follow the musical horn
Sing follow, hark follow, the innocent hare

This hare has led us a noble run
Success to sportsman, every one

Such a chase she has led us, four hours or more
Such a chase she has led us, four hours or more
Wine and beer we'll drink without fear
We'll drink a success to the innocent hare

Owld Grye & The Innocent Hare : 1-12-11

Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending

Thomas Gould, violin 
London Firebird Orchestra conducted by Achim Holub

Recorded live at St Paul's Covent Garden, London, on 20 March 2012.

Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending

A poem based on Persephone, Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld

Words written and performed by Bob Beagrie
Music composed and recorded by SJForth

Persephone

A "Souling Song" 
Known as "souling," the practice was later taken up by children, who would go from door to door asking for gifts such as food, money and ale. In Scotland and Ireland, young people took part in a tradition called guising, dressing up in costume and accepting offerings from various households.

A Souling Song MP3

I play the Renaissance Lute specialising in music from the Tudor period .

Hunting The Wren

Peter Lagan

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