A musical interlude, not at all miserable.  The three musical saws are played by The Saw Heads, recorded at Ecclesall Woods Discovery Centre, Sheffield, UK, Sunday 9 December 2018.  For more of the same, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inlIysogWtU (but note that at least one person thinks that I should warn you of a dog barking in the vicinity).

Tannenbaum

A very miserable Christmas song, written in the 1830s, and still firmly established in the village carolling tradition near Sheffield.  https://mainlynorfolk.info/bellowhead/songs/themistletoebough.html

The Mistletoe Bough

Not at all miserable, but usefully establishes the month when Christmas can be expected (until the Cherry Tree Carol contradicts it).  This song was issued on a broadside in 1691, and lampooned the outlandish prognostications of almanacs.  https://ebba.english.ucsb.edu/ballad/22021/image  The tune is from Simpson's "The British Broadside Ballad and its Music". I felt obliged to try a comedy 17th-century impersonation of a Welsh accent, because the words for March make no sense without it ("Drest in hur best Shacket, with Leek in hur Ear").

Country Man's Kalendar

A traditional carol, though most people miss out the gloomy verses toward the end.  These words are a mishmash of versions, mostly collected in the Appalachians.

The Cherry Tree Carol

A Christmas carol, particularly suitable for the Feast of the Holy Innocents, December 28th (a day when it was also traditional to beat children and bleed horses).  This webpage includes links to broadsides with more verses: https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/black_decree_1.htm

The Black Decree

A much more tuneful version of this is by Shirley Collins -- see https://mainlynorfolk.info/shirley.collins/songs/awakeawake.html.  This song later furnished the tune to "God rest you merry, gentlemen" (which is the correct punctuation), and in turn came from a secular song bewailing an earthquake in London in 1580 (see https://www.vwml.org/record/RoudFS/S136219).  Cecil Sharp wrote at the end of one version he collected, "This is a carol" (https://www.vwml.org/record/CJS2/10/1596) -- and "the Lord our God is coming" indicates a Christmas carol, though there are other possibilities.

Awake Awake Sweet England

Words by Rudyard Kipling; tune by Peter Bellamy.  https://mainlynorfolk.info/peter.bellamy/songs/eddisservice.html

Eddi's Service

Christmas carol, collected in the early 19th century, and made popular by Peter Bellamy. https://mainlynorfolk.info/peter.bellamy/songs/saintstephen.html

Miserable Xmas Songs

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