From the rehearsal session for our Folk on Sunday session the following day, on which we did something else entirely.  So - taken from a footnote in The White Goddess; the tune is our own, yet the influence of Robin Williamson's setting lingers on in the 'sirs'.

*

Rachel - singing & electro acoustic guitar
Sean - singing, kaossilator & black sea fiddle


*

Logs to burn, logs to burn, 
Logs to save the coal a turn,
 Here's a word to make you wise,
When you hear the woodsman cry....

Oak logs will warm you well, if they're old and dry,
Logs of pinewood sweetky smell but the sparks will fly.
Beech logs for the winter time, yew logs as well, sir..
Green elder logs it is a crime for any man to sell sir.

Holly logs will burn like wax, you should burn them green,
Elm logs like to smouldering flax, with no flames to be  seen.
Birch logs will burn too fast, Alder scarce at all, sir
Chestnut logs are good to last, cut them in the fall.

Pear logs and Apple logs, they will scent your room,
Cherry logs, across the dogs, they smell like flowers of broom.
But Ash logs, smooth and gray, burn them green or old, sir
Buy up all that come your way they're worth their weight in gold, sir





The Woodcutter's Song : 22-10-11

Session from October 2008 for one of the John Barleycorn Reborn volumes and mixed with other elements into 'Souling Song at Salle' which we had second thoughts about but it'sstill there on our old Myspace page. This is the straight take, live in the studio, by no means flawless, but it holds its own quite nicely.  The picture is from Whalley Parish church, in Lancashire; a misericord from1430 carved by a Mr Eatough (so rare we get the names of the medieval woodcarvers who made these things!); so integral to the winterfauna and winterflora, with the image taken around the same time we recorded this.

Sean - bells, singing and black sea fiddle
Rachel - singing and harmonium

*

A soul, a soul, a soul cake
Please, good missus, a soul cake
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry
Any good thing to make us all merry
One for Peter, two for Paul
Three for Him who made us all

God Bless the master of this house, the mistress also
And all the little children who around your table grow
Likewise your men and maidens, your cattle and your store
And all that dwells within your gates we wish you ten times more

A soul, a soul, a soul cake
Please, good missus, a soul cake
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry
Any good thing to make us all merry
One for Peter, two for Paul
Three for Him who made us all

Go down in to your cellar and see what you can find;
If the barrels are not empty we'll hope that you'll prove kind
We'll hope that you'll prove kind with your apples, ale and pears
For we'll come no more a souling until this time next year

A soul, a soul, a soul cake
Please, good missus, a soul cake
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry
Any good thing to make us all merry
One for Peter, two for Paul
Three for Him who made us all

The lanes are very dirty and my shoes are very thin
I've got a little pocket I can put a penny in
If you haven't got a penny, a ha' penny will do
If you haven't got a ha' penny, then God bless you

A soul, a soul, a soul cake
Please, good missus, a soul cake
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry
Any good thing to make us all merry
One for Peter, two for Paul
Three for him who made us all


The Souling Song : 15-10-08

An alternate take from our Easter rehearsal session for the ballad gig at the Morpeth Gathering.  In the event , Rachel cut to the chase and brought it in around seven minutes or so, but here it is complete in an arrangement which I'd say is 70% improvisation, 10% persperation and 20% serendipity.  See our main Soundcloud page for the other version, with the fiddle & drum dance at the end (Fire & Hemlock for DWJ) but even so this one is slightly longer.

We take out starting point for this from accounts of the Halloween Ball at Coldharbour Hall, Northumberland in 1929 where, amongst other uncanny & positively indecent* goings on, Fred Fauntleroy is reported to have sung the ballad of Tam Lin to the accompaniment of a musical saw whilst wearing an 'hideous ritual folk mask' collected by Edwin Wetherstone during his honeymoon in Eastern Europe two decades earlier.

*It is also reported that it was on this night that Edwin's son Tarquin provided a continuous accompaniment to a marijuana fuelled orgy by means of mixing diverse novelty foxtrots between two wind-up gramophones and wax-cylinders of field-recordings his father had made of folk musicians on said honeymoon.

*

Rachel - singing
Sean - violin & drones

Tam Lin : Easter 2011

A newly recorded version from last night's rehearsal, entirely live in the Barley Temple as we work up a new arrangement having effectively retired the old citera on account of it being too precious & perilous a beast to take on the road, so all citera parts must now be done on the violin.  So far so good.  Anyway, this has been a favourite of ours for several lifetimes now;  Sean has loved it since Dave Cousins did it on his 1972 solo album of the same name & Rachel has loved it since hearing Sandy Denny sing it both on the old Strawbs sessions and with Fortheringay, on whose arrangement we base our cover version, though retaining the 'candy floss & ice cream cones / discotheques and Rolling Stones' from Dave Cousin's solo version as we rather like such things.  Rachel came up with the guitar part about an hour before the session, but it locks in quite nicely; cosy in the firelight of a November night, thinking back to summers past and looking forward to summers to come.  For our many, many absent friends...

Rachel - electro-acoustic guitar & singing
Sean - violin, drones and kaossilator

*

The dancing flames grow low
Burning embers start to glow
The pictures soon will fade
Pictures that the flames have made
Your hazy, wistful face
Suddenly is gone without a trace

Summer days I'll float downstream
Wondering where the day has been
Boats that sail away at night
Come the dawn
Have sailed far out of sight

Reminiscing summer walks
Empty glances, moonlit talks
Candy floss and ice-cream cones
Discotheques and Rolling Stones
Passing fancies fly away
Painting shadows on the sunlit bay

Summer days I'll float downstream
Wondering where the day has been
Boats that sail away at night
Come the dawn
Have sailed far out of sight

Deserted evening warm and still
Strangers come and go at will
Driftwood on the silent shore
Laughter from an open door
Friendly faces once again
Come inside before it starts to rain

Summer days I'll float downstream
Wondering where the day has been
Boats that sail away at night
Come the dawn
Have sailed far out of sight

Two Weeks Last Summer : 13-11-11

Freely improvised dance using rhthms & modalities inspired by the 13th Century Cantigas de Santa Maria, here played on mediaeval fiddle (my new Vielle Vermell making its recording debut) with frame drum, bells & vocalising.  We recorded this last night (Sunday 27th November 2011) in anticipation of Advent, not out of any religious observations, rather to mark the cultural and personal spirituality that exists in sweet autonomy at this time of year anyway; so some more music of light in the dark heart of the year...

Sean - Medieval Fiddle (Vielle Vermell) & drones
Rachel - Frame Drum, Bells & Voice

Adventus : 27-11-2011

A very old piece of Pure Steamfolk which features Sedayne's paganised take on The Holly and the Ivy (c. 1985) in which he first married the merry old carol  to the more solemn traditional melody of Searching for Lambs - and (as if this wasn't enough) wrote new lyrics accordingly.  This gave rise to many verses, only three of which now remain. You might be interested that one of these featured on the Shekinah / Masstishaddhu album Sedayne recorded for United Dairies in 1987 with Mike Watson & Richard Rupenus.  On the vinyl LP it's engraved on one of the run-outs & one the 2001 CD reissue it features as part of Dr Pagan Pond's masterful graphics.  In the present recording (recorded entirely live in the Barley Temple on the 1st December 2011)  the verses feature as part of an extended improvisation based on the melody of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,which feels old, but only to touch on the timelessness of the season.  Thus: LNYD: Let Nothing Ye Dismay!

Sean -Singing / Kemence / Kaossilator / Drones
Rachel - Electric-Acoustic Guitar / Singing

*
The holly and the ivy
Now they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.

The rising of the winter sun,
The running of the deer
The holy seed of the mistletoe
In the dawning of the year

In winter time I danced alone
And felt the growing cold
And lighting fires from fallen trees
I warmed my dying soul

I saw the sun reborn again
Melt through the winter snow
And drank afresh from holy streams
Swollen by the thaw

The holly bears a sharp prickle
As sharp as any thorn
The wren's heart pierced in the darkest night
Is healed before the dawn


The Holly Bears the Crown / LNYD : 1-12-2011

Dance improvisation in the Ionian mode recorded on the dark &amp; windy night of the Seventh Day of Advent inspired by the music of medieval angels... or demons...or angels &amp; demons at play in a medieval mood... 

Sean - Vielle Vermell &amp; drones
Rachel - Frame Drum &amp; voice



Septumdecim : 7-12-11

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

Improvisation on the Medieval carol Personant Hodie, hopefully preserving some of the more kinetic elements of ancient vernacular carollers who come dancing through the margins of manuscript and misericord.  Recorded live in the Barley Temple on Sunday the 11th of December, the third Sunday in Advent.

Sean - Vielle Vermell, singing & exultant drones
Rachel - Frame Drum, bells & singing

*

Personent hodie
voces puerulae,
laudantes iucunde
qui nobis est natus,
summo Deo datus,
et de virgineo ventre procreatus.

In mundo nascitur,
pannis involvitur
praesepi ponitur
stabulo brutorum,
rector supernorum.
perdidit spolia princeps infernorum.

Magi tres venerunt,
parvulum inquirunt,
Bethlehem adeunt,
stellulam sequendo,
ipsum adorando,
aurum, thus, et myrrham ei offerendo.

Omnes clericuli,
pariter pueri,
cantent ut angeli:
advenisti mundo,
laudes tibi fundo.
ideo gloria in excelsis Deo.



Personent Hodie : 11-12-11

Rachel's been singing these for a while but we sort-of hit upon this on Friday night during our resident sesh-cum-folk at the Holy of Holies at The Moorbrook in Preston & revisited it just this morning by way of a wee winter-warmer; a little extra stocking filler.  Gillian Welch has a canny ability of touching things at a pretty fundamental level, even here in the frozen hinterlands of Lancashire it rings pretty true...

Rachel - banjo & singing
Sean - fiddle & singing

*

Round, round, I wanna go round
wanna see the rock of ages
when my body gives out
gonna read the final pages

Oh, my mother who's gone
she told me I should meet her
Someday streets of gold
Gonna guide me on to greet her

Once my father sat down
and told me of the prophets
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
they're gone but not forgotten

Round, round, I wanna go round
wanna see the rock of ages
til my body gives out
gonna read the gospel pages

Moses heard a voice
it called him up the mountain
forty days had set
when Moses come a shoutin'

Round, round, I wanna go round
wanna see the rock of ages
when my body gives out
gonna read the final pages

Round, round, I wanna go round
wanna see the rock of ages
til my body gives out
gonna read the gospel pages

Round, round, I wanna go round
wanna see the rock of ages
when my body gives out
gonna read the final pages

*

Oh little red bird
Come to my window sill
Been so lonesome
Shaking that morning chill
Oh little red bird
Open your mouth and sing
Been so lonesome
Just about flown away

So long now I've been out
In the rain and snow
But winter's come and gone
A little bird told me so

Oh little blue bird
Pearly feather breast
Five cold nickels all I got left
Oh little blue bird
What am I gonna do
Five cold nickels
Ain't gonna see me through

So long now I've been out
In the rain and snow
But winter's come and gone
A little bird told me so

Oh little black bird
On my wire line
Dark as trouble
In this heart of mine
Poor little black bird
Sings a worried song
Dark as trouble
'Til winter's come and gone

So long now I've been out
In the rain and snow
But winter's come and gone
A little bird told me so

So long now I've been out
In the rain and snow
But winter's come and gone
A little bird told me so


   

Rock of Ages / Winter's Come and Gone : 18-12-11

The final piece for Winterflora 2011 - a rollicking rendering of The Gower Wassail in fine old style. From the singing of the great Phil Tanner, the Gower Nightingale, though the presence of the crwth here is more a matter of musical appropriateness rather than any attempt at any authentic Welshness per se, though it would be folly to rule that out given the inspirations (pretty much all of Christmas at the Patti; Eddie Waring especially...). Recorded entirely live in the Barley Temple on the 1st of December before we set off on our wee tour.  Image - Risen Sun from Splendor Solis...

To everyone who've supported us in what really has been a splendid year - our warmest thanks, deepest appreciations and all the very best for 2012... 

Gower Wassail 2010 video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZYBhP7mUgU

Rachel - singing, bells & frame drum
Sean - crwth, fowler calls, drones & singing

*

A-wassail, a-wassail, throughout all this town.
Our cup it is white and our ale it is brown.
Our wassail is made of the good ale and cake,.
Some nutmeg and ginger, the best we could get.

Al di dal - al di dal di dal
Al di dal di dal - al di dal di dee
Al de deral - al de derry
Sing too rel I do

Our wassail is made of an elderberry bough.
Although my good neighbour, we'll drink unto thou..
Besides all on earth, we'll have apples in store,
Pray let us come in for it's cold by the door.

We know by the moon that we are not too soon,.
And we know by the sky that we are not too high,.
We know by the star that we are not too far,.
And we know by the ground that we are within sound.

Now master and mistress if you are within
Pray send out your maid with her lily-white skin
For to open the door without more delay
Our time it is precious and we cannot stay

Here's a health to our Colley and her croo'ed horn
May God send her Master a good crop of corn
Of barley and wheat and all sorts of grain
May God send her Mistress a long life to reign

Now master and mistress - thanks to you we'll give
And for our jolly wassail as long as we live
And if we should live til another new year
Perhaps we may call and see who do live here

The Gower Wassail : 1-12-11

WINTERFLORA is an annexe to to main Rapunzel and Sedayne Soundcloud Page on which we're going to feature Songs of Light for the Dark Season, both from the archives and as we record them by way of session and rehearsal over the next few weeks.We'll be featuring them in our up coming gigs so there'll be some cross overs along the way, but as ever in different versions, all brightly shining and dusted down to bring a bit of sparkle to the proceedings...

There will be a WINTERFLORA CD-R featuring different versions of some of the material featured here.We'll be selling these at gigs, but if you'd like a copy message us at:
<a href="mailto:winterflora@sedayne.co.uk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">winterflora@sedayne.co.uk</a>

"The approach is billowing and unbound...Rapunzel is clear, clean and sweet; Sedayne is anguished and juddering." - Jeanette Leech (Shindig Quartely #4)



Winterflora 2011

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