Nowell Sing We Clear

English folk traditions include unaccompanied singing, Morris dancing, sword dancing, country dancing (adapted in New England as contra dancing which is similar to square dancing), and Christmas traditions that were often adapted from pagan solstice celebrations. Many villages developed and preserved their own forms of music, song and dance for the different seasons and incorporated religious stories and music. In the time before music could be recorded, it was sometimes collected and preserved by folklorists while it was being handed down from older to younger performers on village greens, in taverns and churches.

John Roberts and Tony Barrand, who developed their interest in English traditional music after they'd come to the United States, began performing sea songs, tavern songs and songs of the working folk. When they came up with the concept of Nowell Sing We Clear, they found a rich heritage of material to draw on. Even after performing the show for more than 30 years, they are still uncovering "new" material to use.

In the course of a performance, audiences will not only hear traditional songs and tune, they will also learn their origins and of the customs such as visiting, feasting, wassailing, caroling, gift-giving and wrenning. The performance also includes a Mummer's play from Kentucky, a form of folk drama with deep roots in both England and North America. All of this is presented in a lively, entertaining and often humorous manner.

Nowell Sing We Clear has itself become a holiday tradition for many people in the Northeast. For several years during the 1980s, one of the stops Roberts, Barrand, Breunig and Woodruff made was at the Northern Lights Coffeehouse at the First Parish Church in Fitchburg, MA where I served as emcee. The performances were held in the church sanctuary. My stage duties on those nights was only to welcome the audience and the performers, then I'd enjoy a warm and magical evening with everyone else. Coming from English and Scottish roots, Nowell Sing We Clear brought me in touch with my heritage and the spirit of the season.

For a listing of December performances of Nowell Sing We Clear, see the schedule on the Nowell Sing We Clear home page. It's the 36th year of performances.

Note: The link for December 2010 performances was updated November 26, 2010.

The first volume of recordings from 1977 features the original lineup of John Roberts, Tony Barrand, Fred Breunig and Steve Woodruff. Fred and Steve had first recorded with John and Tony earlier that year on Dark Ships in the Forest.

Tracks:
1. The Truth From Above/Masters in this Hall
2. The Holly and the Ivy
3. Joys Seven
4. King Pharim
5. Coventry Carol
6. Familiar Carol Medley
7. The Cherry Tree Carol
8. Sussex Carol
9. Somerset Wassail
10. The Boar's Head Carol
11. Divers and Lazarus
12. The Bitter Withy
13. An Orkney New Year's Carol
14. Sword Dance Tunes from the Village of Sleights
15. Rise Up, Jock!

Note: The first three volumes of Nowell Sing We Clear (not including To Welcome in the Spring) are not available separately from Golden Hind Music. Selections are available on The Best of Nowell Sing We Clear. You may be able to locate them at an online or brick-and-mortar record store in LP form.

To Welcome in the Spring

This recording of songs from the group's concerts celebrating the changing of the season from Winter to Spring is also known to fans as "TWitS."

Tracks:
1. Candlemas Eve
2. Mothering Sunday
3. Gabriel's Message
4. All In The Morning
5. The Merchant's Carol
6. The Leaves of Life (or The Seven Virgins)
7. The Lamb of God
8. My Dancing Day
9. The Sound Of The Drum/Ninety-Five
10. The Month Of May
11. Country Dance Medley: Trip to Paris/Knole Park
12. The Moon Shines Bright (or The Bellman's Song)
13. The Football Match
14. The Whitsun Song
15. Come Lasses And Lads/Packington's Pound
16. Northhill May Song

or the MP3 from CD Baby

Available as an MP3 download from Amazon.com: To Welcome in the Spring

Tracks:
1. The Cutty Wren
2. Six Jolly Miners
3. Medley of Long Sword Tunes from the Village of Grenoside and Ampleforth
4. Milford
5. A Child This Day Is Born
6. While Shepherds Watched
7. Lord of the Dance
8. The Praise of Christmas
9. Green Grow the Rushes, O
10. Gloucestershire Wassail
11. Sherburne
12. Apple Tree Wassail, The Derby Ram
13. The Wren (The King)

Tracks:
1. Masters in this Hall
2. Star in the East
3. The Carnal and the Crane/King Herod and the Cock/The Miraculous Harvest
4. O Little Town of Bethlehem
5. Leaping and Dancing
6. Sherbourne (original version)
7. Gower Wassail
8. Kris Kringle
9. Winter/Spring
10. Flower Carol
11. Green Grow'th the Holly
12. Morris and Sword Tune Medley
13. Carol for New Year's Day

The Best of Nowell Sing We Clear, 1975-1986

Tracks:
1. A Child This Day Is Born**
2. While Shepherds Watched**
3. Leaping And Dancing***
4. The Cherry Tree Carol*
5. Sussex Carol*
6. The Carnal And The Crane/King Herod And The Cock/The Miraculous Harvest***
7. Coventry Carol*
8. The Bitter Withy*
9. The Holly And The Ivy*
10. Green Grow'th The Holly***
11. Winter/Spring***
12. Rise Up Jock*
13. Gower Wassail***
14. Gloucestershire Wassail**
15. Apple Tree Wassail/The Derby Ram**
16. Sherburne***
17. Kris Kringle***
18. The Cutty Wren**
19. An Orkney New Year's Carol*
20. Carol For New Year's Day***
21. The Wren (The King)**
22. Lord Of The Dance**

*Nowell Sing We Clear
**The Second Nowell
***Nowell Sing We Clear, Volume 3

or the MP3 from CD Baby - The Best of Nowell Sing We Clear, 1975-1986

Available as an MP3 album from Amazon.com: The Best of Nowell Sing We Clear, 1975-1986

Note: This album and the following three albums are available as CDs from Golden Hind Music. See the link in Ordering Information and Links below.

Nowell Sing We Four

In this recording, Steve Woodruff is succeeded by Andy Davis, who continues to perform in the annual concerts.

Tracks:
1. The Boys' Carol
2. The Cherry Tree Carol
3. Carol (While Shepherds Watched)
4. Come and I Will Sing You
5. Hunting the Wren/The Wren Boys' Song
6. Over the Hill and Over the Dale
7. Old Christmas/Shooting Recitation
8. The Ram Song
9. Welladay (Christmas Lamentation)
10. Boar's Head Carol
11. The Praise of Christmas
12. The Rag Dance Song (La Guignolze)/Pays D'Haut
13. Rolling Downward

or the MP3 from CD Baby - Nowell Sing We Four

Available as an MP3 album from Amazon.com: Nowell Sing We Four

Hail Smiling Morn!

The cover is by Vermont woodcut artist Mary Azarian.

Tracks:
1. Hail Smiling Morn!
2. Sweet Chiming Bells
3. Old Foster
4. The Holly and the Ivy
5. Shepherds Arise
6. Old Christmas Return'd
7. Jacob's Well
8. March of the Kings
9. I Saw Three Ships
10. The Joys of Mary
11. The Bitter Withy
12. Carol of the Creatures (Sydney Carter)
13. Hail Happy Morn
14. The Cutty Wren
15. Here We Come A-Wassailing/We Wish You a Merry Christmas
16. Carol for the New Year

or the MP3 from CD Baby - Hail Smiling Morn!

Available as an MP3 album from Amazon.com: Hail Smiling Morn

Just Say Nowell
Tracks:
1. The Truth From Above
2. Babe of Bethlehem
3. The First Nowell
4. The Cherry Tree Carol
5. London
6. The Blessings of Mary
7. I Saw a Maiden
8. Chariots
9. The Holly and the Ivy
10. Joy to the World
11. Christemas Hath Made an End
12. Ditchling Carol
13. Time to Remember the Poor
14. Stevens Family Waysail
15. Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy
16. New Year's Carol

or the MP3 from CD Baby

Available as an MP3 album from Amazon.com: Just Say Nowell

When The Best of Nowell Sing We Clear was released, some of the songs from the 1975-1986 period were not included. Among those was "Green Grow the Rushes-O." This omission distressed a Philadelphia radio host so much that John Roberts made him a CD single so he could play it on his show. This led to taking another look at omitted material and the addition of songs from the past few years.

This album is currently available at Golden Hind Music. Click on the CD cover to order.




Tracks:
1. Carol for Christmas Eve
2. From Far Away
3. The Twelve Days of Christmas
4. Six Jolly Miners
5. Sherburne/Milford
6. I Heard From Heaven Today
7. The Shepherds Amazèd
8. Derwent Wassail
9. Joys Seven
10. Somerset Wassail
11. The Derby Ram
12. Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
13. Homeless Wassail
14. Bring the New Year In
15. Green Grow the Rushes-O
16. Song for the New Year

or the MP3 from CD Baby

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