Gloucestershire Wassail

T

he song was sung in parts of England during the days of wassailing. This historical setting and the nature of its lyrics make it similar to carols such as Here We Come A-wassailing.[2][6][7] The current most common version of the song was first published in 1928 in the Oxford Book of Carols by one of the book's three authors, Ralph Vaughan Williams.[5] The tune was sung to him in August or July 1909 at the Swan Inn, an inn in Pembridge, Herefordshire,[9] by an unknown old person from Gloucestershire.[5]

Vaughan Williams published the tune and these lyrics in 1913.[10] However, for the 1928 Oxford publication, he used different lyrics; the ones commonly sung today.[5] These lyrics he largely got from renowned folk music revivalist Cecil J Sharp,[9] as well as some from nineteenth century printed sources.[11] Sharp's collection of lyrics were published in his 1916 book English Folk Songs, Collected and Arranged with Pianoforte Accompaniment by Cecil J Sharp