The Vicky Arms

I had a lovely opportunity last night to go to a session that I had not been to before; a once-monthly one at the Vicky Arms, out in the sticks near Oxford. It's the pub where people congregate on May Day (which I'm excited about already!) to drink and sing and dance etc. The pub was gorgeous, really spacious but cosy, with huge windows, an open log fire and Christmas decorations galore! After getting very cold from being outside, I was extremely chuffed to find that they also served mulled wine, as well as the best (and strongest) cider I've ever tasted. But of course, that's by the by...

I'd arrived with a nice crew of Half Moon musicians, and there were a good number already there, so it wasn't long at all before the tunes started. I was very pleased to see a hammered dulcimer being played, after having only recently bought a hammered dulcimer CD and lamenting that I'd never actually seen one 'in the wood', so to speak. It's a beautiful instrument, very delicate and ancient-sounding, but it still managed to hold its own above the accordians and violins and guitars.

There were some great tunes played as expected, and also we were treated to a fully-costumed 'mumming' by some of the locals, enacting the story of St George and the Turkish knight, with Santa Claus, the Devil, a GP and a man in drag thrown in for good measure! I had never seen a mummers' play before, so that was a nice addition to what was a really cosy, friendly, festive session.

We also ad some songs from Sharron (who sang my favourite 'Corpus Christi Carol' that I've been ranting on about, gorgeously accompanied by her dulcimer), Ian, Lizzy and some other people whose names I don't know (yet). There was a very funny 'A to Z of Folk' song which made us all laugh, and someone else sang a different version of the 'Nine Joys of Mary' (a different tune, slightly different words and only seven joys included). I sang 'Bitter Withy', which, seeing as I didn't have any other even vaguely related Christmas folk songs that hadn't already been sung, was ok because it was at least about Jesus. 'Bitter Withy' is one of the most odd, but fascinating, folk songs I have ever heard. I believe Peter Bellamy / The Watersons may have done an older version, but I learned it from Lisa Knapp, possibly my favourite folk singer of these days (of which more in a later post, doubtless). It follows Jesus as a young child in England, and a miracle he performs which results in three deaths, for which Mary spanks him in punishment (well, I did say it was odd...) There is something very mysterious about the story and the phrasing, and even the rhythm of the song. It was the first time I had actually sung it, but it went ok I think.

I'm currently learning a medieval song, 'Undrentide', adapted from a longer poem, 'Sir Orfeo'. I heard the song from one of my favourite bands, the Mediaeval Baebes, http://www.mediaevalbaebes.com/, and loved the complex tune and rhythm of the song. The story is great, so I thought I'd reproduce the words here:

Befell so is the comessing of May
When mirry and hot is the day
Oway beth winter shours
And every feld is full of flours
And blosme breme on evry bough

Overall wexeth mirry anough
This ich quene Dame Heurodis
Took two maidens of pris
And went in an undrentide
To play by an orchard side

To see the floures sprede and sprin
To here the fowles sing
They set hem down all three
Under a faire impe-tree
And wel sone this faire quene
Fell on slepe opon the grene

The maidens durst hir nought awake
Bot lete hir ligge and rest take
She slepe till after none
That undrentide was all ydone
(That undrentide was all ydone)

Ac as sone she gan awake
She cried and lothly bere gan make
She froted hir honden and hir feet
And cracched hir visage, it blede weet
Hir riche robe hie all to-rett
And was reveyd out of hir wit

The two maidens hir beside
No durst with hir no leng abide
Bot urn to the palais full right
And tolde bothe squier and knight

That her quene awede wold
And bad hem go and hir athold
Knightes urn and levedis also
Damisels sexty and mo

In the orchard to the quene hie come
And hir up in her armes nome
And brought hir to bed atte last
And held hir there fine fast
Ac ever she held in o cry
And wolde up and owy

I have made a vow to learn a good number of folk songs over Christmas while I have the time, so this is not a bad start! It's the kind of song that stays in your head for days on end - the story is also haunting, being about a Queen who becomes enchanted by a fairy-tree and can't stand being back in the mortal world when she wakes, so goes mad. Cheerful stuff...but then, for folk, it's not too bad - after all, there's a nice tree in it at least.

So to conclude, 10/10 to the Vicky Arms, and I hope to be returning there next month!