From 21/12/2021 until 21/12/2022. 10:00

Virtual Keepen Up O' Chris'mas

To compensate for cancelled events during the Coronavirus outbreak in 2020, the Society has prepared a programme of virtual events to entertain from the comfort of your home.

A selection of William Barnes poetry relating to the festive season was read and recorded by members of the William Barnes Society.

These included:

Christmas Invitation read by Charles Buckler, Brian Caddy, Rod Drew, Tim Laycock, Joy Parsons, Barbara Whillock, Sue Worth
The Vrost read by Barbara Whillock
Slidèn read by Rod Drew
Herrenston read by Brian Caddy, Tim Laycock and Sue Worth
Lydlinch Bells by Ethel Gumbleton
The Settle an' the Girt Wood Vire read by Brian Caddy and Tim Laycock
The Humstrum read by David Strawbridge - Grammer’s Shoes read by Joy Parsons
A Ghost read by Charles Buckler and Brian Caddy
Keepen up o’ Chris’mas read by Philip Humphries

This programme of poetry is to compensate for the evening of readings and song that would normally have taken place at Dorford Centre in December.

Readings recorded by Andy Worth

Photography by Mark North

Additional Music:

I Saw Three Ships Arranged by Tim Laycock Performed by Tim and Angela Laycock
The Shepherds Amazed Arranged by DT Townsend. From the repertoire of the Winterborne Monkton choir. Performed by the Ridgeway Singers and Band at the Dorford Centre, Dorchester in December 2019, and recorded by Andy Worth for Keep106 Community Radio
Good King Wenceslas Arranged Tim Laycock and John Timpany Copyright Wild Goose Records
A Winter Night by William Barnes, music, arrangement and sung by John Blackmore Copyright John Blackmore
Here We Come A-Wassailing Arranged by Tim Laycock Performed by Tim and Angela Laycock.

Keepen Up O' Chris'mas

By William Barnes

An’ zoo you didden come athirt,
To have zome fun last night: how wer’t?
Vor we’d a-worked wi’ all our might
To scour the iron things up bright,
An’ brush’d an’ scrubb’d the house all drough;
An’ brought in vor a brand, a plock
O’ wood so big’s an uppen-stock
An’ hung a bough o’ misseltoo,
An’ ax’d a merry friend or two,
To keepen up o’Christmas.

An’ there wer wold an’ young; an’ Bill,
Soon after dark, stalk’d up vrom mill.
An’ when he wer a-comin near,
He whissled loud vor me to hear;
Then roun’ my head my frock I roll’d,
An’ stood on orcha’d like a post,
To meake en think I wer a ghost.
But he wer up to’t, an did scwold
To vind me stannen in the cwold,
A-keepen up o’ Christmas.

We play’d at Forfeits, an’ we spun
The trencher roun’, an’ meade such fun!
An’ had a geame o’ dree-ceard loo,
An’ then begun to hunt the shoe.
An’ all the wold vo’k zitten near,
A-chatten roun’ the vier pleace,
Did smile in woone another’s feace,
An’ sheake right hands wi’ hearty cheer.
An’ let their left hands spill their beer,
A-keepen up o’ Christmas.