Stars and Ribbons: Winter Wassailing in Wales

(Paperback)

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An exploration of the rich history of holiday Wassail songs, featuring music for singing along.

Wassailing has been a feature of midwinter Welsh culture for centuries, a way to brighten up the dark, cold nights and share the holiday spirit. Stars and Ribbons takes us into the rich history of wassail songs past and present. It focuses specifically on the poetry that underpins the tradition and that brings a special magic to Christmas, New Years, and Twelfth Night. The poems of the season, we learn, served a distinct purpose, intended to help improve the earths fertility in three spheres: the productivity of the land, of the animal kingdom, and of the human race.

The songs addressed in the book are presented with musical notation and in both the original Welsh and new English translations, perfect for bringing a bit of wassail spirit to your own holiday celebrations.

Author Bio

Rhiannon Ifans is a retired Dyson Fellow in the Faculty of Humanities and Performing Arts, University of Wales Trinity Saint David. She is general secretary of the Welsh Folk Song Society and editor of the annual journal Canu Gwerin / Folk Song.