The Watersons "Hal-An-Tow"

[BorderReiver73]

These guys are amazing. I had never even heard of The Watersons until tonight. Just found them after following a link for another group doing the Bonny Ship The Diamond. I feel blessed now after finding this!

[triqualina]

look at the smoke!



[TheMeleemonkey]

sing for the joy of weeping and burning.

[humberkid]

deepest sympathies to Mikes friends and family

[lucybritt100]

R.I.P mike, you will be missed xx

[bobdoucet]

Wonderful; we'll miss you, Mike.

[clnhnsn]

RIP Mike.

[PoitinCZ]

Beautiful. Keeping the music in our hearts.

[fiandrhi]

This is perfect. It gives me goosebumps. Thank you.

[caley956]

I believe David Attenborough commissioned this film (by Derrick Knight). One more thing to thank the great man for. He's a bit of a folkie on the quiet you know.....

[olafbigandglad]

shirley collins' version is also great.

[MorrisManDanceMan]

brilliant thanks foe tar is this

[taueret2k2]

Anyone know where this was filmed? Was it the BlueBell pub in Hull?

[twosixohfive]

@taueret2k2

It was definitely in Hull. I recommend watching The Land of Green Ginger by Harold Pinter if you get a chance, set in Hull in the late 60s/early 70s.

[taueret2k2]

@twosixohfive

Yeh, know it was Hull, but wondered which pub. They often performed at the Blue Bell which is where the folk club was, or possibly still is.

[seerauberjohnny]

@twosixohfive  Harold Pinter? Alan Plater surely?

[Bobbo293]

Thanks so much for posting this fantastic piece of film. But the smoke in the air is horrific!

[sputniksvythart]

A nice change after hearing lame Christmas songs everywhere i went - on these days, you can't escape them.

[Jarrahnut]

I saw them in Belfast, in about 1966. Their harmony was astonishing! So were the girls' mini-skirts ... I'd never seen anything like it!

[youthgoes]

I heard this was a Cornish spring-welcoming song. Is this correct? I'd love to find out the background behind this song. Thanks for posting!

[lewbook]

@youthgoes

For a totally different perspective - but same song - do a search on youtube for Helston May Celebration Hal an Tow . Lew

[youthgoes]

Thanks Lew! I have heard the original Helston version as well...seems to just be a variation the same basic song lyrically and musically here. But I believe the song originated in that Cornwall town correct? Either way, it's beautiful...and the harmonies work together well. :)

[pennypyro42]

@youthgoes According to Mara Freeman, in the book _Kindling the Celtic Spirit_, this is a Cornish May song. And i think May Day was considered the beginning of summer. (Of course, the precise beginnings of seasons kind of depend on one's view point, or perhaps the seasonal changes where one lives.)

I hope that helps.

[youthgoes]

@pennypyro42 Yeah man I had read it was from the Cornish town of Helston...a celebratory May song that went back to the 1100's or 1200's. Either way it's beautiful...one of my favorite traditional English folk songs.

[jonnycoulson]

if anyone has a copy of "cob coaling" by the watersons or anyone else actually.please let me know. we used to sing as kids back home in oldham,knocking on doors carrying a guy,we were supposed to be collecting wood from people for the "bonty" but most would give you 5p or so.a bit like trick or treat.

[MrJamie1957]

Great video of a great old tune. I sang this with the Cambridge Revels at the Perkins School Spring Show this year.

Thanks for posting.

[TomBeatster]

That's really beautiful.

[Sheamusj]

Monumentally grand.

Thank you from Canada.

[rrrobotic]

My wife and I sing a ton of songs we learned through the Watersons here in Indiana USA. We've started wassailing each year as well. We've got our first child on the way, we'll be teaching him this music. Thank you Watersons! Thank you Harry Cox!

[zoeplankton]

this is awesome awesome awesome

[pemberville]

Puget Sound Revels uses this song for the spring Equinox Sing-a-long

[Jarrahnut]

Jeez, they were a highlight of my life too! I was completely bowled over by their harmony. I first saw them perform in Belfast in about 1966. They were amazing! Absolutely stunning! Completely unpretentious and down to earth individuals. What a joy!

Greetings to one and all from Colin Hugh Abbott in wonderful Western Australia.

[onion3396]

An institution, second to none, pity the great English public knows next to nothing about them or the rich heritage they disperse, had the great honour to present them in Canada many years ago and still consider it one of the highlites of my life.

[summerhousenic]

Does anyone know what hal an tow means in english, or modern english? thank you

[pipewatcher]

apparently it's cornish.

[autobren]

it's not Cornish, they do have a song with the same name, but it is not this song.

[sarasuperid]

heel and toe

[barrowchap]

trying to find Dido Fido. Any help?

[cris8249]

I have their CD, Pence and Spicy Ale. I love it. I first heard them on Sound & Spirit, the Sunday morning NPR radio program. Does anyone know if they're still performing?

[tarrek]

Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson regularly perform live - now with their daughter, Eliza. Many of the Waterson clan reunited at the Royal Albert Hall last year for an extraordinary concert.

[videovirgin2]

I recognise the tune, and possibly the chorus, but this is not the Hal-an-Tow anyone in Cornwall would know. Perhaps a visit to Helston on Flora Day would help.

[iceman360180]

Love this song. Grate singing grate lyrics.

it is so good!!! {:

[XTIRP8]

lollipopmind have you got "country life"?

[kemacoli]

A National Treasure.

If this family had not been working class they would have been inundated with praise and reward from the "establishment".

Opera? Ballet? Pretentious crap which the supposed supporters do not understand.

THIS is MUSIC!!!

There, now I feel better.

[southsaxon]

Great folk music...timeless....hey nonny no...

[Tibicena]

Amazing... We've just discovered this songs thanks to Radio 3 in Spain, thank you very much for these videos!

[jenshoops]

Frost and Fire , my favourite record of all time .........

[frenk1973]

The Watersons have to be the best of the whole folk movement. Thanks for putting this up, I've been looking forward to seeing them.