Time to Remember the Poor - a charity plea.wmv

Time to Remember The Poor was collected by Baring Gould from John Taylor of Postbridge on Dartmoor. (The Baring Gould song archive is available on line thanks to Wren Music -- see wrenmusic.co.uk). This version is mainly from the singing of Martin and Shan Graebe, but with an extra verse from Yorkshire -- and slight simplification of the tune due to my mis-learning by ear. Sung by Alan Rosevear in Exeter. Roud Number 1121.

TIME TO REMEMBER THE POOR
Now the winter is come with its cold chilling breath
And the leaves do fall off from the trees
All nature is touched with the finger of death
And the streams do begin for to freeze
When the wanton young boys on the water will slide
And the frost overcovers the moor
When in plenty you are sitting by a warm fireside:
That's the time to remember the poor

When the cold feathered snow doth begin for to fall
And whiten the prospect around
When the hills and the dales are all buried in wreaths
And cover all over the ground
When green things are withered and gone out of sight
And the rivers are froze to the shore
And when your bowl smokes reviving and hot:
That's the time to remember the poor

When the poor harmless hare to the woods may be traced
By the print he has left in the snow
When our lips and our toes are turned blue with the frost
And the sportsman a-shooting doth go
When a poor robin redbreast approaches our cot
And the icicles hang off the door
When the bright twinkling stars proclaim the cold night
That's the time to remember the poor

If the thaw shall ensue and the waters increase
And the river shall vehermently grow
When the fish from their stations obtain a release
And in danger the travellers go
When your journey is stayed by the wide swelling flood
And your bridges are useful no more
When with health rich and joy everything that is good
Do you grumble to think of the poor?

Oh the time draweth nigh when the Saviour on earth
All the world shall agree with one voice
All nations unite to salute the blest morn
And the ends of the earth will rejoice
When death is deprived of his cold chilly sting
And the grave is a terror no more
With angels and men hallelujah shall sing
And the rich will lie down with the poor

When all nations unite to salute the blest morn
Then the rich will lie down with the poor.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• English
• traditional
• folk
• song
• unaccompanied
• acappella
• Devon
• Baring-Gould

[rosevear99]

I got mine mainly from a (mudcat sourced) Yorkshire version, which gives the two extra half bits that expand the Shan and Martin verse into 2 full verses. I also think they secularised the last verse a bit (probably because Baring-Gould's writing was so difficult!!) - I am waiting till it gets proper cold before trying this out - it is still too warm in Devon.

[juryrigging]

Out of curiosity, which is the Yorkshire verse? The John Taylor version in the BG archive has five verses which vary a bit from yours but are generally the same. I think Martin and Shan merge the third and fourth verses in the video you uploaded in Feb, which confuses matters slightly.

Still, it is a great song, whichever version!