Lyke Wake Dirge - The Young Tradition (1965)

Title: Lyke Wake Dirge
Artist: The Young Tradition
Album: The Young Tradition

This ae night, this ae night
Every night and a'
Fire and sleet and candle lighte,
And Christ receive thy saule

When from hence away art past
Every ...
To whinny moor thou com'st at last
And ...

If ever thou gavest hosen and shoon
Sit thee down and put them on.

If hosen and shoon thou ne'er gav'st nane
The whinnies shall prick thee to the bare bane.

From whinny moor when thou may'st pass
To Brig o' Dread thou com'st at last.

If ever thou gavest meat or drink
The fire shall never make thee shrink.

If meat or drink thou ne'er gav'st nane
The fire will burn thee to the bare bane.

This ae night, this ae nighte
Fire and sleet and candle lighte.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Traditional
• Christian
• British
• Folk
• Young
• Tradition
• Acapella
• Capella

[Trysine]

It's many years since I heard this: was on the first folk album I ever bought, now long since lost! Thank you for posting. :)

[balchoth]

you're welcome ;)

[martinrosskuul]

So remember this group when I was a v young folky,would love to get hold of their albums again.Can anyone help me......Brilliant

[balchoth]

Sorry, but I just have this song, because it was on an "Acoustic Folk" compilation.

[Jarrahnut]

They were very good. Their harmony was superb. Sadly, only Heather Wood is still with us. Best wishes to one and all from Jarrahnut in wonderful Western Australia.

[balchoth]

Thank you =)

[laconic94]

Wonderful stuff. I like the versions by Pentangle and Medieval Babes, but this one is the most powerful. You can see it being chanted in some windswept northern parish in the middle ages of Britain (or even earlier?). A soul has departed this life, and must embark on its final dreadful journey. The music has very primitive harmony. The three parts move in parallel triads, reminiscent of Gregorian chant.

[maximillionmarcopolo]

i heard this on John Peels show in 1967 or so. The harmonies made the hairs on my arms stand up and started a 20 year love affair with folk music. Lovely to hear it again. It still sounds so stark and elemental

[mouldybear]

I got this from my stepmother Nan (nee Spence) who heard it from an old Scots lady, Peggy Richards. The tune she sang was probably printed in "Songs Of The North" by Robert Boulton in 1909 and unconsciously changed by me into a more folk like tune.

I taught it to The Young Tradition claiming no copyright. Subsequently sung by Pentangle etc.

[mouldybear]

These verses were originally chanted en route to the graveyard along the "Lyke Wake Walk". They tell of the journey of the soul to the afterlife. The whinnies are thorns with berries on them called whinberries, now known more commonly as bilberries or blueberries. The verses concerning the 'Brig O' Dread' are lost

although Robert Graves had a go at writing them and not admitting to it.

[carollizc]

@semiperilous I'm torn between delight and disgust - delight that someone got a bargain, and disgust that such brilliant music is being sold so cheaply. I was fortunate enough to have seen Peter Bellamy perform in Toronto in the 80's, and it was truly memorable. Too bad there aren't many singers of this calibre amonst the younger generation.

[communitea]

Alasdair Roberts does an Amazing version of this song, based more on Pentangle's melody, and very spooky.

[pjotr60dvd]

1965? I was like 5 then... Discovered it when I was 12, still gives me shivers... Brilliant!

[semiperilous]

@acearch5ive

the vinyl is on ebay right now for 99 cents! just search for the young tradition.

[semiperilous]

@martinrosskuul

the vinyl is on ebay right now for 99 cents! just search for the young tradition.

[mayasherwin]

gives me shivers