Old English Songs

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Old English Songs as Now sung by the peasantry of the Weald of Surrey and Sussex, and collected by one who has learnt them by hearing them sung every Christmas from early childhood, by the country people, who go about to the Neighbouring Houses, singing, or “Wassailing” as it is called, at that season. The Airs are set to music exactly as they are now sung to rescue them from oblivion…. and to afford a specimen of genuine Old English melody, and the words are given in their original Rough state, with an occasional slight alteration to render the sense intelligible. Arranged by G A Dusart (1843).

Private publication - 1847 - of songs collected by John Broadwood. This was a softback publication, and only three copies are known to be still in existence. One of these is held in the Surrey History Centre in Woking, Surrey, England (where the original galley proofs are also now held), and another in the British Library.

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