Wassails have a long history in Cornwall and are enjoying a revival in the 21st Century. The Institute of Cornish Studies hosts a Wassail in the Orchard at Tremough House on the Penryn Campus each January. When it became clear that a live event would not be possible in 2021 due to the Covid emergency we joined forces with  Tir ha Tavas ,the Kernow Bedroom Choir ,  Exeter University’s Arts and Culture, and Lowender Peran to  hold a virtual Cornish Wassail.

Merv Davey and Daniel Woodfield introduce the project:

There are two elements to our Wassail, the ceremony and the song.

The ceremony:

Solempnitys Wassel	Wassail Ceremony
Areth dhe’n gwydh (Ordenor) A gowetha yth on ni kuntellys omma rag Galow Difunyans Avalennek gans agan wassel. Y hwovynnyn orth an Avalennek ha spyrys an goswik rag lowender, yeghes ha trevas da y'n vledhen a dheu. Lemmyn y whovynnav orth Spyrys and Goswik dhe dhifuna an avalennow.	Address to the Trees (MC) Friends we are gathered here to for the Orchards Awakening Call with our Wassail. We ask the orchard and the spirit of the forest for happiness, health and a good harvest in the year to come. I now ask the spirit of the forest to awaken the apple trees.
Spyrys an gwydh Y halwav orth an gwydh, Difunewgh! Oll: Difunewgh! Spyrys: Arta! Oll: Difunewgh! Spyrys: Arta! Oll: Difunewgh! Shallal, Kan Wassel ha sedhyewgh kras y'n Skudel Wassel ha'y kregi war’n gwydh.	Tree Spirit I call upon the trees. Awaken! All: Awaken! Spirit: Again! All: Awaken! Spirit: Again! All: Awaken! Shallal (An infernal noise) sing the wassail as below, Dip toast in Wassail Bowl and hang on the trees.

The Wassail Song:

Wassel Kernow, written and sung by Tir ha Tavas (Dee and Dave Brotherton), filmed and edited by French + Scott Media Productions in support of the St Ives Community Project.

Download pdf -Wassel Kernow score+lyrics

Kan Wassel Keskan Wassel, wassel, a-dro oll an gwydh, may teffons lowr a frutys rudh. Wassel, wassel, bennathow dhedha, re dheffo tresor yn termyn da. Gwers 1 Y plensyn avalen gans fydhyans fur, may hyll hi tevi heb strifow meur. Re geryn hy gwreydh ha skorennow mar grev ha gwitha hy bewnans gans nerth pub dydh. Keskan: Wassel, wassel, a-dro oll an gwydh… hag erel Gwers 2 Ni a’s difun ha ri bennath gans kan, ha lemmyn solempnya gans dons ha gans lamm. An fordh ma yw gwir, hengovek ha teg, ha bynner re varwo an avalennek. Keskan: Wassel, wassel, a-dro oll an gwydh…. hag erel Gwers 3 Re dheffo lowena gans agan wassel, ha re omglewvons an gwydh milwell. ‘Tho gwren ni keskana ha donsya gans hwarth ha bys vynari bos kowetha fyrv. Keskan: Wassel, wassel, a-dro oll an gwydh…. hag erel

Literal Translation Chorus Wassail, wassail, around all the trees, which may grow plenty of red fruit. Wassail, wassail, blessings to them, may come treasure in good time. Verse 1 We plant an apple tree with well advised confidence, so that she can grow without much struggle. May we love her roots and branches so strong and look after her life with energy every day. Chorus Verse 2 We awake them and give blessing with song, and now celebrate with dance and leap. This way is true, traditional and beautiful, and may the orchard never die. Chorus Verse 3 May there come happiness with our wassail, and may the trees feel a thousand times better. So let’s sing together and dance with laughter and for evermore be firm friends. Chorus

The Wassail in Cornwall has a fascinating story which might have started with an alliance between the  Cornish and the Vikings! See our Wassail page for more.

New members are always welcometo the Kernow Bedroom Choir find us here: Kernow Bedroom Choir 

We are grateful for help from the following organisations with our virtual Wassail:

Wassel Kernow was filmed as part of a project to promote and support the St Ives community Land Trust and we are grateful for their permission to use this video.

 

 

Cornwall Council’s language office supported Wassel Kernow through their Social Activity Funding.

 

 

We have also been pleased to collaborate with  Here’s To Thee a new Arts Commission from Arts and Culture University and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum. Led by internationally renowned artist Simon Pope, Here’s To Thee is a fascinating and thought-provoking new Arts Commission exploring the customs, cultures and ecology of cider-making, including touching on the wassail. Collaborating with a team of academics, artists and musicians from across the region, this project will allow audiences to uncover more about the rich and captivating world of microbiomes and better understand how we are all connected with our environment. Find out more at https://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/arts-commission/heres-to-thee