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Wassail! Wassail! A celebration of cider, orchards and song

Dan Saladino goes in search of the history, meaning and spirit of wassails and cider. In Somerset he takes part in a village wassail sung door to door and one sung in an orchard.

Dan Saladino goes in search of the history, meaning and spirit of wassails and cider. In Somerset he takes part in a village wassail sung door to door and one sung in an orchard.

Contributors:
The Drayton village wassailers.
Gerard Tucker, wassail master of ceremonies.
Nell Leyshon (novelist and dramatist, play: Folk).
James Crowden, author, Cider Country: How an Ancient Craft Became a Way of Life.

Music:
Drayton Wassail (as documented by Cecil Sharp in 1903)
Tam Lin, Fairport Convention (1968)
Bruton Town, Pentangle (1968)

Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Mon 31 Jan 202215:30
BBC Radio 4

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Broadcasts

  • Sun 30 Jan 202212:32
    BBC Radio 4
  • Mon 31 Jan 202215:30
    BBC Radio 4

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