On Sunday, December 3, we honored mummers in literature with a play from Thomas Hardy Country at a glorious FSSGB Pub Carol Sing with Bruce Randall's West Gallery Quire, featuring participatory carols from the Sheffield, West Gallery, and Sacred Harp traditions (as well as some standard favorites). This event was a great "traditional" venue for mummers, and a great opportunity to sing your brains out and make a fool of yourself at the same time. PBM also hit a new turnout record with 13 players onstage, 2 more in reserve (even with 3 last-minute no-shows), and at least 5 groupies. We look forward to doing more gigs like this one, and to making the Pub Caroling an annual tradition!
"The good old carols, a warm pub atmosphere, mumming, free--what's not to love?" --Angela Kessler, Colonel Spring
"Who wouldn't want to prance around with a wooden sword and a paper bag on their head?" --Columbine Phoenix, Captain Bluster
Photos
When & Where
Sunday, December 3, 2:00pm to 5:00pm at Doyle's Cafe, 3484 Washington St, Jamaica Plain, MA
Background
West Gallery music, aka "Barnyard Baroque," was the family music of novelist Thomas Hardy of Dorsetshire. PBM presented one of the Dorset plays, seen by Thomas Hardy in the 1850s and the basis for one of my favorite scenes in Return of the Native, where the heroine disguises herself as one of the (male) mummers. The Symondsbury play is perhaps best known for its closing song, Singing The Travels, covered by Maddy Prior and June Tabor in 1970 on Silly Sisters. This is a solid hero-combat play for Christmas, with two heroes, four villains, two doctors, some unusual lines, and a great song! What's not to love?
St. George: If you will set these men on their pins, I'll give thee a hundred pound, and here is the money.Doctor: So I will my worthy knight, and then I shall not want for whiskey for one twelvemonth to come.
Text & Cast
Symondsbury, Hardy Chapbook
Symondsbury closing song
| ROLE | PLAYER |
| Old Father Christmas / Jan / Uncle Jan | Anabel |
| Room | Lynn |
| Egyptian King / King of Egypt / Anthony | Phil |
| St. George | Jeff |
| St. Patrick | April |
| Captain Bluster | Columbine |
| Gracious King | Mark |
| General Valentine | Greer |
| Colonel Spring | Angela |
| Doctor / Mr. Martin Dennis | Jeremy |
| Mr. Doctor | Jeremy |
| Old Bet / Dame Dorothy | Deborah |
| Servant-Man | Lynn |
| Pogocello | David Rosen |
Plot Order
| FIGHT | COMBATANTS |
| 0 | St. George DOES NOT KILL Egyptian King |
| 1 | St. Patrick kills Capt Bluster |
| 2 | St. George kills Gracious King |
| 3 | St. George kills General Valentine |
| 4 | St. George kills Colonel Spring |
| A | Doctor revives all four slain |
| 5 | Father Xmas kills Bet |
| B | Doctor revives Bet |
All cast lists are STARTING LINEUPS ONLY for planning purposes, always subject to change without notice at the gig. Casting is officially first come, first served, so those who respond to gig invites first get their first choice of parts. For street tours, we change parts each time through the play. Since we accommodate several limited-mobility players, the able-bodied tend to get cast into the combatant roles. Be bold.
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