Bellringers - a Devon song celebrating the ringers from North Lew

Описание: The Bellringers song. Collected by Rev Sabine Baring-Gould in the 1890s, capturing the cascading sounds of a peel of churchbells, when well rung; a great chorus to join in as well. The villages of Northlew and Ashwater are in West Devon, near the border with Cornwall. Sung by Alan Rosevear in Exeter, Roud Number 1515.

THE BELLRINGING
One day in October, neither drunken nor sober,
O'er Broadbury Down I was taking my way,
When I heard of some ringing, some dancing and singing,
I aught to remember that jubilee day.
1st chorus,
'Twas in Ashwater town, the bells they did sound,
They rang for a belt and a hat laced with gold,
But the men of North Lew rang so steady and true
That there never were better in Devon, I hold.

'Twas misunderstood for the men of Broadwood
Gave a blow on the tenor that never aught to have been.
But the men of North Lew rang so steady and true
A difficult matter to beat them, twood have bin.
1st chorus again,

Them of Broadwood being naughty, they said to our party,
"We'll ring you a challenge again in a round.
We'll give you the chance at St Stephens by Lanson,
The prize to the winners a note of five pounds".
1st chorus again,

When the match it came on at good Callington,
The bells they rang out o'er the valley below.
The old and the young people, the hale and the feeble,
They came out to hear the sweet bell music flow.
2nd chorus
'Twas in Callington town, the bells they did sound,
They rang for a belt and a hat laced with gold.
But the men of North Lew rang so steady and true
That there never were better in Devon, I hold.
Them of Broadwood once more were obliged to give o'er,
They were beaten completely again in a round.
But the men of North Lew rang so steady and true,
No better than they in the West can be found.

'Twas in Ashwater town, then in Callington town,
They rang for a belt and a hat laced with gold,
But the men of North Lew won the ale and the five pound note too,
And there never were better in Devon, I hold.

"The Bell Ringing" was collected by the Rev Sabine Baring-Gould from one William George Kerswell, farmer, of Two Bridges, Dartmoor (at the Saracen's Head)