Having become fans of Purcell, we have also paired excerpts from two of his operas. "Your Hay it is Mow'd" is from King Arthur, which Purcell set in 1691 to a libretto by John Dryden. For this piece, we are joined by several friends in an attempt to sound like a pub full of complaining farmers. This drinking song is followed by an instrumental trio arrangement of "Dance for the Haymakers," which is the closing piece of the third act of The Fairy Queen, a 1692 opera based on A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Lyrics
Your hay it is mow'd, and your corn is reap'd;
Your barns will be full, and your hovels heap'd.
Come, boys, come; Come, boys, come;
And merrily roar out our harvest home.
We've cheated the parson, we'll cheat him again,
For why should a blockhead have one in ten?
One in ten, one in ten,
For why should a blockhead have one in ten?
For prating so long like a book-learn'd sot,
Till pudding and dumpling are burnt to pot,
Burnt to pot, burnt to pot,
Till pudding and dumpling are burnt to pot.
We'll toss off our ale till we cannot stand,
And heigh for the honour of Old England:
Old England, Old England,
And heigh for the honour of Old England.
