14 ME Finale Act I 'Merrie England'

Dr. Pitt-Payne in London UK - 13 Apr 2003

[Bessie:] It is a tale of Robin Hood,
of Tuck, and little John,
and all of those who followed him,
with his Maid Marion,
with his Maid Marion.
For she, for she followed him,
as Love may follow thee,
beneath the greenwood tree.
Tho' fortune frown,
Thou'lt wear a crown
a King may never see.

[Chorus:] As Love may follow thee
beneath the greenwood tree
tho' fortune frown
Thou'lt wear a crown
a King may never frown.

[Bessie:] With a hey, Robin,
jolly, jolly Robin,
Hey, Robin, jolly, jolly Robin,
what tho' fortune
wear a frown,
with a hey, jolly, jolly Robin!

[Chorus:] Hey, Robin, jolly Robin, hey!
ho, hey, ho!

[Bessie:] Then who would not be
out of court as Robin Hood befel?
To fare as love may bid him fare!
And bid all else farewell,
and bid all else farewell.
If love follow him,
If love follow, follow, follow him,
If love follow him,
[Chorus:] If love follow...

[Bessie:] As love
may follow thee,
beneath the greenwood tree,
tho' fortune frown
thou'lt wear a crown
a King may never see.

[Chorus:] As love
may follow thee,
beneath the greenwood tree,
tho' fortune frown
thou'lt wear a crown
a King may never see.

[Bessie:] With a Hey, Robin,
jolly, jolly Robin.
Hey, Robin,
jolly, jolly Robin,
What tho' fortune wear a frown,
with a hey,
jolly, jolly Robin,

[Chorus:] Hey Robin, jolly Robin,

[Bessie:] With a hey,
jolly Robin, jolly Robin.

[Chorus:] With a hey, Robin,
jolly, jolly Robin,
With a hey, Robin,
jolly, jolly Robin, hey!
Ho! Hey! Ho!

[Elizabeth:] Would Queens
could love as Marion did!
Heigh ho! Heigh ho!

[Essex:] Would I were
Robin Hood if that were so!
Heigh ho! Heigh ho!

[Long Tom:] Madam,
I ask a favour!

I plead the cause of a poor,
sorely stricken girl,
whom folk do call Jill AllAlone.

[May Queen:] She is a witch!
She is a witch!
[Chorus:] She is a witch!
She is a witch!
She is a witch!
A witch, a witch, a witch!

Oh, she's a witch!
Pick up a stone!
Die in a ditch!
Jill all alone

[Elizabeth:] Who speak against her?
[Queen O' May:] These four
worthy citizens of Windsor town!

[Four Worthies:] We're
four men of Windsor
We're four men of Windsor.
[Butcher:] A Butcher of Windsor,
[Baker:] A Baker of Windsor,
[Tinker:] A Tinker of Windsor,
[Tailor:] A Tailor of Windsor,
[Butcher:] And good meat I sell!
[Baker:] And good bread I bake!
[Tinker:] And my tin is good tin!
[Tailor:] And good clothes I make!
[All:] So we all ply a good trade
in Windsor town.
And cry, Who'll buy?
Who'll buy? buy? buy? buy?
From the four men of Windsor town,
From the four men of Windsor.

[Butcher:] When you buy meat,
try my meat.
[Baker:] When you buy bread,
try my bread.
[Tinker:] When you buy tin,
try my tin.
[Tailor:] When you buy clothes,
try my clothes.

[Chorus:] From the four men
of Windsor town,
From the four men of Windsor.
The four men of Windsor
all ply a good trade,
O the four men of Windsor
all ply a good trade.

[Butcher:] The Butcher of Windsor,
[Baker:] The Baker of Windsor,
[Tinker:] The Tinker of Windsor,
[Tailor:] The Tailor of Windsor,
[All:] Butcher, Baker,
Tinker, Tailor,

[Butcher:] And good meat I sell!
[Baker:] And good bread I bake!
[Tinker:] And my tin is good tin!
[Tailor:] And good clothes I make!

[All:] And we all ply a good trade
in Windsor town and cry,
Who'll buy? Who'll buy?
Buy? Buy? Buy?
From the four men of Windsor town,
From the four men of Windsor town.

[Elizabeth:] What say you girl?
They say you are a witch!

[Jill:] A witch is wise,
so if a witch,
I do know more than they,
but if I am a witch,
I know much less,
because I do not know I am a witch,
but I do know what I do know!

Now hark! I know that love
is far above all other pretty things,
and I do know that being so,
'tis coveted by Kings.
But love hath wings
and passeth by a King,
sometimes, for such as I.
I wonder why! I wonder why!

[May Queen:] By those words
I accuse her
of drawing, by her magic,
the love of faithful lovers
unto herself; by witchcraft,
by witchcraft, by witchcraft!

[Essex:] She had this piece of writing
which I did find upon her.
Perhaps it is a love charm.
A thing of evil purpose!

[Elizabeth:] The verse is an accrostic,
and it's initial letters
do make the name of "Bessie!"
And I do know the writing!

[Essex:] 'Tis Sir Walter Raleigh!
[Elizabeth:] Yes! Yes!
[To Raleigh:] Is it not thy writing,
and my name that is written?
[Raleigh:] The writing is my writing,
and I give back the letter
To her, to her for whom I wrote it.

[Chorus:] Bessie Throckmorton!
Bessie Throckmorton!

[Raleigh:] My troth is plighted
to this gentle maid;
In secret I have paid
my past addresses!
Blow high, blow low,
however fortune blow.
I let the whole world know
My heart is Bessie's! My heart,
My heart is Bessie's!

[Bessie:] Tho' I'm afrighted
and sore afraid,
tho' dread of her tirade
my soul possesses!
Blow high, blow low,
however fortune blow.
I'll let the whole world go
for thy caresses,
for thy - for thy caresses!

[Elizabeth:] Now I am slighted
for another maid,
Love's like a falcon strayed,
with broken jesses!
Fly high, fly low,
where ever love may go,
what lure can woman throw
for lost caresses!

[All:] Ah! Now I am slighted
for another maid.
Love's like a falcon strayed,
with broken jesses!
What cure can women know
for lost, for lost caresses.

[Jill:] Ah!
I know that love is far above
all jewels that are seen!
And I do know that, being so.
'Tis wanted by a Queen.
But love, I ween, may pass her by.
So I may laugh! So I may laugh!

[Elizabeth:] No! Thou shalt die!
Thou shalt die!
Go! Lodge this witch
within the castle walls!
I'll see her burn there!
Thou, Sir Walter,
go to thy country house and banishment!
[To Bessie:] Go to the castle,
thou, a prisoner! A prisoner!
A prisoner!

[Bessie and Raleigh:] Tho' I'm
affrighted and sore afraid,
tho' dread of her tirade
my soul possesses,
Blow high, blow low,
however fortune blow,
I'll let the whole world go
for thy caresses,
for thy, for thy caresses!

[Entrance of Morris Dancers:]
Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey,
Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Ah!

[May Queen:] If love do follow thee
beneath the greenwood tree,
tho' fortune frown
thou'lt wear a crown
a King may never see!
If love follow thee.

[All:] Tho' fortune frown
thou'lt wear a crown
a King may never see!
With a Hey, Robin,
jolly, jolly Robin.
Hey, Robin,
jolly, jolly Robin,
What tho' fortune wear a frown,
with a hey,
jolly, jolly Robin,
hey, Robin, jolly Robin!

A King may never, may never see,
With a Hey, Robin,
jolly, jolly Robin.
Hey, Robin,
jolly, jolly Robin,
Thou'lt wear a crown
a King may never see!

Soft karaoke
Words
str 25
str 50
str 110
fr hrn 60
brass 75
flute
tymp
bassoon
clarinet
piano t clef
oboe
pizz str
*
14 ME Finale Act 1
Music by Sir Edward German
Lyrics by Capt. Basil Hood
copyright MCMII by Chappell and Co.
sequence and karaoke by Dr.Pitt-Payne in London UK
on Sunday 13 April 2003 at 18.46
in association with Doug Grierson
*