"Here We Come A-Caroling" is an old English wassail song. As is often the case during festive occasions such as Christmas, the holiday spirit seemed to make rich folk a bit more benevolent than usual. Small groups of beggars and orphans would dance through the snowy streets of England singing songs of good cheer. Supposedly, good fortune would come to the master of the house if he would share a drink from his wassail bowl. Often the master would offer a penny, a bite of pork pie, or allow the children to stand beside the warm hearth. The wassail bowl itself was a hearty combination of hot ale or beer and spices and mead, just alcoholic enough to warm the tingling toes and fingers of the singers. The word "Wassail" means good health.

Learn more about the origin of Wassailing at this link to Wikipedia.

Here We Come A Wassailing
traditional, Old English 

Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green; 
Here we come a-wandering so fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you, and to you your wassail too; 
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year.

O good master and good mistress sitting by the fire,
Pray you think of all the children wandering in the mire.

We are not daily beggars that beg from door to door; 
But we are neighbours' children whom you have seen before.
Call up the butler of this house put on his golden ring. 
Let him bring us up a glass of beer and better we shall sing.

Arrangement and orchestrations by Ricky Tims, published by Ricky Tims Music/BMI  ©2009 All Rights Reserved.

Ricky plays: piano, toy piano, keyboards, hand percussion, vocal percussion, soprano recorder, and sings all vocals.

Drum kit: Bob Mater

Violin solo: Kailin Yong

Strings
Violins: David Davidson, David Angell, Pamela Sixfin, Connie Ellisor, Mary Katherine Vanosdale, and Karen Winklemann. 
Violas: Jim Grosjean, Monisa Angell, Betsy Lamb. 
Cellos: John Catchings and Anthony La Marchina. 
Bass: Jack Jezioro

Wassailing was the last song I arranged for the record, but it ended up as the opening track. I wanted an up-tempo, fun and happy tune to start the project. I had started working on the Sussex Carol, but the muses abandoned me, so I started futzing around with Wassailing. Very quickly a road map began to develop and the arrangement began to take shape. I didn't set out to create an Irish jig, but the song had its own plans. Because of the fact that Wassailing is associated with caroling, it seemed logical to include little bits of other carols here and there.

When my futzing led me into the "O good master..." section in the middle, I had no idea that a vocal melody would emerge, but now, after the fact, it is one of my favorite parts of the arrangement. Following that section is a melody that folks don't recognize. Perhaps that is because it is my own original melody - it just fit. I have to smile every time I hear the last phrase. There are not very many Christmas carols with the word 'beer' in them, but here it is --Whoo-hoo!

I've used the toy piano on several songs and in the end, the toy piano starts the project (beginning of Wassailing) and ends the project (end of All is Well).