Lammastide

(Suddenly villagers arrive they
Are processing to the church with the
Fruit's of the harvest there is
Cider-drinking and dancing hartright
Laura and Marian get immediately caught
Up in the festivities)

Ripe golden fields and the bounty they bring
Reason enough for to dance and to sing
Dance for who knows if we'll
Live till it's spring
Sing, for it's Lammastide!

(A young girl goes to Laura and
Gives her a corn dolly)

Winds of the winter as sharp as a thorn
Soon will assault us as sure as we're born

What will protect us? A doll made of corn

Sing, for it's Lammastide!

Please spend the season pressed in my arms
Rest in my arms

Merrily, merrily we'll end the season
Wrapped in your arms

Trapped in your arms verily, verily

Ripe golden fields and the bounty they bring
Reason enough for to dance and to sing
Dance for who knows if we'll
Live till it's spring
Sing, for it's Lammastide!

Please end the season pressed in my arms
Blessed in my arms

Verily, verily although we may
Protest in your arms we'll nest in your arms

Merrily, merrily

After we harvest the fruit's of the earth
Time for the home and a moment of mirth
Time for a dance, and the chance of rebirth
Sing, for it's Lammastide!

Ripe golden fields and the bounty they bring
Reason enough for to dance and to sing
Dance for who knows if we'll
Live till it's spring
Sing, for it's Lammastide!
Dance, for it's Lammastide!
Sing, for it's Lammastide!

(At the end of the song
We see the same young girl
Being excluded from the festivities
Her mother scolds her and she
Does not enter the church with the others)

(to little girl)
You'll wait outside till you see sense
My girl!

"The Little Girl Who Saw a Ghost"
(The little girl stands outside the church
Upset hartright sees her and goes up
To her we hear the evensong
Happening in the background as Hartright is
Left alone with the child)

What's wrong, child?

She didn't believe me she said
I were tellin' tales

About what?

Do you believe in ghosts, sir?

I believe the dead go on
We carry them inside us

I saw a ghost, sir! Yester'een at
The gloaming all in white
Sir Just as a ghost should be

The ghost of a woman?

That's right, sir! A woman all in white

Where did you see her?

Over there, sir, in the graveyard
Sir it scared me half to death!

(pause)

It's alright

(The girl runs away hartright
Walks towards the graveyard)