The Event
Wassailing Evening with Carols
@ The Dresden Room
Tickets £16.00
Fri 30th Nov 2012
Available Dates
| Fri 30th Nov 2012 6:45pm |
£16.00 |
SOLD OUT |
With members of the CHICHESTER CHORALE
and their musical director Arthur Robson
In the cider-producing counties of the South West of England (primarily Gloucestershire, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, and Herefordshire) and South East England (Kent, Sussex, Essex and Suffolk), wassailing refers to a traditional ceremony that involves singing and drinking the health of trees in the hopes that they might better thrive. The purpose of wassailing is to awake the cider apple trees and to scare away evil spirits to ensure a good harvest of fruit in the Autumn. 'Wassail' is from the Anglo-Saxon "waes hael", meaning "be in good health".
Words from the Gloucestershire Wassail, dating back to the Middle Ages:
Wassail! wassail! all over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.
Come and join us in the atmospheric surroundings of George Bell House in the Cathedral Close. Enjoy the music provided by the singers and join in with the carols. The Christmas season starts here!
Mulled wine and a buffet supper are included in the ticket price. There will also be a cash bar.
Carriages at about 9.30 pm.
