In comes the 'obby 'oss ...
Here's a seasonal anthem composed by Dave Webber. Although it is a contemporary song, it has entered the tradition of the May Day celebrations in Padstow. To listen to Magpie Lane's recording click May Song.
It would be a breach of copyright to publish the entire lyrics. However, the linked video is in the public domain. I thereby justify reproducing the jolly words, (received by aural transmission,) of the chorus...
Hail, hail, the first of May-o,
For it is the first summer’s day-o.
Cast your cares and fears away,
Drink to the old oss on the first of May.
Ken will join me in hard-core corner. We plan to perform this chorus several times, (until we've got it right,) and the assembled company can repeat it faultlessly!
For those unfamiliar with the term 'oss', you have to understand that the Cornish alphabet does not include lower-case 'h'.
The sound of 'r', seems to arbitrarily follow many voRwels that precede a coRnsoRnant. For exaRmple, 'cast' becomes 'caRst'. Inexplicably, however, 'horse' loses both the 'h' and the 'r' to become 'oss'!
Lots of Cornish sentences end with '-o'.
Got that?
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