> Folk > Songs > Deck the Halls

Deck the Halls / Hark the Summons / Eve of New Year Merry

[ Roud 26301 ; Ballad Index FSWB382A ; DT DECKHALL ; Mudcat 26223 ; words Thomas Oliphant]

Ian Giles, John Spiers, Jon Boden and Giles Lewin sang Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly in 2006 on the Gift of Music CD of Christmas cheer in songs and carols, An English Folk Christmas.

Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer sang Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly in 2014 on their WetFoot album A Sound of Christmas Past. They noted:

A 16^th century Welsh tune given words in 1862 by Thomas Oliphant.

Kate Rusby sang Deck the Halls in 2017 on her Pure Records album Angels & Men and in 2020 on her Pure DVD Happy Holly Day.

Megson sang Deck the Halls in 2019 on their EDJ album A Yuletide Carol.

The Wilderness Yet sang Deck the Halls in 2020/21 on their Scribe album Turn the Year Round. They noted:

Another famous carol, the English lyrics were written in 1862 by the Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant, but the melody is Welsh, dating back to the 16^th century and belongs to a winter carol, Nos Galan. We decided to put it in 7/8 just so we could watch our audiences try to tap their feet!

Banter sang Eve of New Year Merry in 2024 on their Mrs Casey album Heroes. They noted:

Our festive piece with lots of bells on! This song is also known by the name, Hark the Summons and is a 19^th century Welsh folk song variant of the well known carol, Deck the Halls. Tim [Walker] really enjoyed being a brass band again on this one!

Lyrics

Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer sing Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly

Deck the halls with boughs of holly
    Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
’Tis the season to be jolly
    Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our gay apparel
    Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la.
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol
    Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.

See the blazing Yule before us,
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Follow me in merry measure
While I tell of Yuletide treasure.

Fast away the old year passes,
Hail the new ye lads and lasses.
Sing we joyous all together,
Heedless of the wind and weather.

Banter sing Eve of New Year Merry

Hark the summons come my fellows
    Fa la la la la la
Crown your hats with holly berry
    Fa la la la la la
Hark the peeling bells that tell us
    Fa la la la la la
Tis the eve of New Year merry

Shepherds quit your cares for pleasure
Fishers leave your nets and wherry
This must be a night of leisure
Tis the eve of New Year merry

Toil and trouble lie behind us
Think no more of chances dreary
While the well known strains remind us
’Tis the eve of New Year merry

Quick join hands and foot it featly
In the dance we ne’er can weary
To the harp that sounds so sweetly
On the eve of New Year merry