Hi in last months meeting of The Morriston Historical Society, I was asked if I knew the origin of a song that used to be sung by youngsters around the Morriston area on New Years Morning. The words were something like this :-
A Happy New Years morning
The cocks are all a'crowing
And we are all a fighting/rhyming
Rise up, Rise up,
Look at the stars and moon

Does anybody out there Know if this was peculiar to Morriston or did it have a wider currency?
Does any-one remember singing it? If you have any recollections I could pass them on top the next society meeting. It's our 1st AGM on Tues 27th Feb at 7.30 in the Red Lion -- all welcome

hello Anthony
yes indeed I can remember clearly my grandmother singing this song to me and telling me they sang this around the houses on new years day.They would be going around with the `Mari Lwyd` as youngsters and would get gifts of money or sweets and fruit from the householders. I am nearly sixty and was brought up in Strawberry Place so this would have been in the early fifties -in fact I often sing it to myself when I think of her and it is not something that i can say I would not have thought of in years -it seems to always have been with me.She was Annie Roberts.
I am trying to trace my family history as well and I am trying to find out who the `butter merchant who came from Germany` was.he was i think my gtreat great grandfather and had a shop on the site next to what was the Dyffryn Club.
regards Joy (nee Howell )

My late Father (Reg)used to sing it. We lived in Bath Road with My Gran and My Uncle Ron.

I still remember it and I am in my late 50s.


....Trevor...

I remember singing this song as a child in Chemical Road.It was two verses:

It is happy new year's morning
The cocks are all a crowing
Rise up Rise Up
Look at the Stars and Moon

The sun and moon are rising(?)
and we are all a rhyming
Rise up Rise up
Look at the stars and moon.

Several kids would sing it outside the doors of near neighbours and receive a few pence each for doing so.

At the corner of Waun Road and Chemical Road there was an ironmonger's shop ,Uriel Rees I think, which was open on new years day morning. If we sung the song to him he would give us a bar of "palmolive" soap!

I wonder why it was a tradition in Morriston and does it still get sung.

Hi, I think the ironmongers was Rees and Harris[not Williams] been with old friend tonight Mike Finselbach who also lived in the Avenue and he said it was Rees and Harris so I stand corrected,Rees and Williams was one of the ten or so bus companies who operated out of Swansea in the 50/early 60s , I remember one of the owners of R&H allways wore a light brown long coat very much like Ronnie Barker in open all hours and a brown trillbey, the old 71 buses used to terminate there on some occassions I think it had the suffix "A"alongside 71???,I lived in Heol Maes Y Gelenen at the time and watched with amazement the Regent five front loading 30foot double deckers reversing from Chemical Road into Waun Road,it was challenging to say the least with the conducter and occasionally conductress directing the reversing ,love to see a Bendy Bus doing that!!!!!!,a ironmongers much from the same mould exists in Clydach H.R Jones,[beats B and Q by a mile], run by a Morriston man now living in Ynysforgan and his lovely family Bernard Evans,who lived for many years in Duffryn Terrace,which is long gone,next door to Albert and Rosie Maddocks what a great pair of characters they were very frienly with my parents,sadly no longer with us,but fondly remembered, many people know I purchased with others quite a few years ago a South Wales Tranport Regent five [in a derelect condition] from Denbigh 11 BWN fleet number 571, and rebuilt it over a three period to A1 condition,[its still around]also purchased via Alan Kreppel M.D. S.W.T at the time all the remains of the central stores of the Ravenhill Depot when they were re organizing and amongst the items were conductresses,skirts, and conducters/drivers tops, tunics,trousers,summer uniforms tickiting machines[1 from late 40s],and many others S.W.T.items which I still have including some original bus photos and a few showing Ravenhill Depot,and lots of memorablia,all the best Dursley[Lee]Hanford.

Thanks for this and your comments about your grandfather on the war memorial ,which I will reply to on the other thread.

I lived in the the row of terrace houses on Chemical Road and the bus stop was outside our house.The 71 bus reversed from there into Waun Road.A cousin of ours was a bus conductress and used to take her tea break in our house when the bus was parked up on Waun Road.

I had not corrected my previous post about Uriel Rees, whose shop I know now was at the end of Woodfield St near St John's Church.

I have been told that the ironmongers was Rees & Harris but until I see the photograph I am told has been found of the shop, I cannot confirm it.Looks as though it was definitely Rees though!!

Hi
I have canvassed some old friends about this song and found that it was recalled mostly by those living in the eastern side of Morriston and the words we all agreed on were:

It is happy new year's morning
The cocks are all a crowing
If you think it is too soon
If you think it is too soon
Rise up Rise Up
Look at the Stars and Moon

The sun and moon are rising(?)
and we are all a rhyming
If you think it is too soon
If you think it is too soon
Rise up Rise up
Look at the stars and moon.

Bet you cannot wait until 1/1/14 now!!

Well did anyone in Morriston sing it this morning?

It was not the done thing to sing it after noon !!

Hi Len, Best Wishes to you and everyone else, A Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Yes we all used to sing this on New Years morning, but my version of the second verse was a little different, it went like this, The Stars and moon are shining, and we are all a Fighting, Rise up Rise up, look at the Stars and Moon, etc, and I do not know why we said fighting instead of Rhyming. My 2nd Cousin Michael Rees was a boy Alto and I was boy soprano and he had many relatives in the upper Morriston area Caemawr, Francise Rd, Vicarage Rd, we would gather quite a lot of loot that New Years morning, and no we did not go door to door here in Yellowknife. It is not Traditional here in YK and it was -40*cels here, Cheers Merlyn

Happy New Year to you too Merlyn.

-40c that is quite cold. Your second line could be "We're inside a warming" !

It is amazing how the words got changed in different parts of Morriston, but the song does seem quite unique to Morriston.

I wonder what the "Historical Society" concluded about it.

Perhaps one of the local choirs could do an arrangement of it for posterity!!!

I used to sing it with my sister. We used to go around the houses in our street, Heol-yr-Eithen, just after midnight. My grandpa taught us the song.
Happy New Year's Morning
The cocks are all a crowing
if you think it is too soon
if you think it is too soon
rise up, rise up, and look at the stars and moon

The stars and moon are shining
And we are all a fighting
If you think it is too soon
If you think it is too soon
Rise up, rise up, and look at the stars and moon.

That is about the definitive version, let's hope some Morriston children continue the tradition!

I sang this song today, 1 January 2015. My wife looked up the song and found this website. Brilliant. I sang this song with childhood friends in Vicarage Road, Parry Road, Cwmbath Road over many years (late 30's early 40's) and well remember going around houses and knocking on doors.
Incidentally, while in the 6th Form at Swansea Grammar, I was a temporary bus conductor with South Wales Transport and did the 71, 77 and 81 bus routes regularly, also 26 (Llanelly), 42 (Margam) AND Mumbles railway. Those were the days. I've many more tales to tell; where's the forum?

Great to here I suppose you are never too old to sing it. I sent a voice message/recording to my friends last year they did not challenge the tune I used!!!! Interesting the split between those "rhymers" and "fighters" in the second verse.
Looking forward to your tales!

We used to sing the same song in Dunvant, with minor changes in the wording- "Rise up a New Year's morning"
We'd go round all the houses in the village singing that song and "Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi etc." and be well rewarded.

Good to hear that it was in other parts of Swansea too. There must be others who recall it,

Happy New Year to all. I am a Morristonian, born in Glantawe Street.i was taught the song by my Grandmother and remember as a child in the forties and earlie fifties going around the houses in Morriston singing the song and hoping to be rewarded, usually with pennies or sweets. It was important that the song was sung before midday. My memory of the song is that there were two verses. The words were the same as most versions with 'fighting' in the second verse. However, my version didn't include the middle lines 'if you think it is too soon'
I sang the song this morning to wife, who is from the Brynmill area, and was surprised that she had never heard the song before. When I look back I realise how lucky I was to be born and brought up in Morriston - best place on Earth! Also as a child I remember waiting at the cross for my father returning home from the Eisteddford with the Orpheus. Morriston is renowned for it's Culture, Industry and Singing, and over the years the town has been blessed with many fine choirs and I have been lucky enough to follow in my father's footsteps by being a member of the Orpheus for many years. I have so many wonderful memories and stories from my childhood in Morriston.

And to you Ray.

It was a song still sung in the sixties but it looks as though it became unfashionable and faded away in the seventies.

The midday "rule" seemed ubiquitous. "Fighting" appears to be the more authentic. As is the " if you think it is...."

You make a good point about Morriston and its musical heritage.

When researching my book "Morriston-It did its bit" about the park war memorial and Morriston during the Great War, I read daily reports in the newspapers of the time of events going on, usually in chapels/churches but sometimes pubs, where musical concerts were regularly held. For fundraising as well as enjoyment with a regular cast of local singers, musicians and choirs. Preceding the Orpheus but leading to it. With well known individuals like Ivor Sims, even while serving, and the Hanney Family Band. There is book in all that.

There is website which collects welsh folk songs which has linked to this thread. In it the Morriston New Year's Day tune is played on a piano. It is as I remember. https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=5171

One News Year's day on this thread I suggested that one of the local choirs should sing a version of the Morriston Song to preserve it for posterity! Do you have influence?

Yes I think it would be wonderful if the Morriston Song was recorded by a local choir in order to preserve it for prosterity.
In answer to your question 'do I have any influence'? In short, probably no more influence than any other chorister. Any such request would have to be put before the choir management committee.
Consider this. The choir today is nothing like it was during it's early days. In those days, all the choristers came from the Morriston area. Most of them were manual workers who worked in the local heavy industry. My father worked in the Swansea Vale Smelting works and I started my career there as an apprentice. Many choristers would be living in the same street. Ivor Simms Choir Conductor. Glyn Jacob and Ces the milk and several others lived in my street. They were always to and fro in each others houses.
It's not like that with the choir any more. There are very few genuine Morristonians in the choir now. Maybe I am the only one. The choir is now made up of members from Neath and Port Talbot, Bridgend and Cardiff in the east, and from Carmarthen and Pembrokeshire in the west.
It should also be noted that, because of several factors,the choir has, and in my opinion very regrettably, had to uproot itself from Morriston and is now based in Swansea University, which incidentally now favours the majority of the choir members mainly from a travelling point of view.
To summarise, when i have the opportunity i will sound out and make it known to those in the choir who may have more influence that Morriston does have a song and, who knows, just maybe.
What about a Title?

Hi Ray

Thanks for the background to the Morriston Orpheus. I seem to recall the choir rehearsed in the Parish Hall on occasions.

Hope there is sufficient connection with the past still to consider a folk song with Morriston heritage.

Earlier today I was talking with my brother Raymond who still lives in Morriston about this forum today. He thought he might have been at Martin Street school with you.

Hi Lisa

I am from Morriston, born and brought up. I now live in New Zealand and have done so for 58 years. I learnt this song from my father in1947 or 1948 when I was 9 or 10 years old and used to go from house to house singing it to neighbours and relations because many of them lived in the same street. Sixpence was the normal reward.
And it must have worked because since then I went on to sing with The Morriston Orpheus Male Choir before emigrating to New Zealand, and have since sung roles for 21 years for Opera New Zealand. Currently I train a male voice choir in Auckland - The North Shore Male Choir. I sang the song to my wife (a New Zealander) early this morning, and, only by chance, sent the words and the recollection of childhood to the men in the choir, because it was New Year’s Day morning!
Then to my astonishment, one of them (Drew, an Irishman) found your site and sent it on to me. I thought it was a local song but didn’t know that for sure until you confirmed it. Thank you for that.

My learnt child-version was

“Happy New Year’s morning, the cocks are all a-crowing,
Rise up, rise up, look at the stars and moon.
The stars and moon are shining and we are all a-fighting
Rise up, rise up, look at the stars and moon."

Best
Lynn
Lynn John
www.lynnjohn.com
https://longbowthefilm.wixsite.com/longbow

Website www.lynnjohn.com

My word Lynn you keep your self busy.
Sixpence would have been a good result.
You are of the “fighting” school but not the “ If you think...” couplet. I would guess you lived west of Pentrepoeth Road and North of Woodfield Street with that version!
Two to have sung with The Morriston Orpheus contributing to this thread about a local folk song which brings back memories of childhood.
There are some old photos of the choir in the Morriston of Yesteryear part of this Morriston Camera Club website (found via menu and home)The only person I recognise in the 1957 photo is John James ( second row seventh from the right) but remember his tTV appearance.

Thinking about it Ray and Lynn this could be small collaboration between New Zealand and Morriston choirs. One of those done on Zoom and recorded. An arrangement of the agreed lyrics and tune would be needed first. Quite something to try to do for 2021 in lockdown here.

Hi Len

Your brother Raymond is quite correct about us bein in Martin Street school together. I was in the school choir and I think Raymond may have been in it as well.

After our time in Martin Street we we both went to Pentrepoeth and I remember that we were very good mates.

I seem to recall that Raymong lived in the lower end of Chemical Road and lived not far from John James, who Lynn John recognised from an Orpheus photo.

I went on tour with the Orpheus to New Zealand in 1999 and 2003, so it is very likely that Lynn would have attended at least one of the concerts and met many of the choristers.

I would so pleased if you would remember me to your brother and I would love for him to get in touch with me for old time sale.