3

At Kintbury, where the Play has been discontinued for many years, there was a preliminary stanza to the Chorus, which ran as follows:--

Good people all, of high degree,

Both rich and poor draw near,

I beg you pay attention

To these few lines you here.

(Chorus) Hi dum-dum to me

Ho dum-dum to me

Hi dum-dum to me derry.

We don’t come here but once a year

On purpose to be merry.

The Mummers’ dresses are generally of gay cretonnes, made into jacket and trousers. High crowned head-gear, with fringes of coloured paper or print hanging before and behind the head. The doctor wears a morning suit with a top-hat; King George a military uniform, or as near as he dares approach to it. Happy Jack has flag-basket slung behind him to hold his wife and family (six dolls, one larger than the rest.)

1

Mummers’ chorus sung before entering the house.

God bless the Master of this house,

I hope he is within,

And if he is pray tell us so,

And soon we will begin.

(Refrain) With a hey dum-dum, with a hey dum-dum

With a hey dum-dum de derry;

For we be come this Christmas time

A-purpose to be merry.

I hope the mistress is within,

A-sitting by the fire,

A-pitying we poor mummers here

Out in the dirty mire.

(Refrain) with a hey dum-dum etc

We don’t come here but once a year,

And hope ‘tis no offence;

And if it is pray tell us so,

And soon we will go hence.

(Refrain) With a hey dum-dum, etc

3

At Kintbury, where the Play has been discontinued for many years, there was a preliminary stanza to the Chorus, which ran as follows:--

Good people all, of high degree,

Both rich and poor draw near,

I beg you pay attention

To these few lines you here.

(Chorus) Hi dum-dum to me

Ho dum-dum to me

Hi dum-dum to me derry.

We don’t come here but once a year

On purpose to be merry.

The Mummers’ dresses are generally of gay cretonnes, made into jacket and trousers. High crowned head-gear, with fringes of coloured paper or print hanging before and behind the head. The doctor wears a morning suit with a top-hat; King George a military uniform, or as near as he dares approach to it. Happy Jack has flag-basket slung behind him to hold his wife and family (six dolls, one larger than the rest.)