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5 December - The Boar's Head Carol

Yesterday - Up - Tomorrow

There are many places where the tradition of ceremonially serving a boar's head at dinner around Christmas is maintained - this piece refers to The Queen's College Oxford, where the tradition commemorates a student defending himself against an attacking boar by choking it on a volume of Aristotle.

Music: English traditional
Words: from Christmasse Carolles, pub. Wynkyn de Worde
Musicians: Tony Evershed, Kathleen Jowitt

The boar's head in hand bear I,
Bedeck'd with bays and rosemary.
And I pray you, my masters, be merry
Quot estis in convivio.

Caput apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino.

The boar's head, as I understand,
Is the rarest dish in all the land,
Which thus bedeck'd with a gay garland
Let us servire cantico.

Caput apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino.

Our steward hath provided this
In honour of the King of Bliss;
Which on this day to be servèd is
In Reginensi atrio.

Caput apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino.