When icicles hang by the wall

When icicles hang by the wall
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,
And Tom bears logs into the hall,
And milk comes frozen home in pail;
When blood is nipt and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl:
Tu-who! Tu-whit! Tu-who! --

A merry note! While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
When all aloud the wind doth blow,
And coughing drowns the parson's saw,
 And birds sit brooding in the snow,
And Marian's nose looks red and raw;
When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl
Then nightly sings the staring owl: Tu-who! Tu-whit! Tu-who! -- A merry note!

Shakespeare's Winter Song from Love's Labour's Lost.  Listen out for the owl's cry, accompanied by flute. Atmospheric and humorous. Who thinks early music can't be fun?

This version from Passacaglia, soprano Julia Gooding. "A track from Passacaglia's 2010 album 'A Cheerful Collection - Songs and Sonatas from London's Pleasure Gardens' (BCR003). Performed by Passacaglia with Julia Gooding (soprano). CD available worldwide from http://www.barncottagerecords.co.uk and as a download from iTunes, Amazon and most other online music stores. For more information about Passacaglia visit http://www.passacaglia.com"