Mrs Beeton’s Christmas Pudding – exercise 2 – answers
John Harle (b. 1956) Mrs Beeton’s Christmas Plum Pudding (average cost: 3 shillings and 6d)
BBC commission; premiere recording Chester Music. Text by Charlotte Cory – source: Mrs Beeton’s recipe (Music with the apologies to the great tradition of Barbershop singing!)
| A14 | D9 | G8 | J15 | M7 |
| B10 | E6 | H1 | K3 | N11 |
| C4 | F12 | I5 | L13 | O2 |
or
| 1H | 4C | 7M | 10B | 13L |
| 2O | 5I | 8G | 11N | 14A |
| 3K | 6E | 9D | 12F | 15J |
In context:
oo-oo-oo-oo
Stir twenty four ounces of good raisins
A pound and a half of breadcrumbs mix – (do mix)
Then you are halfway through your Christmas pudding
Sit down now and have a little rest – a rest
Swig a large amount of cooking sherry
And your Christmas pudding will be the best.
Make make make make make a Christmas pudding
At an av’rage cost of three and six
Eight ounces of dried currants, twelve of suet
And half a pound of candied peel do mix – do mix
Eight well-beaten eggs, a pound of sugar
A wineglass full of very best brandy – best brandy
Make sure your Christmas pudding is well blended
And your fam’ly happy ever more shall be –
Then press the mixture in a buttered mould
In a floured cloth your plum pudding enfold
Now, Madam, tie it tightly and
boil boil boil, but only lightly …
To purchase moulds
in every shape and size
make to visit
for this enterprise
Messers R and J Slack
Who are located –
Can be syncopated –
At three hundred and
thirty six the Strand
A good id-ea if you can bear it
Is to make extra puddings –
("but I wouldn’t wear it!")
And your friends will travel for miles
And leave with cheer-ier smiles
"Who’s there?"
"It’s the unexpected guests
come for a slice of Mrs Beeton’s
Christmas plum pudding!"
"But I’ve only made the one!"
"Where’s your Christmas spirit?"
"Cook’s drunk it!"
And you will see Missus Beeton has beaten the rest
Missus Beeton has beaten the rest.
On Christmas Day first thing in the morning
Fetch your pudding waiting in the store
Plunge into a vat of boiling water
Boil at least another hour or more –
("oh, at least!")
When the pudding sure is steaming nicely
Turn it firmly out on to a plate – ("fireproof plate!")
Plant a sprig of holly in the middle
It cannot grow but it will decorate. ("one more time!")
Fill a wineglass full of fine French brandy
An extra drop or two and you’ll go far
Pour it round about your Christmas pudding
Ready for the final coup de grâce ….("coup de grâce!")
Now bring your pudding swiftly to the table
Light a match – no one will be to blame
As Mrs Beeton’s famous Christmas pudding
Comes to table circled now with flame!
"Quick, call the firebrigade, dial 999!"
"I am dialling – hallo, hallo? I want the firebrigade.
Lots of firebrigades. They don’t answer!"
"They must all be eating
Mrs Beeton’s Christmas pudding!"
As Mrs Beeton’s famous Christmas pudding
Comes to table circled now with flame.
"All aboard!" "Chocks away!"
"Cheers!" "Cheers, darling!"
"Happy Christmas!"