Under the Greenwood Tree

[music] The lads and the lasses

A sheep-shearing go

[music] Fa la lee... [music]

Dick? That you, Dick Dewy?

The very same, Robert Penny.

ROBERT:
'Tis as chill a Christmas Eve

as I remember.

MAN:
Hello, our Dick.

Thomas.

You be in fine voice, Dick.

Myself, I'm in need of libation

on a cold night like this.

Then we'd best get ourselves

to Father's house, Mr Penny.

MAN:
Oh, thank you, Miss Day.

Here we are, then. Come on in.

Yeah, all right, then, Thomas?

- I'm cold.

- You'll be all right, Thomas.

ROBERT:
I hope it's ready.

Cider, Dick, I need cider.

I shall have first call on that mistletoe, Mrs Dewy.

I'll remind you of that when you're full of cider.

- Father.

- Hello, my sonnies!

Seasons greetings!

Come in.

You get yourself in front of that fire, Thomas Leaf.

- A good drop, Reuben?

- Oh, we shall soon see, Robert.

REUBEN:
Right, then.

Come in, you get yourself by that fire.

- Fetch us a mug, Suze.

- Yes, Father.

Brace yourselves.

(ALL YELLING)

(SHRIEKS)

You can tell a lot about a person from their shoes.

Have you met the new school mistress?

Not yet.

She sent her shoe ahead of her for me to fix.

So, what's she like, then, this Miss Day?

You'll find her delicate but robust, neighbours.

Part country girl she once was,

part educated lady she is now.

You do talk some nonsense, Robert Penny.

This shoe has danced

on the marbled floors of Exeter.

Who will she marry, then, my sonnies?

A shoe like that needs a fancy table to go under.

Then Farmer Shinar's your man.

He's been rattling around in that

big house on his own for too long now.

If Shinar's not to her liking,

it'll be Parson Maybold. You mark my words.

The new parson?

I delivered him a great wooden box this very day.

It took four of us to get it

from the cart to the parsonage.

- What was in the box, Reuben?

- He didn't say, and I thought it impolite to ask.

But more than once he glanced from that box

to her lodgings with a gleam in his eye.

'Tis a very small shoe.

The littler the maid, the bigger the riddle.

What do you think, Dick?

I think it's time for singing, sister.

ALL:
Yes!

- Wait for me! Wait for me!

- REUBEN:
Come on, Elias.

- Righto, Spinksy.

- Good man, Elias.

(CLEARS THROAT) All right, boys?

[music] In Bethlehem he was born...

(DOG GRUMBLING)

[music] In Bethlehem he was born

[music] For mankind's sake

[music] In Bethlehem he was born

[music] For us that were forlorn

[music] And therefore took no scorn

[music] Our sins to bear [music]

Shut up, will ye!

Can't a man have a quiet night on Christmas Eve?

What's Shinar saying, Father?

I think he wants more.

Fortissimy!

[music] Give thanks to God always

[music] O thou man, O thou man

[music] Give thanks to God always

[music] Most joyfully

[music] Give thanks to the God always... [music]

That'll teach ye.

(DOG BARKS)

Merry Christmas!

Very unseemly. Very.

And he a churchwarden.

Loneliness and a drop of drink,

my sonnies, what did I tell you?

Still, we'll ask him to our party tomorrow night

and put him back in good humour.

I'm a-cold.

A bit more singing, Thomas,

and we'll get some victuals inside you.

Ah. Two birds with one stone.

Miss Day and Parson Maybold.

Fortissimy!

[music] In Bethlehem he was born

[music] O thou man, O thou man

[music] In Bethlehem he was born

[music] For mankind's sake...

[music] And therefore took no scorn

[music] Our sins to bear

[music] Give thanks to God always

[music] O thou man, O thou man

[music] Give thanks to God always

[music] Most joyfully

[music] Give thanks to God always

[music] Upon this blessed day

[music] Let all men sing and say

[music] Holy, holy! [music]

Thank you, singers. Thank you.

I'll put your shoe by the door, miss.

Very pleasant, singers. Excellent.

Miss Day, is it? Welcome to Mellstock.

Thank you kindly... Mr Maybold?

- Yeah. I trust you're settling in well?

- I am, sir. Thank you.

Excellent.

Might I ask you to call by in the morning

before the service?

There's something I'd very much like you to see.

- Certainly.

- Splendid.

Well, I'll say good night, and Merry Christmas.

And Merry Christmas to you.

- A merry Christmas to you, singers.

- ALL:
Merry Christmas!

Parson Maybold it is, then.

REUBEN:
Time for some eating

and a small drop to keep us going, I reckon.

- Let's head off through the church, then, eh?

- Cider!

- Get out of this cold.

- I'll have a small drop.

Magnificent.

ELIAS:
Wait for me! Wait for me!

Aye, but remember she's also come back

to look after her old father.

What, old Geoffrey Day?

ELIAS:
A sight like that's worth singing for.

As near a thing to a spiritual vision

as ever I wish to see.

Prettier even than her shoe.

- Pretty.

- She surely is.

We appear to be dry, Reuben.

Dick has another jug on him. Dick?

Dick!

Where is the boy?

[music] It came upon the midnight clear

[music] That glorious song of old

[music] From angels bending near the earth

[music] To touch their harps of gold

[music] Peace on the earth, goodwill to men

[music] From heaven's all gracious king

[music] The world in solemn stillness lay

[music] To hear the angels sing [music]

At the end of one year

and the beginning of the next...

we must ask ourselves

how we may best serve God...

in the months ahead.

The world is changing

and we must change with it.

How can we best serve our Lord

in this brave new world?

Through our children.

Education.

Education.

Give them the intellectual arrows

that they may go forth from this village

and make God's mark on the greater world.

To this end...

I have appointed Miss Fancy Day

as our new schoolmistress.

Miss Day's talents will not only

be utilised in the classroom, however.

To our enormous good fortune,

and to the glory of God,

Miss Day has agreed to play the new harmonium

which is to be installed in the church.

Harmonium? We don't need no harmonium.

We've got a choir!

What's it mean, Reuben?

Let us pray.

Thank you. Merry Christmas.

ELIAS:
At least we know

what's in the box now, Reuben.

It happened at Flintcomb Ash.

It happened at Longpuddle.

Some wheezing contraption of noise

replacing the choir

that have been there for 100 year or more.

He did look at Miss Day in a way

that was warmer than Christianity asked for.

Let's not get agitated, my sonnies.

I'm sure when the parson knows

how we feel, he'll think differently.

- ROBERT:
Tell him now, Reuben.

- No. Now is not the place.

I'll ask him and Miss Day to our party tonight.

That should do it.

- MAYBOLD:
Merry Christmas, children.

- Merry Christmas.

Now run along, I'd like to speak with Miss Day.

How did you enjoy the sermon, Miss Day?

Very much, Mr Maybold.

There was one small thing.

I had assumed

that the congregation knew about the harmonium.

No, no. It was my little Christmas present to them.

I would hate to be seen as the person

who came newly to the village

and, well, threw out the choir.

Think nothing of it, Miss Day. The men will be

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