Ale Verses

This evening marked my introduction to one of Oxford's stranger traditions: the Brasenose Ale Verses. Every year, anonymous students submit verses of a humourous or satirical character which are then collected into a little book and distributed at Shrove Tuesday formal hall. The verses are all set to popular tunes, and after dinner the whole company sings its way through the collection. They bring an electric piano into Hall to keep us vaguely on pitch and everyone drinks Brasenose ale during the choruses.

The tradition goes back at least to the early 19th century. In the Senior Common Room before dinner, I got to examine a leather-bound book containing Brasenose Ale Verses from 1815 through the 1870's. Some of them were properly scary -- Latin, Greek, and all manner of complicated metres. But apparently they didn't start singing the verses until around the Second World War -- a great improvement.

This year, there were some verses praising the glories of Brasenose College and its superior ale, while others satirized the Principal, the Chaplain, the junior dean, the accommodation manager, the tutors generally, and especially our rival college, Lincoln. We sang, to the tune of "Jerusalem": "And did those feet in ancient time trespass on Brasenose grasses green?" And, later on: "God Rest Ye Merry Brasenose Men" to the ever-popular Christmas carol. Gilbert and Sullivan even made an appearance with: "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Brasenose Ale Drinker," which didn't quite scan, but was amusing anyway.

Those on the lower tables stood up on the benches to sing the verses:


At High Table, there are no benches, so we stood securely on the floor and enjoyed the view:


The Chaplain, who has a fine voice, conducted from the front:

The evening takes its name from the Brasenose ale that is drunk during the time of singing. The ale is served warm in 17th-century silver tankards, passed clockwise around the tables. To receive the ale, you must bow to the person on your right, take the tankard, bow to the person on your left, take a drink, bow again to both sides, and pass the tankard on to the next person. I don't much like ale, but I took a few sips for the experience of the thing. After that, it's ok to just bow and pass it on.

The verses are published anonymously, but an unofficial bottle of champagne is given for the best submission, as judged by levels of audience applause. The winning piece this year was called "They tried to make me go to Lincoln" set to the tune of "They tried to make me go to Rehab." It began:

They tried to make me go to Lincoln

But I said Nose! Nose! Nose!

Yes, it's not bad but you'd have to be mad --

I chose Nose! Nose! Nose!

It went on for 6 more verses, poking fun at 6 other colleges and demonstrating the superiority of the Nose in every case. The song ended with a stroke of genius:

They tried to make me go to Cambridge... but I'd rather go to Rehab!