| Author | Topic: Add: Afton Water | |
| dmcg | Posted - 03 Feb 07 - 09:28 am | |
Flow gently sweet Afton, among thy green braes Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise. My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream Flow gently sweet Afton, disturb not her dream. Source: Singing Together, Summer 1951, BBC | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 03 Feb 07 - 11:07 pm | |
Robert Burns, 1789. There are two verses missing between stanzas 2 and 3 here: How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighbouring hills, Far mark'd with the courses of clear, winding rills; There daily I wander as noon rises high, My flocks and my Mary's sweet Cot in my eye. How pleasant thy banks and green vallies below, Where wild in the woodlands the primroses blow; There oft as mild ev'ning weeps over the lea, The sweet scented birk shades my Mary and me. The song was first printed in The Scots Musical Museum IV, 1792, no 386 p 400. | ||
| Pip Freeman | Posted - 10 Feb 07 - 03:54 pm | |
I know the tune in your verion. I also know another tune, which I have in the News Chronicle Song Book, credited to James Spilman. Here is that version. X:1 T:Flow Gently Sweet Afton F:/songs B:News Chronicle Song Book S: M:3/4 L:1/4 K:Ab E | A A (c1/2B1/2)|A A E|F A F|E2 E| w:Flow gen-tly swe-et Af-ton, am ang thy green braes; Flow A A B|c c e|e c A|B2 E| w:gen-tly, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise: My A A (c1/2B1/2)|A A E|F d F|E2E| w:Mar- y's a- sle- ep by the mur- mur- ing stream, Flow A A B|c e d|E E G|A2 (G1/2A1/2)| w:gent-ly, sweet Aft-on, dis-turb not her dream. Tho-u B B e|B B G|B A F|E2 (G1/2A1/2) w:stock- dove whose ec-ho re-sounds from the hill, Ye- B B e|B B G|(A1/2G1/2) (A1/2B1/2) (c1/2=d1/2)|e2 f| w:wild whist-ling black-birds in y-on tho r-n-y dell, Thou e c (c1/2B1/2)|A A E|F d F|E2 E| w:green-cres-te-d lap-wing, thy scream-ing for-bear, I A A B|c e d|E E G|A2 || w:charge you, dis-turb not my slum-ber- ing fair. Flow gently, sweet Afton, amang thy green braes; Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise; My Mary's asleep by the murmuring stream, Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream. Thou stock-dove whose echo resounds from the hill, Ye wild whistling blackbirds in yon thorny dell, Thou green-crested lapwing, thy screaming forbear, I charge you, disturb not my slumbering fair. How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighbouring hills, Far marked with the courses of clear winding rills! There daily I wander, as morn rises high, My flocks and my Mary's sweet cot in my eye. How pleasant thy banks and green valleys below, Where wild in the woodlands the primroses blow! There oft, as mild evening creeps over the lea, The sweet-scented birk shades my Mary and me. Thy crystal stream, Afton, how lovely it glides, And winds by the cot where my Mary resides! How wanton thy waters her snowy feet lave, As gath'ring sweet flow'rets, she stems thy clear wave! Flow gently, sweet Afton, amang thy green braes, Flow gently sweet river, the theme of my lays; My Mary's asleep by the murmuring stream, Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream. Edited By Pip Freeman - 10 Feb 07 - 03:59 pm | ||
| Pip Freeman | Posted - 10 Feb 07 - 04:29 pm | |
While looking up Burns I came across this site of Dick Gaughan. yet another tune, this is familiar to me from somewhere. I can't find out much about James Spilman, perhaps someone may help on this. | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 11 Feb 07 - 02:46 am | |
On the Spilman tune, see Topic: Add: Away In A Manger (various versions). | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 11 Feb 07 - 02:53 am | |
This poem has been set to several tunes. See a Mudcat thread: Sweet Afton - which tune? | ||
| Pip Freeman | Posted - 11 Feb 07 - 11:07 am | |
All very interesting, thanks for the references. | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 12 Feb 07 - 02:12 am | |
Dick Gaughan's tune is the one composed by Alexander Hume. | ||