Janet’s Choice (Charlotte Alington Barnard)

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• (Posted 2023-10-03)  CPDL #75991:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-10-03).   Score information: Letter, 8 pages, 176 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Janet’s Choice
Composer: Charlotte Alington Barnard
Lyricist:
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1881 Harper & Bros.
Description: [Ed. Note: Probably an anonymous harmonization of Barnard’s song.]

Original text and translations

English text

They say I may marry the Laird if I will,
The Laird of high degree,
And jewels so fair I may twine in my hair,
And a Lady I’d surely be;
But, oh! where would my heart be,
In spite of my gems so gay?
My heart it would break for somebody’s sake,
So I think I had better say “nay,”
And I will marry my ain love,
my ain love, my ain love,
And I will marry my ain love,
For true of heart am I.

So the Laird my marry the Lady,
The Lady of high degree,
And jewels so fair she may twine in her hair,
They are better for her than me,
And gaily I’ll dance at the bridal,
I’ll merrily dance on the lea,
With Susan and Alice and Emma,
But Donald shall dance with me,
And I will marry my ain love,
my ain love, my ain love,
And I will marry my ain love,
For true of heart am I.

So the Laird, he married the Lady,
The Lady of high degree,
And the lowland lassie he loved so well
Abode in her own country;
“For oh! where would my heart be?”
Was ever her constant cry;
“If ever I’d dared to marry the Laird,
Why Donald would surely die!”
So I will marry my ain love,
my ain love, my ain love,
So I will marry my ain love,
For true of heart am I.