Four Irish Songs (Scott Villard)

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• (Posted 2016-07-14)  CPDL #40321:      (YouTube)

Editor: Scott Villard (submitted 2016-07-14).   Score information: Letter, 13 pages, 562 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Four Irish Songs
Composer: Scott Villard
Lyricist: William Allingham (1824-1889)^{create page}

Number of voices: 3vv   Voicing: ATB
Genre: Secular, Folksong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 2012
Description: Four original pieces in the style of Irish folk song arrangements. Example recording sung by Matthew Curtis of ChoralTracks.

Original text and translations

English text

1. O Spirit of the Summertime!
Bring back the roses to the dells;
the swallow from her distant clime,
the honey-bee from drowsy cells.

Bring back the friendship of the sun;
the gilded evenings, calm and late,
when merry children homeward run,
and peeping stars bid lovers wait.

Bring back the singing; and the scent
of meadowlands at dewy prime;
oh, bring again my heart's content,
thou Spirit of the Summertime.

2. A Gravestone
Far from the churchyard dig his grave,
on some green mound beside the wave;
to westward, sea and sky alone,
and sunsets. Put a mossy stone,
with mortal name and date, a harp
and bunch of wild flowers, carven sharp;
then leave it free to winds that blow,
and patient mosses creeping; slow,
and wandering wings, and footsteps rare
of human creature pausing there.

3. Four ducks on a pond,
a grass bank beyond,
a blue sky of spring,
white clouds on the wing;
what a little thing
to remember for years,
to remember with tears!

4. The Winter Pear
Is always Age severe?
Is never Youth austere?
Spring-fruits are sour to eat;
Autumn’s the mellow time.
Nay, very late in the year,
short day and frosty rime,
thought, like a winter pear,
stone-cold in summer’s prime,
may turn from harsh to sweet.