The Girl I Left Behind Me

"The Girl I Left Behind Me" is an English folk song that dates back to the Elizabethan era. It is associated with English soldiers going off to war, and the storyline involves the men marching off in a square: up, across, down, and across back home. After other maneuvers, they return to their partners for a two-hand turn. The song has acquired many sets of lyrics through the years, and it is probably the earliest versio. The Smithsonian Institution has a painting called "The Girl I Left Behind Me," which invokes an Irish ballad that was popular with both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. The artist opens the possibility that the young girl is doing more than waiting for the return of her husband. 

The first known printed text of a song with this name appeared in the serial song collection The Charms of Melody, Dublin, Ireland, issue no. 72, printed in Dublin from 1791 and in Exshaw's Magazine (Dublin, September 1794). The earliest known version of the melody was printed about 1810 in Hime's Pocket Book for the German Flute or Violin (Dublin), vol. 3, p. 67, under the title "The Girl I left Behind Me" (National Library of Ireland, Dublin). Theodore Ralph claimed that it was known in America as early as 1650, under the name "Brighton Camp", but there is no evidence to support this assumption, and the only known tune of "Brighton Camp" differed from that of the song in question.
It has many variations and verses, for example "Blyth Camps, Or, the Girl I left behind Me" (1812, Newcastle), "Brighton Camp, or the Girl I left behind Me" (1815, Dublin, from which the "Brighton" title probably came), "Nonesuch," and others.  

A number of Irish-language and English-language songs were set to this tune in Ireland in the 19th century, such as "An Spailpín Fánach" (translated into English as "The Rambling Labourer"), "The Rare Old Mountain Dew" (published New York, 1882) and in the 20th century, such as "Waxie's Dargle".

In England the tune is often known as "Brighton Camp" and is used for Morris dancing. 

The song was popular in the US regular army, who adopted it during the War of 1812 after they heard a British prisoner singing it. The song was used by the army as a marching tune throughout the 19th century.

To download the easy alphanotes sheet music, look here. Enjoy!

Lyrics: 

I'm lonesome since I crossed the hill,
And over the moorland sedgy,
Such heavy thoughts my heart do fill,
Since parting from my Sally.
I seek no more the fine and gay,
For each just does remind me
How sweet the hours I passed away,
With the girl I left behind me.

O ne'er shall I forget that night,
The stars were bright above me,
And gently lent their silvery light
When first she vowed to love me.
But now I'm bound to Brighton camp -
Kind heaven then pray guide me,
And send me safely back again,
To the girl I left behind me.

Her golden hair in ringlets fair,
Her eyes like diamonds shining,
Her slender waist, her heavenly face,
That leaves my heart still pining.
Ye gods above oh hear my prayer,
To my beauteous fair to find me,
And send me safely back again,
to the girl I left behind me. 

Kity of Coleraine

 "Kitty of Coleraine" is a famous Irish folk song that tells the story of Kitty, a beautiful girl who stumbles upon a broken milk pitcher from the fair of Coleraine. The song is believed to have been written as a poem by Edward Lysaght, a barrister by profession, a songwriter, and noted wit. The song appears to have first been published c.1810 by Major's Wholesale Music Warehouse of London. The song is a fantastic and humorous addition to any men's choir performance and has been performed by various artists, including Shannon Singers and Bing Crosby. 

The song appears to have first been published c1810 by Major's Wholesale Music Warehouse of London. The words (attributed to Lysaght) were published in the May 1887 issue of Harper's New Monthly Magazine with illustrations. It has appeared in print many times since, including an arrangement for chorus by Harry Edward Piggott, published by J. Curwen of London and G. Schirmer of New York in 1962. It has obviously also been recorded many times, and (indirectly) inspired the song "Red Sails In The Sunset."  

To download the easy alphanotes sheet music, look here. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

 As beautiful Kitty one morning was tripping,
 With a pitcher of milk from the fair of Coleraine,
 When she saw him she stumbled, the pitcher it tumbled,
 And all the sweet buttermilk watered the plain.
 Oh! What shall I do now, 'twas looking at you now,
 Sure, sure, such a pitcher I'll ne'er meet again.
 'Twas the pride of my dairy, Oh, Barney McCleary,
 You're sent as a plague on the girls of Coleraine.

 He sat down beside her and gently did chide her,
 That such a misfortune should give her such pain.
 A kiss then he gave her, and before he did leave her,
 She vowed for such pleasure, she'd break it again.
 'Twas haymaking season, I can't tell the reason,
 Misfortune will never come single 'tis plain,
 For very soon after poor Kitty's disaster,
 The divil a pitcher was whole in Coleraine. 

Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms

"Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms" is a popular song written by the Irish poet Thomas Moore, setting new lyrics to a traditional Irish air that can be traced back into the 18th century. He published it in 1808, naming the air as "My Lodging is on the Cold Ground" from lyrics of British origin with which it was widely associated at the time. The new lyrics were presented in an album of selected Irish melodies arranged by John Andrew Stevenson with “characteristic words” provided by Moore. 

The preface to their joint production quotes a letter that Moore wrote to Stevenson about the need for it to set the record straight on the Irish origin of many melodies that had come to be associated with “our English neighbours.” Toward that end, Moore devised lyrics to replace British ones such as "My Lodging is on the Cold Ground". The original version is attested in the play The Rivals by William Davenant, initially performed in 1662. It is sung by the character Celania in Act 5 to a melody that is not indicated.

William Grattan Flood provides details about a composed setting of "My Lodging is on the Cold Ground", published by Matthew Locke in 1665. It has no Irish nexus and is melodically altogether different from the one in the Stevenson/Moore compilation. The Rivals remained in the active theatre repertoire until at least 1668 and Locke’s melody is an obvious candidate for having been the one sung during its performance. Flood cautions against confusing it with the traditional melody used by Moore, which he claims (without substantiation) had been known under various names to Irish harpers from about 1745. However, he extensively cites verifiable sources with the British lyrics set to it, beginning in 1773.

The main focus of the Grattan Flood article is tracing the origins of yet another song set to the same melody in 1838 by Rev. Samuel Gilman in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of Harvard University. It was titled "Fair Harvard" and adopted there for general festive use. The relatively brief interval between the publication of the two sets of lyrics can be seen as an indication of the popular attention that Moore had called to the shared melody. 

To download the easy alphanotes sheet music, look here. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

BELIEVE me, if all those endearing young charms,
Which I gaze on so fondly to-day,
Were to change by to-morrow, and fleet in my arms,
Like fairy-gifts, fading away!
Thou wouldst still be ador'd as this moment thou art,
Let thy loveliness fade as it will;
And, around the dear ruin, each wish of my heart
Would entwine itself verdantly still!

II.

It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,
And thy cheeks unprofan'd by a tear,
That the fervour and faith of a soul can be known,
To which time will but make thee more dear!
Oh! the heart, that has truly lov'd, never forgets,
But as truly loves on to the close;
As the sun-flower turns on her god, when he sets,
The same look which she turn'd when he rose!

The Last Rose of Summer

 "The Last Rose of Summer" is a poem by the Irish poet Thomas Moore. He wrote it in 1805, while staying at Jenkinstown Castle in County Kilkenny, Ireland, where he was said to have been inspired by a specimen of Rosa 'Old Blush'.
The poem is set to a traditional tune called "Aisling an Óigfhear", or "The Young Man's Dream", which was transcribed by Edward Bunting in 1792, based on a performance by harper Denis Hempson (Donnchadh Ó hAmhsaigh) at the Belfast Harp Festival. The poem and the tune together were published in December 1813 in volume 5 of Thomas Moore's A Selection of Irish Melodies. The original piano accompaniment was written by John Andrew Stevenson, several other arrangements followed in the 19th and 20th centuries. The poem is now probably at least as well known in its song form as in the original. 

To download the easy alphanotes sheet music, look here. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

'Tis the last rose of summer,
    Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
    Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,
    No rose-bud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes
    Or give sigh for sigh!

I'll not leave thee, thou lone one.
    To pine on the stem;
Since the lovely are sleeping,
    Go, sleep thou with them;
Thus kindly I scatter
    Thy leaves o'er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
    Lie scentless and dead.

So soon may I follow,
    When friendships decay,
And from love's shining circle
    The gems drop away!
When true hearts lie withered,
    And fond ones are flown,
Oh! who would inhabit
    This bleak world alone? 

The Gentle Maiden

The Gentle Maiden is a traditional love song written by Sir Harold Boulton. Ireland’s first President, Douglas Hyde is credited with the Irish Translation. I got this song from the great Bobby Beare of Bandon, County Cork who also taught me whenever I turned up at the Cork School of Music in Cork City! I studied there for a number of years under Bobby and we became very good friends. Bobby always said that The Gentle Maiden was representative of Ireland and another allegory / aisling (vision of Ireland). This air is also quite popular in traditional music sessions. 

To download the easy alphanotes sheet music, look here. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

There's one that is a pure as an angel,
As fair as the flowers of May,
They call her the gentle maiden
Wherever she takes her way.
Her eyes have the glance of sunlight,
As it brightens the blue sea wave
And more than the deep sea treasure
The love of her heart I crave.

Though parted afar from my darling,
I dream of her everywhere,
The sound of her voice is about me,
The spell of her presence there.
An whether my prayers be granted,
Or whether she pass me by,
The face of the gentle maiden
Will follow me till I die.

The Dear Little Shamrock

 "The Dear Little Shamrock" is an Irish folksong. The lyrics was written by Andrew Cherry (11 January 1762 – 12 February 1812) was an Irish dramatist, songwriter, actor and theatre manager. 

 The shamrock is the national emblem of Ireland, and it has been associated with St Patrick's Day for centuries. According to the song, St Patrick introduced it to the Green Isle and called it the 'dear little shamrock of Ireland'. "When its three little leaves are extended" they denote that "we together should toil."

To download the easy alphnotes sheet music, look here. Enjoy!

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
There’s a dear little plant that grows on our Isle,
‘Twas Saint Patrick himself, sure, that set it;
And the sun on his labor with pleasure did smile,
And with dew from his eye often wet it.
It shines thro’ the bog, thro’ the break, and the mire-land,
And he call’d it the dear little Shamrock of Ireland,
The dear little Shamrock, the sweet little Shamrock,
the dear little, sweet little Shamrock of Ireland.

[Verse 2]
That dear little plant still grows in our land,
Fresh and fair as the daughters of Erin;
Whose smiles can bewitch and whose eyes can command,
In each climate they ever appear in.
For they shine thro’ the bog, thro’ the brake, and the mire-land,
Just like their own dear little Shamrock of Ireland,
The dear little Shamrock, the sweet little Shamrock,
the dear little, sweet little Shamrock of Ireland.

[Verse 3]
That dear little plant that springs from our soil,
When its three little leaves are extended,
Denotes form the stalk we together should toil,
And ourselves by ourselves be befriended,
And still thro’ the bog, thro’ the brakes, and the mire-land,
From one root should branch, like the Shamrock of Ireland,
The dear little Shamrock, the sweet little Shamrock,
the dear little, sweet little Shamrock of Ireland. 

Avenging And Bright

"Avenging and Bright" is a song written by Thomas Moore in 1811, based on the Gaelic air "Cruchan Na Feine" and a translation of Deidre by O'Flanagan. The song recalls the Irish tragic story of the betrayal of Deirdre and the sons of Usna by the king of Ulster. It also serves as an allegory for Moore. In 2017, Damien O'Kane released an album titled "Avenging & Bright," inspired by ancient legend. The album builds on the solid foundation laid in his 2015 album, "Areas Of High Traffic."

The words of this song were suggested by the very ancient Irish story called "Deirdri, or the Lamentable Fate of the Sons of Usnach," which has been translated literally from the Gaelic, by Mr. O'Flanagan (see vol. i. of Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Dublin), and upon which it appears that the "Darthula of Macpherson" is founded. The treachery of Conor, King of Ulster, in putting to death the three sons of Usna, was the cause of a deso lating war against Ulster, which terminated in the destruction of Eman. "The story (says Mr. O'Flanagan) has been, from time immemorial, held in high repute as one of the three tragic stories of the Irish. These are, 'The death of the children of Touran;' 'The death of the children of Lear' (both regarding Tuatha de Danane) and this, 'The death of the children of Usnach,' which is a Milesian story." It will be recollected that among these Melodi es, there is a ballad upon the story of the children of Lear or Lir: "Silent, oh Moyle!" etc. 

To download the easy alphanotes sheet music, look here. Enjoy! 

Lyrics:

1. Avenging and bright fall the swift sword of Erin*
On him who the brave sons of Usna betray'd!
For every fond eye he hath waken'd a tear in
A drop from his heart-wounds shall weep o'er her blade.

2. By the red cloud that hung over Conor's dark dwelling,**
When Ulad's*** three champions lay sleeping in gore
By the billows of war, which so often, high swelling,
Have wafted these heroes to victory's shore.

3. We swear to avenge them! - no joy shall be tasted,
The harp shall be silent, the maiden unwed,
Our halls shall be mute, and our fields shall lie wasted,
Till vengeance is wreak'd on the murderer's head.

4. Yes, monarch! though sweet are our home recollections,
Though sweet are the tears that from tenderness fall;
Though sweet are our friendships, our hopes, our affections,
Revenge on a tyrant is sweetest of all!

Trottin' To The Fair

Trottin' To The Fair was written by Alfred Perceval Graves (1846 - 1931), "Trottin' to the fair", appears in The Irish Poems of Alfred Perceval Graves, in Countryside Songs, and Songs and Ballads, first published 1908. 

To download the easy alphanotes sheet music look here. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

Trottin' to the fair
Me and Moll Molony,
Seated, I declare
On a single pony.
How am I to know that
Molly's safe behind,
With our heads in oh, that
Awkw'rd way inclined?
By her gentle breathin'
Whisper'd past my ear,
And her white arms wreathin'
Warm around me here.

Thus on Dobbin's back
I discoursed the darling,
Till upon our track
Leaped a mongrel snarling.
"Ah!" says Moll, "I'm frightened
That the pony'll start!"
And her pretty hands she tightened
Round my happy heart;
Till I axed her "May I
Steal a kiss or so?"
And my Molly's grey eye
Didn't answer no.