Down by the Salley Gardens
COMPOSER’S NOTE
In 2011, I was commissioned by Decca Records to produce new orchestral arrangements of several British folk songs for soprano Laura Wright and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the Number One selling album, The Last Rose. Down By The Salley Gardens is based on the beautiful poem by W.B. Yeats (1865-1939).
DURATION
4 minutes
SOLOIST
Soprano
Instrumentation
Piano OR Strings, harp, flute & oboe
YEAR OF COMPOSITION
2011
PUBLISHER
Novello
SHEET MUSIC
Available from
JW Pepper
Music Room
Music Shop Europe
Down by the salley gardens
my love and I did meet;
She passed the salley gardens
with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy,
as the leaves grow on the tree;
But I, being young and foolish,
with her would not agree.
In a field by the river
my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder
she laid her snow-white hand.
She bid me take life easy,
as the grass grows on the weirs;
But I was young and foolish,
and now am full of tears.
Words: W. B. Yeats (1865 – 1939)