Origins: Exercise 77 / Amourette (Graeme Miles)

Subject: 'you are my morning'?
From: Trewissick
Date: 27 Aug 08 - 12:05 PM

Hello,
I'm trying to track down a song I think I heard on Folk on 2 in the late 90's. At least - I can't think where else I might have heard it! I have googled mucho but not managed to trak it down, alhthough there are many songs with similar words! Anyway - I can remember what I think must be the chorus - tune and words. Don't know what the best way to note the tune is so I've put it in solfa, numbers (where 1 is tonic) and letter names as if it were in C...

"You are my morning,
s, d, m, m, r
5, 1, 3, 3, 2
g, c, e, e, d

you are my morning,
s, d, m, m, r
5, 1, 3, 3, 2
g, c, e, e, d

you are my mo-o-o-o-o-rning,
d, d, d1, d1, t, l, s, f, m
1, 1, 8, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
c, c, c1, c1, b, a, g, f, e

oh yes you are"
s, d, m, r
5, 1, 3, 2
g, c, e, d

If that rings any bells with anyone, that would be great! I could probably provide a midi if this makes as little sense as I suspect it does!

Cheers!
KT

Subject: RE: 'you are my morning'?
From: GUEST,Rapunzel
Date: 27 Aug 08 - 12:32 PM

I think this is a Graeme Miles song. I heard it sung many times by Robin Dale at the Durham Folk Club when it was at the Colpitts in the 90's.   A good deal of his repertoire was Graeme Miles and I'm reasonably confident this is one such song - try googling Graeme Miles and see if it sheds any light.

Subject: RE: 'you are my morning'?
From: Trewissick
Date: 27 Aug 08 - 12:41 PM

Thank you! am trying now...

Subject: RE: 'you are my morning'?
From: Trewissick
Date: 27 Aug 08 - 12:49 PM

Hurrah - result!
Excercise 77
on:
Beneath A Southern Sky
by Martyn Wyndham-Read

Thanks again.
KT

Subject: RE: 'you are my morning'?
From: JHW
Date: 27 Aug 08 - 04:57 PM

Yes Exercise 77. Don't know where you are but if you're ever up Teesside way Robin Dale or Alex Angel from these parts both sing it superbly, Martyn is of course a massive enthusiast and worthy performer of Graeme's work but for me drags this one a bit.
Its published in 'Songscapes' by Graeme Miles and Robin Dale, not cheap but a lavish book of Graeme's songs and sketches and Robin's photos.
Email Contact - Robin Dale

John Wilson

Subject: RE: 'you are my morning'?
From: Trewissick
Date: 28 Aug 08 - 10:25 AM

Thanks John. Was just looking at the book's details on a previous post - looks great but might have to save up for a bit! Do you know if it has any background info on the song at all? Teeside is down for me! but if I'm ever down that way, I shall try to get to a club!
Thanks again,
KT

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'you are my morning' Exercise 77
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Sep 08 - 07:43 AM

Just for the sake of completeness, can anyone post the complete lyrics?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'you are my morning' Exercise 77
From: nutty
Date: 02 Sep 08 - 10:37 AM

It's a problem of copyright, Jim

Details of the recording and the songbook have been given


For completeness the songbook is called SONGSCAPES - ISBN0 0-9541901-0-6


(All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the copyright owners)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'you are my morning' Exercise 77
From: JHW
Date: 02 Sep 08 - 02:48 PM

Trewissick.
The book has no background on any songs and I don't know any except that as the song was written in an Exercise Book on page numbered 77 it is called Exercise 77. But I'll try and find out and come back. On several occasions last and this year Martyn and Graeme did a folk club night together. Martyn singing exclusively Graeme's songs for his second set while Graeme on stage too would tell the audience the scenario of the song or its writing. I was fortunate to get to some of these which were great nights and many floor singers chose also to do songs by Graeme. There is a further book, 'Forgotten Songs Remembered' which was launched at the Grove on the first of the nights described. If you search for the Folk Leads website it'll be deep in there somewhere.
John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'you are my morning' Exercise 77
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Sep 08 - 08:19 PM

According to Reinhard Zierke's 'Mainly Norfolk' web site,

Martyn Wyndham-Read and No Man's Band sing EXERCISE 77 on "Beneath a Southern Sky," Fellside Recordings, FECD115, 1997—where it is credited to Graeme Miles.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Exercise 77 (Graeme Miles)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jun 20 - 05:42 PM

Need full lyrics - David Kidman sang it beautifully today.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Exercise 77 (Graeme Miles)
From: Reinhard
Date: 08 Jun 20 - 11:27 PM

Exercise 77
Graeme Miles,as sung by Martyn Wnydham-Read

You are the light, the silver light of dawn
You are the song, the song the linnet sings
You are the sun, the sun that makes me warm
You are my morning, you are my morning
You are my morning, oh yes you are
You are my morning, oh yes you are

You are the dove, the dove that brings the peace
You are the breeze, the breeze that suits my brow
You are the rain, the rain that cools my cheek
You are my comfort, you are my comfort
You are my comfort, oh yes you are
You are my comfort, oh yes you are

You are the air, in every breath I breathe
You are the thought that never leaves my mind
You are the pulse that makes my heart to beat
You are my life, you are my life
You are my life, oh yes you are
And you're my morning and you're my comfort
And you're my life, oh yes you are

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Exercise 77 (Graeme Miles)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jun 20 - 11:37 PM

Oh, thank you, Reinhard. It's such a lovely song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Exercise 77 (Graeme Miles)
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 08 Jun 20 - 11:47 PM

Sung by Gracenotes at https://youtu.be/lPFXeTugjvI .

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Exercise 77 (Graeme Miles)
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 09 Jun 20 - 06:01 AM

Thankyou Joe for the compliment. I would have posted the lyrics myself last night had I realised you didn't have them!
The Grace Notes version is sublime. (I often sing it in memory of Maggie Boyle who so tragically passed away just over five years ago.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Exercise 77 (Graeme Miles)
From: JHW
Date: 12 Jun 20 - 05:23 AM

Robin Dale has indeed sung it many a time and it is on CD2 of his pair 'A selection of Graeme Miles songs'. BITCD331-2 recorded by Barrie Temple.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Exercise 77 (Graeme Miles)
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 12 Jun 20 - 09:43 AM

I seriously dislike this sort of song that uses the word "you" an awful lot. Who is the singer supposedly addressing? How are we supposed to know? And why should we have any interest in what the singer has to say to that person?

I can think of no traditional song that was addressed to an unspecified "you", and very few even to an identified notional audience (such as You Jacobites by name). Even from the days of the music hall were there any songs addressed to "you" or is it purely a recent fashion?

Those who like such songs in general or Exercise 77 in particular feel free to respond and explain why you like it.

Richard (who sometimes chooses to be a cantankerous old curmudgeon)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Exercise 77 (Graeme Miles)
From: The Sandman
Date: 14 Jun 20 - 09:27 AM

how differently the song would be perceived if one word was altered, you to I or even you to we.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Exercise 77 (Graeme Miles)
From: The Sandman
Date: 17 Jun 20 - 08:38 AM

it is just a vocal exercise

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Exercise 77 (Graeme Miles)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Dec 20 - 05:56 PM

Hazel Richings says that Graeme Miles renamed the song to "Amourette."

Subject: RE: Origins: Exercise 77 / Amourette (Graeme Miles)
From: GUEST,JHW
Date: 17 Dec 20 - 04:28 PM

I've always assumed that the 'you' is a long gone or maybe near at hand beloved. We know who 'The first time ever' was written for; not known in this song - maybe it was just a song?

Subject: ADD: Exercise 77 / Amourette (Graeme Miles)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Dec 20 - 12:50 AM

In Reinhard's transcription above, there were two words in the second verse that didn't seem right to me, so I changed to the words in italics. I can't make out what Wyndham-Read sings in the second line, but the Gracenotes sing soothes, and that makes sense to me. I listened to the recordings by Martyn Wyndham-Read and The Gracenotes

Exercise No 77
(Graeme Miles)

You are the light, the silver light of dawn.
You are the song, the song the linnet sings.
You are the sun, the sun that makes me warm.
You are my morning.
You are my morning.
You are my morning.
Oh yes you are.
You are my morning.
Oh yes you are.

You are the dove, the dove that brings me peace.
You are the breeze, the breeze that soothes my brow.
You are the rain, the rain that cools my cheek.
You are my comfort.
You are my comfort.
You are my comfort.
Oh yes you are.
You are my comfort.
Oh yes you are.

You are the air in every breath I breathe.
You are the thought that never leaves my mind.
You are the pulse that makes my heart to beat.
You are my life.
You are my life.
You are my life.
Oh yes you are.
And you’re my morning.
And you’re my comfort.
And you’re my life.
Oh yes you are.


Adapted from the songbook of the White Horse Folk Club (wish I could figure out how to download this book)


I think it's a lovely song. I could sing this to my wife and mean every word of it.

Subject: RE: Origins: Exercise 77 / Amourette (Graeme Miles)
From: GUEST,JHW
Date: 18 Dec 20 - 05:43 AM

Page 3 of Songscapes has 'soothes'
But 'mm-mm you are' rather than Oh yes.
Graeme liked performers to stick with what he wrote but I'd say variants are up to the singer.