Lyr Req/Add: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: Bill D
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 07:25 PM

I too heard the Dyer-Bennet version....it was one of the 1st 20 LPs I owned....and I guess it has been almost 50 years. That clip is quite close to the Dyer-Bennet sound...

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 07:13 PM

It is sung and quoted by Stephen Dedalus's poor brothers and sisters in Portait of the Artist by James Joyce. They are born later than Stephen, and as a result of the father profligate lifestyle they are born into poverty and a household saddened by the effects of poverty and hunger.

The result is to illustrate their depressed circumstances.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: Padre
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 07:05 PM

It was the Dyer-Bennet version taht I learned some 50 years ago. I still sing it occasionally.

Padre

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: GUEST,Don Firth
Date: 24 Aug 07 - 12:26 PM

Also recorded by Richard Dyer-Bennet on his own label, Dyer-Bennet Records #1, and in his song book, The Richard Dyer-Bennet Folk Song Book: 50 Traditional Songs and Ballads With Guitar Accompaniments.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 06:14 AM

Q's clip has a singer who is very clearly influenced by McCormack. Unfortunately I can't find a clip of the latter singing it. Someone else may be cleverer than me.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Jun 07 - 08:37 PM

John Stevenson's version (midi) is at the Stephen Foster Songs site, and at Public Domain Music: Music from 1800-1860 (under 1818).

In the edition of The Works of Thomas Moore, vol. 4 (Paris, 1823, pp. 239-237), the poem is titled "OFT, IN THE STILLY NIGHT. Scotch Air."

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Jun 07 - 08:07 PM

As posted by Masato, Sir John Stevenson (1761-1833) composed the air most used for the song, said to be based on a Scottish air.

A music clip is found at Oft in the Stilly Night

It would be interesting to compare this with the score in "Heart Songs."

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Jun 07 - 08:06 PM

Oft in the Stilly Night was recorded by John McCormack in the late 1930s. I defy anyone to find a better version! Some time in the late 1800s there was a street fist-fight as a result of John McCormack's dad getting the factory foreman's job instead of my great-grandad.   :-)

Subject: Lyr. Add: The Light of Other Days; Thomas Moore
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Jun 07 - 07:58 PM

Lyr. Add: "THE LIGHT OF OTHER DAYS"
Sir Thomas Moore, 1779-1852.
Written in two verses of fourteen lines each.

Oft, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Fond memory brings the light
Of other days around me:
The smiles, the tears
Of boyhood years,
The words of love then spoken,
The eyes that shone,
Now dimm'd and gone,
The cheerful hearts now broken!
Thus, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad Memory brings the light
Of other days around me.

When I remember all
The friends, so link'd together,
I've seen around me fall
Like leaves in wintry weather,
I feel like one
Who treads alone
Some banquet-hall deserted,
Whose lights are fled,
Whose garlands dead,
And all but he departed!
Thus in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad memory brings the light
Of other days around me.

The "chorus" in "Heart Songs" is the last four lines of each verse. The original title is "The Light of Other Days," not 'Oft in the Stilly Night.'

No idea who composed the music for the version in "Heart Songs;" I think that several composers have prepared scores.

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed., 1919, "The Oxford Book of English Verse."

This poem becomes very meaningful as one grows old.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: GUEST,harpgirl
Date: 27 Jun 07 - 07:51 PM

I love this song and several contemporary female singers have recorded it. Let me check my collection. Maybe Dolores Kearnes or Maddy Prior....

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Jun 07 - 07:44 PM

J. Stevenson's arrangement is at the Levy collection:

Title: Oft in the Stilly Night. Scotch Air From Moore's National Melodies.
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Arranged by Sir John Stevenson, Mus. Doc.
Publication: Baltimore: John Cole, n.d..

Title: Oft in the Stilly Night. Scotch Air. From Moore's National Melodies.
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Arranged by J. Stevenson, Mus. Doc.
Publication: New York: N. Thurston, n.d..

Title: Oft in a Stilly Night. A Favorite Ballad. [Includes text to "Oft in my Visions Bright," Words by George P. Morris, Esqr.]
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Arranged for the Piano Forte by Sir John Stevenson.
Publication: Boston: Oliver Ditson, 115 Washington St., n.d..

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore
From: Jim Lad
Date: 27 Jun 07 - 07:43 PM

Thanks masato sakurai -: I was searching the Irish Melodies. I thought "Banquest" was the original text. No?
"Some banquest-hall deserted," I read it some where.

Subject: Lyr Add: OFT IN THE STILLY NIGHT (Thomas Moore)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Jun 07 - 07:36 PM

The song was included Thomas Moore's National Airs (1818?), not in his well-known Irish Melodies.

From Thomas Moore's Melodies, Songs, Sacred Songs, and National Airs (1825 edition, p. 180). Some words, punctuations, and capitalizations are slightly different according to editions, such as has or hath.

Oft, in the stilly night

Scotch Air

Oft, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Fond mem'ry brings the light
Of other days around me;
The smiles, the tears,
Of boyhood's years,
The words of love then spoken;
The eyes that shone,
Now dimm'd and gone,
The cheerful hearts now broken.
Thus, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad mem'ry brings the light
Of other days around me.

When I remember all
The friends, so link'd together,
I've seen around me fall,
Like leaves in wintry weather;
I feel like one
Who treads alone
Some banquet-hall deserted,
Whose lights are fled,
Whose garland's dead,
And all but he departed!
Thus, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad mem'ry brings the light
Of other days around me.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore
From: Jim Lad
Date: 27 Jun 07 - 07:11 PM

I have an Early "Thomas Moore" collection but it's small print. Let me get my glasses. Hey! I spent 2 hours practising this one yesterday.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Jun 07 - 06:33 PM

Anybody have a date for this song? Background information?
-Joe-

Subject: ADD: Oft in the Stilly Night (Thomas Moore)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Jun 07 - 05:06 PM

This song hasn't made it into the Digital Tradition yet. The lyrics above are almost the same as these, but these I can document, and my source has a tune.
-Joe-


OFT IN THE STILLY NIGHT
(Thomas Moore)

Oft in the stilly night
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Fond memory brings the light
Of other days around me.

The smiles, the tears of boyhood's years,
The words of love then spoken
The eyes that shone, now dimmed and gone,
The cheerful hearts now broken!

Chorus
Thus in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad memory brings the light
Of other days around me.

When I remember all
The friends, so linked together,
I've seen around me fall,
Like leaves in wintry weather,

I feel like one Who treads alone
Some banquet hall deserted,
Whose lights are fled, Whose garlands dead,
And all but he departed.
Chorus



from Heart Songs: Melodies of Days Gone By, Chapple Publishing Company, 1909

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oft in the stilly nights
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 08:12 PM

It's a song from Moore's 'National Airs', and the tune is said to be Scots. I coded the tune (in O'Neil's 'Music of Ireland' #219) and looked it up in Charles Gore's 'The Scottish Fiddle Music Index'. The only tune listed with the right code is a late one called "Stilly Night". So much for Scots.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oft in the stilly nights
From: IvanB
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 06:33 PM

Joe, yes it's a setting of a poem by Thomas Moore. Don't know who did the tune. This is one I do now and then in HearMe/PalTalk. If I don't have an NWC of it, I can prepare one pretty quickly. Actually, I'd planned to do that anyway, now that the lyrics had been requested.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oft in the stilly nights
From: Dale Rose
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 06:14 PM

And here I thought I would be late with this! Sheet music at LOC with just about the longest url I've ever seen. If it doesn't work, just go to Search All American Memory Collections, enter Oft in the stilly night in the search box, set it for exact phrase and CLICK, there you are. There will be many options, but down toward the bottom of the list are three sheet music choices, 7, 8, and 9, I think. The url I gave above (if it works) is for one of those. Now I am off for the handy Mudcat html editor to see if this works. Oh, and glad to see you back, Joe. You have been missed.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oft in the stilly nights
From: mousethief
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 06:01 PM

Sorry; I also emailed the requestor. Oh well.

Alex

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oft in the stilly nights
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 06:00 PM

I sent the lyrics to the requester by e-mail. If you do an e-mail reply, be sure to make note of it in the thread.
Any background information on this song? It's not in the database, and I suppose it should be. How 'bout a tune? My preliminary search says it's by Thomas Moore - is that correct?
Thanks.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: oft in the stilly nights
From: Zebedee
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 05:51 PM

Damn, you guys are fast. I was about to paste my reply, but I've been beaten already...twice!

Subject: Lyr Add: OFT, IN THE STILLY NIGHT
From: IvanB
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 05:46 PM

OFT, IN THE STILLY NIGHT

Oft, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Fond memory brings the light
Of other days around me;

The smiles, the tears, of boyhood's years,
The words of love then spoken;
The eyes that shone, now dimm'd and gone,
The cheerful hearts now broken!

Thus, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain hath bound me,
Sad memory brings the light
Of other days around me.

When I remember all the friends,
So link'd together,
I've seen around me fall,
Like leaves in wintry weather;

I feel like one who treads alone
Some banquet-hall deserted,
Whose lights are fled, whose garlands dead,
And all but he departed!

Thus, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad memory brings the light
Of other days around me.

Subject: Lyr Add: OFT IN THE STILLY NIGHT
From: mousethief
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 05:43 PM

Found this by searching Google with the search text "oft in the stilly nights" -- this was the first site returned!

http://www.owlrecords.com/lmist.htm#oftin

OFT IN THE STILLY NIGHT

CHORUS
Oft, in the stilly night
Ere slumber's chain has bound me
Fond memory brings the ligh
Of other days around me

The smiles, the tears of boyhood years
The words of love then spoken
The eyes that shone, now dimm'd and gone
The cheerful hearts now broken
Chorus

Thus in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain hath bound me
Sad memory brings the light
Of other days around me

When I remember all
The friends, so linked together
I've seen around me fall
Like leaves in wintry weather

I feel like one, who treads alone
Some banquet hall deserted
Whose lights are fled, whose garlands dead
And all but he departed
Chorus

-----

Alex

Subject: oft in the stilly nights (old irish song)
From: GUEST,paul
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 05:38 PM

can any body help me find a song called 'oft in the stilly nights' i need help

you can contact me at [e-mail]

thank you