Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST,Carol Strippelhoff
Date: 21 Mar 20 - 04:34 PM

My mother used to say to me when she was very small that she remembered well the day she went to her first ball. How in her dress of crinoline she slept from two till eight and help through all those areas she wept for fear she might be late. Now grandma and grandpa papa have never even met when grandpapa ask grandmama for the second I knew it. The whole she said was like a dream of blue and gold and red and Graham mama was quite the bell at least so grandpa said. And all the men were very smart and coats of every hue but one most handsome of them all was dressed in palest blue. The man and blue came passing by and chanced to turn his head he fell it wants in love with her at least so grandpa said. That is all about the ball that I’ve to tell you dare For grandmama and grandpapa are sleeping over there. Now grandmama and grandpa papa I’ve never even met when grandpapa kissed grandmama at the second Menuett.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Dec 12 - 10:19 AM

I would also like to obtain a copy of the sheet music
Thanks
Manie Kriel
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Aug 11 - 08:56 AM

Can anyone send me sheet music for 2nd minuet. My mother sang it to me when I was litle.
[e-mail] THANKS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST,crazy little woman
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 11:59 AM

Thanks for sharing that wonderful memory, Eunice.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST,Eunice
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 11:39 AM

I am 73 and remember my mother singing this song to us when we were very small.   Both parents had really lovely voices and every evening after supper they would sing together while we listened enchanted.   We remember bits of all those songs and it is the most delightful thing to find it here on mudcat.org.    What a good thing that I decided to make friends with a computer and can delve into so many things and relive some enchanted evenings

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST,Roelanda
Date: 16 Feb 11 - 02:45 AM

Thank you for this site. I had this song in my head since very young that is now more than 40 years. I still battle with the chords. Did someone figured it out?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 12:40 PM

You're welcome. This is a good piece for anyone who's bored with three-chord songs. The MIDI starts in the key of G, then moves to D with an A# thrown in. I believe you need the chords G, D, C, Bm, F#m, F#. I haven't been able to work it out well because my piano is being worked on.

This would make a good piece for flute and guitar, but it would probably need to be transposed higher for the flute. This is where music software comes in handy.

Now I'm going to transpose it and see if it can be played on a dulcimer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Feb 11 - 06:22 PM

MIDI posted, and a very pretty tune it is. Thanks, leeneia.

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 10 Feb 11 - 06:39 PM

Thanks to all for bringing up this song.

Here's a YouTube of a charming high schooler (I think she's a high schooler) singing the song. She does a lovely job, especially on the high notes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soAAEYt9vy4

The tune is so good that I'm making a MIDI of it. Right now it's time to make supper, so come back tomorrow, and perhaps the MIDI will be ready.

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Feb 11 - 10:52 AM

thankyou thankyou thankyou!!!!!!! i am doing a solo with the the 2nd minuet and i left my usic at school..... good thing i found this cos i really needed to practice

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 11 - 11:56 AM

This is so fantastic! I too didn't know all the words, and now I'm entertaining, on the piano, at my mother in law's home for seniors. Other lovely songs I remember from that time were:
Lilli Marlene (underneath the lamplight)
Anniversary Song (Oh! How we danced....)
Smoke gets in your eyes (They asked me how I knew...)
Tennessee waltz (I was waltzing with my darling...)

Fun to trip down memory lane!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST,retiredgma
Date: 18 Apr 10 - 01:47 PM

I am so delighed to find the words to the Second Minuet. My Choir/voice teacher had me learn this song when I was 14. I could not remember the words until I found this...Thank all you for the memories.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 08:55 PM

THE SECOND MINUET

My Granny used to say to me when I was very small,
That she remembered well the day she went to her first ball,
How in her dress of crinoline she sat from two till eight
And how through all those hours she wept for fear she might, be late;
But Grandpapa and Grandmama had never even met
When Grandpapa asked Grandmama for the second minuet.

The ball, she said, was like a dream of blue and gold and red,
And Grandmama was quite the belle (at least so Grandma said),
And all the men were very smart in coats of ev'ry hue,
But one, the fairest of the all, was dress'd in palest blue,
And Grandpapa and Grandmama had never even met
When Grandpapa asked Grandmama for the second minuet.

The man in blue came passing by, and chanc'd to turn his head,
He fell at once in love with her (at least so Grandma said),
And that is all about the ball that I to tell you dare,
'Cos Grandpapa and Grandmama are sleeping over there;
But Grandpapa and Grandmama had never really met
When Grandpapa kissed Grandmama in the second Minuet.

Words by Aubrey Dawdon
Music by Maurice Besly

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Nov 09 - 01:59 PM

Hey I'm 15 yrs old, and my Gran got the words to this song for me, and wanted me to sing it. Unfortunately we don't know the tune! Does any1 have sheet music for it? I would really appreciate it! I play piano too and I'd love to play and sing it for her :D If you have sheet music i would realli appreciate it if you would email me a copy. :)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST,Joy Ashall(nee Abbott)
Date: 22 May 09 - 07:21 PM

This has made me so happy as I couldn't remember all the words and
then I stumbled upon this website. Thank you, thank you.

I was about 12 and was supposed to sing this in the Eisteddfod and
I used to do all the actions as well but on the day of the eisteddfod
my voice just disappeared obviously from nerves.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST,macalaca-awesomepants
Date: 06 Jan 09 - 11:17 PM

My Grannie used to say to me When I was very
small, That she remembered well the day She
went to her first ball, How in her dress of crinoline she
sat from two till eight, And how through all those
hours she wept For fear she might be late; But
Grand-pa-pa and Grand-ma-ma had never even met When
Grand-pa-pa asked Grand-ma-ma for the second Munuet.
The hall, she said, was like a dream of blue and gold and red, And
Grand-ma-ma was quite the belle (At least so Grand-ma said,) And
all the men were very smart in coats of ev'ry hue, But
one, the fairest of them all, was dress'd in palest blue, And
Grand-pa-pa and Grand-ma-ma had never even met When
Grand-pa-pa asked Grand-ma-ma for the second Minuet.
The man in blue came passing by, And chanc'd to turn his
head, He fell at once in love with her (At
least so Grand-ma said,) And that is all a-
bout the Ball that I to tell you dare 'Cos Grand-pa-pa and
Grand-ma-ma are sleeping over there; But
Grand-pa-pa and Grand-ma-ma had never really met When
Grand-pa-pa kissed Grand-ma-ma in the second Minuet.




--NOTE-- I copied the lyrics exactly from my sheet music!!!
         EVERYTHING IS EXACT!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: nutty
Date: 23 May 08 - 06:02 AM

I remember the start of the last verse as ....

"The man in blue came passing by and chanced to turn his head" but otherwise it's the same as posted above (1st Feb 2007)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: GUEST,Jizzy
Date: 22 May 08 - 07:54 PM

Omg I'm 21yrs old and I currently live in Ny, I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and I started taking paino lessons there when i was 8. Every year my music school would have a concert and we will play instruments and sing songs. I believe i was 11 when we did The second minuet. I always sing the song in my head but I vaguely remember the last verse. But from my recolection it goes like this.

My granny used to say to me when I was very small
That she remembered well the day, she went to her first ball
Now in her dress of crinoline, she sat from 2 til 8
and all through all those hours she wept for fear she might be late
But grandpapa and grandmama had never really meet
When grandpapa asked grandmama for the second minuet

The hall she said was like a dream, of blue and gold and red
But grandmama was quite the bell, atleast so grandma said
And all the men looked very smart in coats of every hue
But one the fairest of them all was dressed in navy blue
But grandpapa and grandmama had never really meet
When grandpapa asked grandmama for the second minuet.


I've been searching for the third verse so if n e 1 knows it plz respond

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Apr 08 - 07:37 PM

WorldCat.org might show you where to find the sheet music in a library.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: GUEST,Cecily
Date: 28 Apr 08 - 05:06 AM

does anyone have the sheet music they can post? ive lost mine and reeeeeally need a copy!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: Willa
Date: 07 Apr 08 - 10:58 AM

Holly; Wonderful to find that the song is still 'alive' and that you enjoy singing it.

Hope you did well in the competition, and even more that you keep on singing!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: GUEST,Holly
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 10:09 PM

i'm fourteen and in my school choir and i sang that song for my competition, it goes like this:

My granny used to say to me when i was very small
that she remembered well the day she went to her first ball
how in her dress of crinoline she sat from two til eight
and how through all those hours she wept for fear she might be late
and grand papa and grand mama had never even met
when grand papa asked grand mama for the second minuet

The hall she said was like a dream of blue and gold and red
and grand mama was quite the belle at least so grandma said
and all the men were very smart in coats of every hue
but one the fairest of them all was dressed in palest blue
and grand mama and grand papa had never even met
when grand papa asked grand mama for the second

when grand papa came passing by and chanced to turn his head
he fell at once in love with her at least so grandma said
but that is all about the ball that i to tell you dare
cos grand mama and grand papa are sleeping over there
but grand papa and grand mama had never even met
when granf papa kissed grand mama in the second minuet.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: GUEST,shep
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 02:27 PM

This was the first song I learnt to play on the piano to accompany my mother who had a very good trained mezzo-soprano voice and used to sing in recitals and concerts around her home town of Torquay before she was married. This song, along with a number of others, was in our piano stool from the time I started to learn piano. I am now 77 and it was lovely to find all this on the internet. Best wishes to all the Second Minuet Club.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: GUEST,Somerled
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 06:02 AM

My mother loved this song and being a quite talented (but untrained) soprano often sang it at church socials, but I remember that there was a last verse which contained lines somewhat like this

"Now that is all about the ball that I remember now,
Save Grandmama and Grandpapa are sleeping over there"

Is my memory correct?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: GUEST,Platosoup
Date: 11 Aug 07 - 11:53 PM

This is the earliest song I ever remember hearing my mother sing to me when I was knee-high to a grasshopper! Thanks all for bringing all the words back to me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: GUEST,Oldguy
Date: 30 Jul 07 - 12:39 PM

My older sister used to do pianologues in high school--spoken recitations with unobtrusive piano accompaniments. At her graduation in 1930, I (10 years old at the time) remember her whirling onto the stage in our grandmothers wedding dress, I believe, and interpreting "The Second Minuet."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: webby
Date: 03 May 07 - 03:44 PM

I learned this song at school circa 1949 along with Come to the Fair,Did you not hear my Lady, Strawberry Fair,etc. etc Strangely we did not realise at that time that they were folk songs The lyrics given are as far as I remember, as I was taught them
regards    webby

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: GUEST,maeve
Date: 02 May 07 - 05:38 PM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: GUEST,Marlene
Date: 12 Apr 07 - 01:55 PM

I sang this 20 years ago at Missouri State Highschool Music Competition. Those were the days alright! :) Thanks for the memory!

I found the sheet music at
http://www.sheetmusicwarehouse.co.uk/details.php?ref=48085

Another cute one that I sang was The Lilac Tree by Gartlan
http://www.sheetmusicwarehouse.co.uk/details.php?ref=14866

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: Snuffy
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 09:09 AM

And then there's this: DIDN'T I DANCE by Lori Holland

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SECOND MINUET
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 10:57 PM

My grannie used to say to me, when I was very small,
That she remembered well the day she went to her first ball;
How in her dress of crinoline she sat from two till eight,
And how through all those hours she wept for fear she might be late;
But Grandpapa and Grandmama had never even met
When Grandpapa asked Grandmama for the second minuet.

The hall, she said, was like a dream of blue and gold and red,
And Grandmama was quite the belle (at least so Grandma said)
And all the men were very smart in coats of every hue,
But one the fairest of them all was dressed in palest blue;
But Grandpapa and Grandmama had never even met
When Grandpapa asked Grandmama for the second minuet.

The man in blue came passing by and chanc'd to turn his head.
He fell at once in love with her (at least so Grandma said)
And that is all about the ball that I to tell you dare
Cos Grandpapa and Grandmama are sleeping over there;
But Grandpapa and Grandmama had never really met
When Grandpapa kissed Grandmama in the second minuet.




Now you can believe that this is how the song goes because my choir teacher gave me the sheet music to sing the song for solo and ensemble contest. PEACE and ENJOY.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: GUEST,Francesca
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 09:53 PM

Thank You! My granny used to sing this to me when I was a child and I have searched for the lyrics on and off over the last 6 or 7 years to no avail. No one in my family could remember them, and I'm so pleased to now have them - and know about the recording that is available. Thank you!

Subject: Lyr Add: SECOND MINUET (Dowdon, Besly)
From: GUEST,Vic Brocklehurst (Guest)
Date: 22 Feb 06 - 09:45 AM

I was handed the words and music and was asked to type the following in LARGE PRINT for a lady who has very poor eyesight, and in looking for the lyrics on the web (in an effort to save typing all the words myself) I saw your request. So, having typed, here they are:
^^
THE SECOND MINUET
Words by Aubrey Dowdon
Music by Maurice Besly

My Granny used to say to me when I was very small,
That she remembered well the day she went to her first ball,
How in her dress of crinoline she sat from two till eight
And how through all those hours she wept for fear she might, be late;
But Grandpapa and Grandmama had never even met
When Grandpapa asked Grandmama for the second minuet.

The ball, she said, was like a dream of blue and gold and red,
And Grandmama was quite the belle (at least so Grandma said),
And all the men were very smart in coats of ev'ry hue,
But one, the fairest of the all, was dress'd in palest blue,
And Grandpapa and Grandmama had never even met
When Grandpapa asked Grandmama for the second minuet.

The man in blue came passing by, and chanc'd to turn his head,
He fell at once in love with her (at least so Grandma said),
And that is all about the ball that I to tell you dare,
'Cos Grandpapa and Grandmama are sleeping over there;
But Grandpapa and Grandmama had never really met
When Grandpapa kissed Grandmama in the second Minuet.

====

Those were the days!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 May 05 - 10:06 PM

Several libraries and sheet-music vendors describe it this way:

THE SECOND MINUET
Words, Aubrey Dowdon. Music, Maurice Besly. 1924.

There is a recording available by Webster Booth & Anne Ziegler on "Along the Road of Dreams"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: GUEST
Date: 14 May 05 - 05:20 PM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: Willa
Date: 13 May 05 - 05:42 PM

Sadly the person I was hoping to ask has moved and I have no contact details.
I do remember the phrase 'When grandpapa asked grandmama for the second minuet', so it might be useful to try this archive: ... WHEN GRANDPAPA ASKED GRANDMAMA FOR THE 2ND MINUET. www.bbcradioint.com/programmeSearch/archiveList. asp?CatCode=TSF&CatDesc=Features&searchMethod=key

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: Willa
Date: 13 May 05 - 09:16 AM

Used to sing this, but can't remember the words now. I'll try another source whose memory may be better!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: nutty
Date: 13 May 05 - 01:37 AM

refresh

Subject: Lyr Req: The Second Minuet
From: nutty
Date: 12 May 05 - 06:30 AM

My great-gran used to sing this song, which I can only vaguely remember (she died when I was 8) but I know that it started something like....

My granny used to say to me when I was very small
That she remembered well the day she went to her first ball

I've not managed to find anything but I do hope that someone out there can help.