Lyr Add: A Starry Night for a Ramble

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: STARRY NIGHT FOR A RAMBLE
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 26 Jan 99 - 06:37 PM

G'day all,

This started with a query from a singer here in Sydney. He asked if there were ever any more words to a plaintive little waltz, known all around the country districts as "A Starry Night for a Ramble". All the old players said there was only those 8 short lines. A version of the tune is known in Britain, but it is usually in 6/8 and played quickly, these days.

The words immediately below are the Australian remnant:

STARRY NIGHT FOR A RAMBLE
As collected by John Meredith from Tom Byrnes late of Springside/Springhill (near Orange, NSW), 1955.

It's a starry night for a ramble
Through the flowery dell,
Over bush and bramble,
Kiss, but never tell.
Of all the games that I love best,
It fills me with delight;
I like to take a ramble
Upon a starry night.

The usual tune, played as a waltz is:

MIDI file: STARRYNT.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Tempo: 160 (375000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0000 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 64 080 0384 0 64 064 0096 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 65 080 0576 0 65 064 0144 1 69 080 0576 0 69 064 0144 1 67 080 0384 0 67 064 0096 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 74 080 0384 0 74 064 0096 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 76 080 1104 0 76 064 0096 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 64 080 0384 0 64 064 0096 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 65 080 0576 0 65 064 0144 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 0096 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0384 0 67 064 0096 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 72 080 1104 0 72 064 0096 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 77 080 0288 0 77 064 0072 1 79 080 0096 0 79 064 0024 1 77 080 0192 0 77 064 0048 1 77 080 0192 0 77 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 76 080 0288 0 76 064 0072 1 77 080 0096 0 77 064 0024 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 79 080 1104 0 79 064 0096 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 64 080 0384 0 64 064 0096 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 65 080 0576 0 65 064 0144 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 0096 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0384 0 67 064 0096 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 72 080 1104 0 72 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use itclick here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:3/4
Q:1/4=160
K:C
GFE4|G2c2G2|E2F4|-F2A4|-A2G4|c2d4|c2e4|-e6|
d6|-dcE4|G2c2G2|E2F4|-F2A4|A2G4|c2B2e2|d2c4|
-c6|d6|-def3g|f2f2e2|d2e3f|e2e2d2|c2d3e|d2B2A2|
G2g4|-g6|G6|-GFE4|G2c2G2|E2F4|-F2A4|A2G4|
c2B2e2|d2c4|-c21/4||

Similar words and tune are collected, in Queensland, and other parts of NSW.

I looked in the DT and found no version of the song, so I girded my loins and set to with books and indexes.

It turns out that there was an old song, probably brought out by the goldrush immigrants who sang it to remind themselves of thedivertissements they had left behind in London. After a generation or so, all these delights would have been forgotten and only those few lyrical lines remembered.

The broadside located by Ron Edwards, during his 1985 study trip to view broadside collections in the major British libraries, gives a full set of words and the well known 8 lines found in Australia are, respectively, the chorus and the second half of the first verse.

STARRY NIGHT FOR A RAMBLE
From a broadside located by Ron Edwards in the Mitchell Library, Glasgow, 1985.

I like a game of croquet or bowling on the green,
I like a little boating to pull against the stream,
But of all the games that I love best to fill me with delight,
I like to take a ramble upon a starry night.
Chorus:
A starry night for a ramble,
In a flowery dell,
Thro' the bush and bramble,
Kiss and never tell.

Talk about your bathing and strolling on the sands,
Or some unseen verandah where gentle zephyr fans,
Or rolling home in the morning, boys, and very nearly tight,
Could never beat a ramble upon a starry night.
Chorus: A starry night, &c.

I like to take my sweetheart, "of course you would," said she,
And softly whisper in her ear, "how dearly I love thee,"
And when you picture to yourselves the scenes of such delight,
You'll want to take a ramble upon a starry night.
Chorus: A starry night, &c.

Some will choose velocipede, and others take a drive,
And some will sit and mope at home, half dead and and half alive,
And some will choose a steam boat, and others even fight,
I'll enjoy my ramble upon a starry night.
Chorus: A starry night, &c.

The broadside is, of course, undated with no author named, but it is marked:
London: Printed at the "Catnach Press" by W. S. FORTEY, 2 & 3 Monmouth Court, Seven Dials. The Oldest and Cheapest House in the World for Ballads (4,000 sorts). Song Books, &c.

(Hmmm...! Sounds like an ancestor of the DT Database!

Various terms used in this (and another song printed on the same sheet) have been dated against their first recorded usage in theShorter Oxford English Dictionary. From the internal evidence, it would seem that the song dates from the mid to late 1850s.

This tune, collected from a Mrs Jenkins in Queensland, is in 6/8 and may be more like the original. It would be sung quite slowly ... in fact her grandson Allan Jenkins recalls that the whole family was called in to sing it around his great-grandfather's bed, the night that he died!

Presumably, the original song, with its 4 long lines and 4 short line chorus, would have repeated the 'B' part for the chorus. The different treatments found today probably reflect the different ways that people accommodated to the shorter words.

MIDI file: STARRY68.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 6/8 36 8
Tempo: 082 (722892 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0480 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0113 0 72 064 0007 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 0288 0 65 064 0072 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 77 080 0096 0 77 064 0024 1 76 080 0552 0 76 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 0288 0 65 064 0072 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 72 080 0552 0 72 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 77 080 0192 0 77 064 0048 1 77 080 0096 0 77 064 0024 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 77 080 0096 0 77 064 0024 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0552 0 74 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 0288 0 65 064 0072 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 72 080 0552 0 72 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use itclick here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:6/8
Q:1/4=82
K:C
G5G|e2ccGE|F3A2A|G2cd2f|e5c|e2ccGE|F3A2A|
G2cd3|c5c|f2fd2f|e2de2c|c2AB2c|d5G|e2ccGE|
F3A2A|G2cd3|c37/8||

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Add Lyr: A Starry Night for a Ramble
From: Helen
Date: 27 Jan 99 - 12:44 AM

Bob, I'm speechless with wonder at how you found all of this out. I'll have a listen to the 6/8 tune, but it will have to be very good to beat the 4/4 tune because that one is beautiful in its simplicity.

Thanks for posting the tune, lyrics & info. Helen

Subject: RE: Add Lyr: A Starry Night for a Ramble
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 01:10 PM

I was grouping the Vincent Black Lighning threads, then moved to Vincent/Starry Night, and then came across this gem.
Take a look at it. Mudcat has all sorts of hidden treasures for explorers to find.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Add Lyr: A Starry Night for a Ramble
From: mg
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 01:45 PM

the Beers family recorded a version of it...I remember a chorus?? Peaches and cream???? mg