Lyr Req: It Was a Lover and His Lass (Shakespeare)

Subject: Lyr Req: Mary O'Hara song/lovers love the Spring
From: Gudrun Miller
Date: 03 Oct 07 - 10:50 PM

Hello--Am bookking for an old Mary O'Hara song. first verse runs something to this effect:
It was a lover and his lass whith hey ho hey nonni nonni no
(something something...)
In springtime
The only pretty ringtime when birds do sing hey ding-a-ding hey dinga-dinga-d+ sweet lovers love the srping.
Anybody know this--what's it called?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary O'Hara song/lovers love the Spring
From: GUEST,melinda
Date: 03 Oct 07 - 11:18 PM

The poem is called "It was a lover and his lass" and it's by an old English poet with the strange name of William Shakespeare.
The most common music for this is the one by Thomas Morley, but I'm not sure if this is the tune you're looking for; other people have written songs for this.
The poem and the Morley music are easy to find; try googling them.

Subject: Lyr Add: IT WAS A LOVER AND HIS LASS (Shakepeare)
From: GUEST,melinda
Date: 04 Oct 07 - 12:42 PM

Here's the original Shakespeare poem. Is this the one you're looking for?

There is music for the Morley tune at:
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/It_was_a_lover_and_his_lass_%28Thomas_Morley%29 (I can't get the link thing to work right). This is a SATB choral version, but you can sing the top line as a solo, especially if you can figure out an accompaniment from the other parts.


IT was a lover and his lass,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
That o'er the green corn-field did pass,
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

Between the acres of the rye,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
These pretty country folks would lie,
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

This carol they began that hour,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
How that life was but a flower
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

And, therefore, take the present time
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
For love is crownéd with the prime
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary O'Hara song/lovers love the Spring
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Oct 07 - 10:16 PM

Mary O'Hara sings 'TWAS A LOVER AND HIS LASS on her album "Isn't This a Lovely Day," 2003.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mary O'Hara song/lovers love the Spring
From: Don Firth
Date: 07 Oct 07 - 10:44 PM

It's also been recorded by every counter-tenor in the world who can find a lutenist to accompany him.

Don Firth