Origins: Three white doves/gulls a flying

Subject: ADD: Three white doves
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Apr 17 - 07:35 PM

THREE WHITE DOVES
(folk song from Italy, English words by Marguerite Wilkinson)

There are three white doves a-flying, (3)
By the sea they cry. (3)
There are three white doves a-flying,
By the sea they cry. (3)

In the waves they dip their soft wings, (3)
Then soar to the sky! (3)
In the waves they dip their soft wings,
Then soar to the sky! (3)

S'a sun tre culumbe bianche, (3)
S'la riva del mar. (3)
S'a sun tre culumbe bianche,
S'la riva del mar. (3)

E lur van bagnesse j'ale, (3)
Suresse al sul. (3)
E lur van bagnesse j'ale,
Suresse al sul. (3)

Source: Botsford Collection of Folk Songs, Volume 3 ©1921, 1922 by G. Schirmer

---

Click to play (joeweb)

Subject: ADD: The Three Doves / Gulls
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Apr 17 - 07:28 PM

It's also in the fourth-grade book of Silver Burdett Music, Centennial Edition (1985), page 218

THREE WHITE GULLS
(folk song from Italy, English words by Marguerite Wilkinson)

There are three white gulls a-flying, (3)
By the sea they cry (3)
There are three white gulls a-flying,
By the sea they cry (3)

In the waves they dip their soft wings, (3)
Then soar to the sky. (3)
In the waves they dip their soft wings,
Then soar to the sky. (3)

Original title "The Three Doves," by Marguerite Wilkinson, from Botsford Collection of Folk Songs, Volume 3 ©1921, 1922 by G. Schirmer

Subject: ADD: Three White Gulls
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Apr 17 - 06:18 PM

And on We've Got Some Singing to Do by the Folksmiths: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSGyBZBN0i4


SIDE I, Band 7: THREE WHITE GULLS
This is an Italian song occasionally found in song
collections for grammar schools. Recently, we learned
it from Tony Saletan of Cambridge, Mass., who is
credited with the third verse. We used it as a lullaby
for serenading.

THREE WHITE GULLS

There were three white gulls a-flying, (3)
And they soared through the sky. (3)

In the waves they dipped their soft wings, (3)
And they soared through the sky. (3)

In the clouds they danced and tumbled, (3)
And they soared through the sky. (3 )

There were three white gulls a-flying, (3)
And they soared through the sky. (3)

Subject: RE: Origins: Three white gulls a flying
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Apr 17 - 06:06 PM

This song, "Three White Gulls," is on the X-Seamen's Institute Sings at the South Street Seaport album. Here's the URL of the liner notes: http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/folkways/FW32418.pdf

Unfortunately, the liner notes are incomplete, and don't have the lyrics. Here's a YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLLWb3Eztt4

Susan Reed also recorded the song on her self-titled album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOXOsYye_QI.


-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: Three white doves a flying
From: EBarnacle
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 09:04 AM

It was one of Bernie's favorites and he could be counted on to perform it at every performance.

Subject: RE: Origins: Three white doves a flying
From: GUEST,jamie
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 12:48 AM

in the clouds they dance and tumble

Subject: Lyr Add: TRE COLOMBE BIANCHE / THREE WHITE DOVES
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Dec 08 - 09:49 AM

I wonder if it's related to this Italian song:

(Sorry, I can't help with the translation. It seems to be in dialect.)

From Canti popolari monferrini by Giuseppe Ferraro (Torino-Firenze: Ermanno Loescher, 1870).


LE TRE COLOMBE BIANCHE.

(Cfr. Marcoaldi, Le tre rondinelle, pag. 152 — Arbaud, Belo Calho!, II, pag. 103 — Briz, Lo fill del rey, I, pag. 193).

Sun li trei culumbe bianche,
  Bagnaje si sun, bagnaje si sun,
Si sun bagnaje di l'aigua,
  Di la prigiun, di la prigiun.
Sun andaje a fèe siuare,[1]
  Sutta i barcun, sutta i barcun.
Ir fiò du re u i ha viste,
  U i ha tirèe, u i ha tirèe.[2]
E l'ha culpì ra bela,
  Sutta ar mantel, sutta ar mantel.
E l'ha culpì ra bela,
  Sutta au scusà, sutta au scusà.[3]
E ra bela cas[4] an tera:
  —Morta mi sun, morta mi sun!—
—Tasì, tasì,[5] ra bela,
  I uarirei, i uarirei.
Ajò ïn fradè an Fransa
  U fà ir barbè, u fà ir barbè;[6]
U farà uarì ra bela,
  Senza dinèe, senza dinèe.[7]
Ajò ïn fradè an Fransa
  U fà u dutur, u fà u dutur;
U farà uarì ra bela
  Sensa dulur, senza dulur.
Ajò trei surele an Fransa;
  Vi sirviran, vi sirviran;
Ina farà da sen-nha,[8]
  L'atra u disnèe,[9] l'atra u disnèe,
L'atra farà lo lettu
  Da ripusèe, da ripusèe.—

1 asciugare. 2 tirato. 3 grem biale. 4 cade. 5 tacete. 6 medico. 7 denari. 8 cena. 9 desi nare.

Subject: RE: Origins: Three white doves a flying
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 22 Nov 08 - 09:05 PM

Glad I could be of some help to you.

                                    SOL

Subject: RE: Origins: Three white doves a flying
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 22 Nov 08 - 03:48 PM

Thanks to Rabbi-Sol. A search on three White Gulls found the song I was looking for. It perhaps got changed to Doves in Nova Scotia. It is described by Smithsonian Folkways as a US origin lullaby.

Thanks for the helpful leads vis a vis X Seamans Institute.

Jon

Subject: RE: Origins: Three white doves a flying
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 21 Nov 08 - 03:18 PM

I just checked the casette of The X Seamen's Institute that I have from years ago. They sing the song as "Three White GULLS" instead of doves. The other words are all the same.

SOL

Subject: RE: Origins: Three white doves a flying
From: pavane
Date: 21 Nov 08 - 02:40 AM

Intersting because my distant ancestor (born 1625) had 3 white doves (Colombs) on his coat of arms. Probably originated on a biblical theme.

See it here

Subject: RE: Origins: Three white doves a flying
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 20 Nov 08 - 11:53 PM

This song was a favorite of the late Bernie Klay and the X Seamans Institute when they used to perform at the South Street Seaport in NYC.

Frank Woerner who sang in that group with Bernie is still around and currently sings with the New York Packet. Dan Milner (Liam's Brother) also sings with the New York Packet and posts here on Mudcat. If he sees this post he can contact Frank and get the information for you about this song.

SOL

Subject: Origins: Three white doves a flying
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 Nov 08 - 09:28 PM

Looking for the origins of a song for which I am guessing at the title.
It is great in 3 part harmony and as far as I know doesn't have many verses. The ones I know are:
3 white doves a flying (3x)
And they go to the sea (3x)

In the sea they dip their white wings (3x)
And they fly away (3x)