Origins: The four seasons, song

Subject: RE: Origins: The four seasons, song
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 03:06 AM

How nice was that! Thank you again.

Subject: RE: Origins: The four seasons, song
From: Helen
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 02:18 AM

Hi Nick,

I can totally relate to mysteriously vanishing tunes. I have never been able to remember tunes on the flute, can muddle along remembering some tunes on the harp, and have suddenly discovered that I can remember tunes on my recently acquired concert-sized ukelele - as long as I remember how each tune starts. This is a miraculous breakthrough for me after many decades of struggling.

The Four Seasons song has a meandering sort of style of melody which probably makes it harder to remember. My trick for analysing tunes is to play the recording over and over - usually on the car stereo - until I start to figure it out.

Keep working at it and eventually you'll be able to sing it with or without the brews!

Helen

Subject: RE: Origins: The four seasons, song
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 18 Jul 16 - 07:35 PM

Thanks Helen, One of my favourite sonnets as well (Perfick!!)
Pop Larkin whoops sorry Nick Dow

By the way it's the origin of the song I was interested in not any political agenda, so thanks for your comments. I am having a hell of a time trying to remember the tune. I can sing it several times, have a brew, and the flaming thing has vanished from my ageing head. Makes me more determined to learn it though.

Subject: RE: Origins: The four seasons, song
From: Helen
Date: 18 Jul 16 - 03:04 PM

There is an mp3 of the song available for download here:

The Four Seasons Composed by Antaine Ó Faracháin

Subject: RE: Origins: The four seasons, song
From: Helen
Date: 18 Jul 16 - 02:41 PM

Hi Nick,

I'll check this song out. The words remind me of one or more of Shakespeare's sonnets. One of his most well known, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day..." and my all time favourite of his sonnet's, "Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day..."

Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest;
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.


Sonnet 34

Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day,
And make me travel forth without my cloak,
To let base clouds o'ertake me in my way,
Hiding thy bravery in their rotten smoke.
'Tis not enough that through the cloud thou break,
To dry the rain on my storm-beaten face,
For no man well of such a salve can speak,
That heals the wound and cures not the disgrace:
Nor can thy shame give physic to my grief,
Though thou repent, yet I have still the loss,
The offender's sorrow lends but weak relief
To him that bears the strong offence's cross,
Ah! but those tears are pearl which thy love sheds,
And they are rich and ransom all ill deeds.


Leeneia, I don't think that there is enough information in Antaine Ó Faracháin's song to be able to pass judgement on either party, so we all may make assumptions based on our own experiences, but we cannot make reasoned decisions. In my opinion, it would be a shame to dismiss a beautiful song because of a personal judgement based on minimal available information on who is in the right and who is in the wrong in the story.

Helen

Subject: RE: Origins: The four seasons, song
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 18 Jul 16 - 12:15 PM

I meant FINDING the words was no problem, but thanks anyway. The rest is personal taste.

Subject: RE: Origins: The four seasons, song
From: leeneia
Date: 18 Jul 16 - 09:36 AM

The words may not be a problem, but the attitude is. She's not a false person because they kissed a few times. He is wrong to wish the groom dead.

I just learned a new term for a person who nurses grievances like this: injustice collector.

Let's get real. The singer isn't grieving because he lost the woman he loved. He's angry because another man got the woman he claimed as his property. These attitudes, combined with alcohol, can lead to homicide.

Should we be promulgating such attitudes?

Subject: RE: Origins: The four seasons, song
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 18 Jul 16 - 02:50 AM

The words are not a problem (Thanks anyway) I have a feeling in might be a rewrite of an older ballad. I love it anyway. I might get in touch with the man himself.

Well I went out walking one morning in spring
The dew it lay on the grass and the birds did sweetly sing
The morning it being so pure and fresh and the river ran clear
And at every bright flower I thought on my dear.

It was in the green forest that I wandered all round
Where many wild birds and wild berries are found
Ah but for every wild berry that I plucked to eat
I shed a tear all for my dear that fell to my feet.

It was in the hot summer when I first met my love
I thought her much fairer than the swan or the dove
Neither lark nor wild linnet could more sweetly sing
And she caused my troubled heart with music to ring.

Her hair it resembled the willows fine strands
Her skin was like the lily white as it rests on the pond
Her eyes they did sparkle like the trout in the stream
As he turns in clear water and like a crystal he gleams.

Well we kissed and we courted all the hot summer long
Ah but it wasn’t long after ‘til the autumn came on
The swallows they parted and bees fell to die
And the winds and the grey clouds came to keen and to cry.

Well the trees they swayed all around the leaves blew in the wind
Ah but the parting of true lovers is never so kind
For as the leaf withered and fell from the tree
So it was with that flower that parted from me.

Was on a cold winters morning when to the church I did go
To pray for that false love that left me alone
She was dressed in fine white laces with a gold ring on her hand
And close by her side stood a handsome young man.

Oh father forgive me these thoughts in my head
For never before have I wished a man dead
The four seasons they go by but this pain lingers on
It’s cold in my heart still all for the love of one.

Subject: RE: Origins: The four seasons, song
From: leeneia
Date: 17 Jul 16 - 10:06 PM

Ha! another clue. Jewelweed is a North American plant, transplanted to Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries.   

"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_capensis"

If I had to guess, I would say that the date of the song is early 20th C. It's too cohesive to be much older.

Subject: RE: Origins: The four seasons, song
From: leeneia
Date: 17 Jul 16 - 10:00 PM

I agree, Nick. It seems modern to me, too. For example, the reference near the end to the bride in white lace. The white, lacy bride's dress is a rather modern tradition.

There is a video on YouTube of Antaine O Farachain which can be found by doing a search on his name. I thought the song would be interesting, so I typed up a rough draft of the words. However, it ends in a weak man's mood of bitter jealousy, and who needs that?

However, the typing's done, so I'll share it.


=================
well i went out walking one morning in spring
the jewelweed lay on the ground and birds did sweetly sing
the morning it being so pure and fresh and the river run clear
and with every bright flower i thought on my dear

it was in the green forest i wandered around
where many wild birds and wild berries are found
ah, for every wild berry that I plucked [far and near?]
i shed bitter tear all for my dear

it was in the hot summer when I first met my love
i thought her much fairer than the swallow above (the something dove)
neither lark nor the linnet could more sweetly sing
and she caused my troubled heart with music to ring.

[Here occurs a verse about her]hair, skin, eyes, which I am ignoring.]

well we kissed and we courted all the hot summer long
and it wasn't long after till the autumn came on
the swallows they departed and the beasts fell to die
and the winds and the gray clouds came to keen and to cry

well the trees they swayed all around and they blew in the wind [use long i in 'wind']

at the parting of true lovers be it never so kind
as for the leaves, they withered and fell from the tree
so it was with that flower that parted from me

Well 'twas on the cold morning to the church I did go
to pray for that false love that left me alone
she was dressed in fine, white laces with gold ring on her hand
and close by her side stood a handsome young man

oh father forgive me, these thoughts in my head
for never before have i wished a man dead
the 4 seasons they go by, but this tale lingers on
its cold in my heart still, all for love of one.
=============
This is the second trad song I've encountered with jewelweed in it. I think I'll go see what jewelweed s.

Subject: Origins: The four seasons, song
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 17 Jul 16 - 07:44 AM

Love the song as sung (The four seasons, song / Antaine Ó Faracháin)
However I have my doubts about the words (wonderful as they are) being of any great age. Has anybody any knowledge of it. I'm learning it anyway, it's too good not to sing.
kind regards
Nick