Info on song [Piper, June, 'Moonlit Glade']

Subject: Info on song
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 03 Jul 20 - 06:39 PM

Does anyone recognise this snatch from a children's song?

"I heard a piper playing upon a night in June
And all the forest trees bent down to listen to his tune
I heard a piper playing, I know not what he played
But all the fairies danced for him, a-down the moonlit glade."

Subject: RE: Info on song
From: Helen
Date: 03 Jul 20 - 07:03 PM

The usual questions:

Where/when did you hear it?
Male/female singer(s) or a band?
What type of music?
Anything else which would help with identification?
Any unusual instruments?

I just tried Googling each of the lines from the song with quote marks around the line to help narrow down the search.

Not a lot came up. Gary Stadler seems to have a few fairy songs. Might be worth checking out.

Subject: RE: Info on song [Piper, June, "Moonlit Glade"]
From: Helen
Date: 04 Jul 20 - 07:30 PM

I'm beginning to suspect that this is a wind-up. Happy to be proved wrong, but...

Subject: RE: Info on song [Piper, June, 'Moonlit Glade']
From: leeneia
Date: 06 Jul 20 - 12:54 PM

It sounds like a parlor song to me, but it doesn't seem to be in the Lester Levy site. I don't see any reason why the song wouldn't be legit.

Subject: RE: Info on song [Piper, June, 'Moonlit Glade']
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Nov 21 - 04:12 AM

I remember singing this song at a music festival about 60 years ago. It’s a great song for a 10 year old to sing. I can still remember the tune. Incredible you I won out of 85 entrants. One of my better moments!??

Subject: RE: Info on song [Piper, June, 'Moonlit Glade']
From: GUEST,jwhizzkid
Date: 24 Jun 23 - 07:08 PM

...I heard a piper playing beside a churchyard wall
I seemed to see sweet eyes of old and hear old voices call
I heard a piper playing I know not what his tune
But all that churchyard was awake, beneath that fairy moom

And ever in the sunlight and ever through the rain
I hear the piper playing again and yet again
He plays the tunes of yesterday, the songs of long ago
And some are glad and some are sad, for love will have it so

We sang this at a school music festival in 1965 and I've never forgotten it.

Subject: RE: Info on song [Piper, June, 'Moonlit Glade']
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jun 23 - 09:27 PM

Of course you didn't forget it, jwhizzkid. If you sing it in performance at a music festival, your choir director is going to beat it into you - whether you like it or not. I've gone through that agony time and time again. I admit that it was good for me - but it was painful.
COVID was a good excuse for me to quit choir. I started in fifth grade.

-Joe-