Lyr Req: The Lass with the Delicate Aire / Air

Subject: Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: GUEST,Jill
Date: 25 May 00 - 04:49 PM

Hi can anyone out there provide the lyrics for the old English song The Lass With The Delicate Air (Aire)? Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 25 May 00 - 05:45 PM

Air.

I'll look for my Josh White record that has it.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: GUEST,PattG
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 02:04 PM

For those who might be interested, we found the lyrics to "The Lass With The Delicate Aire" - can be found at:

http://www.bol.net/overseer5/delicate.htm

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Jacob B
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 05:20 PM

Click here.

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Pene Azul
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 06:00 PM

Thanks for the info. I'll post them in case they're wanted for the DT.

PA

Subject: ADD: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Pene Azul
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 06:02 PM

THE LASS WITH THE DELICATE AIRE

Young Molly who lives at the foot of the hill
Whose fame every virgin with envy doth fill
Of beauty is blessed with so ample a share
Men call her the lass with the delicate aire
With the delicate aire
Men call her the lass with the delicate aire

One evening last May, as I traversed the grove
In thoughtless retirement, not dreaming of love
I chanced to espy the gay nymph, I declare
And really she had a most delicate aire
A most delicate aire
And really she had a most delicate aire

By a murmuring brook on a green mossy bed
A chaplet composing the fair one was laid
Surprised and transported, I could not forbear
With rapture to gaze on her delicate aire
On her delicate aire
With rapture to gaze on her delicate aire

A thousand times o'er I've repeated my suit
But still the tormentor affects to be mute
Then tell me ye swains who have conquered the fair
How to win the dear lass with the delicate aire
With the delicate aire
How to win the dear lass with the delicate aire

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 06:50 PM

Written by Michael Arne (1740-1786).  Composer's name courtesy of the MIDI Music Sing Along Songbook (link above).

Malcolm

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Pene Azul
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 07:40 PM

Oops, I missed that. Thanks, Malcolm.

PA

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: ddw
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 12:37 AM

Sure is a different set of words from those sung by Josh White! Thanks for posting these, PA.

david

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Pene Azul
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 12:42 AM

Thanks to PattG for finding them. I just did the grunt work :^)

PA

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alice
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 12:57 AM

This is a song I sing. I guess I missed that someone was looking for it. I had to learn it as a voice student. It is a good practice piece, like When Love Is Kind, to begin developing agility in singing runs and fast passages.

Alice

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alice
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 01:02 AM

It was written by Thomas A. Arne, and you usually see the title written Air without an "e" on the end.

Alice

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alice
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 01:06 AM

The sheet music is $6.50, at B&H vocal catalog

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: WyoWoman
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 01:06 AM

This was one I had to learn in voice lessons as well. And sang as contest pieces for All-State Chorus when I was in high school. I can't even hear the title without hearing my-mother-the-vocal-teacher telling me to "support, support! Don't use your throat to produce that tone!!!"

WW

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alice
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 01:12 AM

Hi there, KC ;-)

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 01:21 AM

Some confusion between the Arnes, apparantly.  The Oxford Companion To Music insists:

The Song The Lass With A Delicate Air (not "The Delicate Air") is Michael Arne's, not (as often stated on programmes) his father's.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alice
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 01:33 AM

Well, there certainly are alot of sheet music publishers out there with Thomas, not Michael. My sheet music says Thomas, as does the others I've seen on the 'net. Maybe you could track this mystery down, eh, Malcolm?

Alice

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 01:46 AM

Really not my field!  Chambers Biographical Dictionary also credits the song to Michael, though.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alice
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 01:56 AM

Well, his son was named Michael, so maybe since he inherited the estate, that is where the name comes in. What I've read of Thomas Arne is that his father was a tradesman and against the music career. "In his will he left everything to "my beloved wife Cecilia and my only son Michael." curiouser and curiouser said Alice.

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 02:26 AM

A quick search of Yahoo yielded 23 accessible sites that mention the song; only 9 name a composer: plain "Arne" once, Thomas gets two votes, Michael six; so he seems to be winning so far!  The Oxford Companion also says of Michael:

Born in London in 1740, and died there in 1786, aged forty-six.  He was the (natural) son of [Thomas Arne].  He was unsuccessful as an opera singer, ruined himself in attempting to find the Philosopher's Stone, conducted the first performance of Handel's Messiah ever heard in Germany (Hamburg, 1772 -thirty years after its composition!) and composed music for the stage -some of it whilst in prison for debt.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alice
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 02:27 AM

Found a bit more at the Library of Congress website:
An index to the vocal works of Thomas Augustine Arne and Michael Arne, by John A. Parkinson.Arne, Thomas Augustine, -- 1710-1778 and Arne, Michael, -- 1741?-1786. So Michael Arne the composer could have been his son, but not his father, born when Thomas was about 31. Numerous places now, I am finding, of Michael being the composer of "the lass" song. Still others, as in my printed music, T. Arne. From the catalog of works by Michael, it seems to fit with his other works more than those of Thomas.

Alice

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alice
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 02:29 AM

We were posting at the same time, but we seem to come up with similar information. See the link I posted previously to the bio of Thomas Arne.

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alice
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 02:39 AM

Ok, over an hour ago I thought I would just check the Bill and Allan progress, then I got hooked into this thread because I had to learn the song at one time (still not one of my favorites, but good exercise) and NOW the great time-wasting web has kept me up past my bedtime looking for the definite name of the composer. I've been free of Mudcat addiction for a few months, and tonight it came back with just one curious thread. that's all folks.... outa here.

alice

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Jun 00 - 04:51 AM

And I'm supposed to be working!  Trouble is, it's all so interesting...never even heard of Michael Arne before today.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alexis
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 08:53 AM

I would like to refresh this thread with the plea for some help on the tune. A friend of mine is getting wed soon and her dad wants to sing it, but no-one knows the tune.
ABC or dots would be very much appreciated
thanks
Alex

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 09:11 AM

Four Part Harmony Here

Nigel

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 09:18 AM

It is in these songbooks (info from Plymouth Song Index).

"The Lass with the delicate air":
Music of all nations, ed. h.j. wood, vol.1                   Songbook
New guitar songbook                               1985       Songbook
Busker's fake book, 1001 all-time hit songs       1993       Songbook
Francis and day's community song book, vol.8                  Songbook

"The lass with the delicate air" (in G):
Selected songs                                     1975       Songbook

~Masato

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alice
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 09:34 AM

If you are in the US, I can fax the sheet music to you. Send me a personal message.

Alice

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alexis
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 09:54 AM

Alice,Masato and Nigel

Many thanks for the help, and so quickly as well.
Alex

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Mr Happy
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 11:12 AM

i've an EP of John McCormack singing 'The Lass with the Delicate Air'

the sleeve notes credit it to Thomas Arne.

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Alice
Date: 21 Jul 07 - 01:29 PM

Subject: RE: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: Stewart
Date: 21 Jul 07 - 02:55 PM

Oaky, I just wasted some more time, but that's fine.
Here's the abc of the tune.

X:1
T:The Lass With A Delicate Air
C:Michael Arne (1740-1786)
I:abc2nwc
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:E
z4B2|GF E2 (3EFG|F2B,2B,2|ED EF GA|B4G2|
FE DE FD|G^A B2G2|FE D2C2|B,4B2|B2AG cB|
A2FA GB|A2GF BA|A2G2B,2|E2AG cB|B3A G2|
F zE zD z|E4BB|c2ec ec|B2eB eB|A3B G2|
G2F2B,2|ED EF GA|BA GA Be| (3cBA G zF z|E4z2|]


But this doesn't really show how the words fit with the notes. For example the word "delicate" is sung over the 6th, 7th and 8th measures from the end of the tune.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: ADD: The Lass With The Delicate Aire
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 22 Jul 07 - 10:43 AM

Thanks for posting, Stewart. It's a pretty tune, but since goes from the B below middle C up to high E, I can see why it failed it hit the charts as a folk tune.