Lyr Req: Australian bush songs by Bayliss & James

Subject: lyrics rqd: Bush Night Song
From: GUEST,Max
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 09:12 PM

I would like the words to the 1920's song "Bush Night Song". I'm sure that's the title, eg; "Where the golden wattle lies, etc". Also, if poss. "Comrades of Mine and "The Stockrider's Song" all by the same composer.Thanks

Subject: RE: lyr req: Bush Night Song(William James bush songs)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 09:36 PM

Well, this page says they're on a CD called Peter Dawson Sings Australian Songs & More, and I found somewhere else that they're written by William James. I added the songwriter's name to the thread title, so people wouldn't think it's another political song thread. That's a start, at least.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: lyr req: Bush Night Song(William James bush so
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 09:59 PM

Durn! Here I thought this was a political thread!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bush Night Song(William James bush songs)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 08:08 AM

The Australian Music Centre has more information:

The sheet music for these songs:

THE LAND OF "WHO KNOWS WHERE!"
BUSH SILENCE
KING BILLY'S SONG
COMRADES OF MINE
BUSH NIGHT SONG
THE STOCK-RIDER'S SONG

...were published together as "Six Australian Bush Songs," words by Richard Baylis, music by William Garnet James, scored for piano and voice, published 1922. They are also available separately, scored for piano and choir, and published c1961.

Truesound Transfers (a German company, apparently) offers a CD that contains copies of recordings made in 1924 by Malcolm McEachern.

These seem to be "classical" compositions or at least adaptations of traditional material.

They are also on an album called "Songs of Sea and Empire" sung by Peter Dawson.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bush Night Song(William James bush songs)
From: Amos
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 08:34 AM

I think "Bush Silence" to be a rather inspiring title; the original seems to be instrumental. Perhaps we could have a song challenge on the theme.

A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bush Night Song(William James bush songs)
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 09:55 AM

G'day Max,

I have the book in front of me:
Six Australian Bush Songs, Words by Richard Baylis, Music by William G. James, G. Ricordi & Co, (London) Ltd., MXMXXII (1922). Bush Night Song is in 'sheet music format' - over three pages. The lyrics don't easily scan ... so I'll type them out and then post them ... but tomorrow night, as midnight looms!

Amos: The song Bush Silence does have words ... I'll post them along with Bush Night Song ... whenever!

Jim Dixon: I think William James saw himself as adapting elements of Australian folk music in his definitely classical compositions. The much later "Australian Christmas Carols" by Wheeler and James contained a number of good tune / word combinations that did spark the Australian consciousness (some have been posted by me to MudCat) ... but this lot are much less known.

Regards,

Bob

Subject: Lyr Add: BUSH NIGHT-SONG and BUSH SILENCE
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 07 Oct 04 - 05:50 AM

G'day again Max,

Here are words to Bush Night Song:

Dedicated by special desire to DAME NELLIE MELBA

Bush Night-Song

Words by RICHARD BAYLISS       Music by WILLIAM G. JAMES

Where the golden wattles rise,
Up into the purple skies,
Where the west wind softly sighs,
Cool and deep;
Where the camp fire glimmers bright —
Near the salt - bush silver white,
Where the Cross * gleams through the night,
Sleep, sleep. Oh! Sleep!

Till the eastern fires shall stain
Grey and gold the trackless plain,
Till the bell - bird wakes again,
Day shall peep;
Slumber till the night is done,
Dream of goals that shall be won —
With the rising of the sun,
Sleep, sleep. Oh! Sleep!

* The Southern Cross (Constellation Crux)
Additional glossary notes:
Wattles: Australian acacias with clusters of yellow globular flowers
Bell bird: Australian bird with ringing call like a small bell
(Copyright MCMXXII, by G. RICORDI & Co.)


Amos - Here are the printed words to Bush Silence:

Dedicated by special desire to DAME NELLIE MELBA

Bush Silence

Words by RICHARD BAYLISS       Music by WILLIAM G. JAMES

The young horn moon hangs over the creek,
The sun goes down, goes down the west.
The golden wattles cease to sigh,
The bell - birds go to rest.

The blue gums now no more are stirred,
Like sentinels they stand,
Now night spreads out her tent of stars,
And silence holds the land.

Additional glossary notes:
Wattles: Australian acacias with clusters of yellow globular flowers
Bell bird: Australian bird with ringing call like a small bell
Blue gums: Australian eucalypts - such as (eucalyptus saligna or e. globulus)

(Copyright MCMXXII, by G. RICORDI & Co.)

Neither looks like what we would consider, today, to be a folk song ...

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bush Night Song(William James bush songs)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 May 09 - 01:18 AM

My thanks to Bob - I searched for this song and found this site, and am so pleased that I can now sing the song I have been humming for the last couple of weeks. For some reason it came back to mind. I am in New Zealand but in the late 60s/early 70s was in Perth and learned this gentle lullaby at school. I have even worked it out on the guitar in the past but lacked the words other than a few odd lines.
Cheers!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian bush songs by Bayliss & James
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Nov 12 - 10:31 PM

I have an old copy of Six Australian Bush songs for sale if interested

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian bush songs by Bayliss & James
From: Artful Codger
Date: 13 Nov 12 - 01:48 AM

Four of the songs may be heard on YouTube.

Peter Dawson singing "Bush Silence," "Comrades of Mine," and "Bush Night Song"

Desmond Sullivan singing "Stock-rider's Song"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian bush songs by Bayliss & James
From: GUEST,Pork sausage Mike
Date: 13 Nov 12 - 03:47 AM

Look up Martin Wyndham-Reads' site, he sang some at the Ringwood Folk Club the other evening

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian bush songs by Bayliss & James
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jul 14 - 10:29 PM

Does anybody know all the lyrics to the song that starts;
Golden wattle fairy stuff
little balls of yellow fluff......

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian bush songs by Bayliss & James
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Jul 14 - 12:19 AM

G'day GUEST of Jul 14 - 10.29 PM,

Do you happen to know any useful 'search' details: Song title ... Author ... Collection ... Publisher ... ~ Date ... ?

Regards,

BobB

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian bush songs by Bayliss & James
From: GUEST,#
Date: 15 Jul 14 - 04:44 PM

Golden Wattle

The following from

http://www.wattleday.asn.au/what-you-can-do-1/what-you-can-do#song2

Golden Wattle, fairy stuff
Little balls of yellow fluff
Hear the bees how loud they hum
To say they're glad that Spring is come

When the stars begin to peep
Then the wattle falls asleep
Like a tired child in bed
It droops its pretty curly head

Anon.

(Song contributed by Mrs Jenny Sayer, who copied it out of her Headmistress' Assembly Book (Miss Leslie Bridle) at Sans Souci Public School in 1956)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian bush songs by Bayliss & James
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jul 14 - 07:23 PM

G'day again GUEST.#,

That seems to be a site pretty well focussed on Australian native flowers ... if not exclusively the Wattle ... !

It's a bit to one side of my principal interest in Australian songs and music from the 'Colonial Era' to present ... but good luck chasing ... every aspect of our own identity works to keep a wide range of culture(s) - outside of the global electronic interconnectivitry ( ... of which Mudcat is one of the good points ...) ...!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian bush songs by Bayliss & James
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Jul 14 - 07:28 PM

Err ... G'day again,

... That slipped away while I was trying to get my membership to stick!

Regard(les)s,

BobB

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Australian bush songs by Bayliss & James
From: GUEST,#
Date: 15 Jul 14 - 09:30 PM

Hi, Bob. Good to hear from you. The lyrics I posted were in response to
Guest 14 Jul 14 - 10:29 PM.