happy? - Oct 31 (the evening before...)

Subject: happy? - Oct 31 (the evening before...)
From: Abby Sale
Date: 31 Oct 05 - 07:38 AM


10/31, Halloween:

          Then will you meet me here, my faithful Johnny,
          Then will you meet me here, my sweet and bonnie?
          Though the night be halloween,
          When the fearful sights are seen
          I will come again, my sweet and bonnie,
          I will come again.
  
                  "Faithful Johnny" words & music by Anne MacVicar Grant, 1755-1838, 
                  musical treatment by L van Beethoven. 

It was commissioned and first published by Burns' major publisher, George Thomson in 1818. It's a fine song and I find it interesting that it has continued in both folk and lieder traditions. Sung by Redpath, Wolfgang Holzmair , Dyer-Bennett, and most impressively to Barry Dransfield's cello.


A personal amusement for 10/31. Seems that back on October 16, 1903, the New York Press published the following little word problem. It's dead easy, but the trick part is that it ap[pears to be easier than it is.

The whole of north America knew of it in a few weeks & for decades later, the phrase "How old is Ann?" came to mean - "Yeah! And you've asked a ridiculously impossible question!" (As it were.)

So, on Halloween, I print it up and add a couple of the Clip Art black cats & pass one out to each of the kids that come by. Older ones are told they don't get any candy next year unless they bring the solution - littles are just told to give one to their parents.

No one has charged me with abuse so far...

Mary is 24.
She is twice as old
as Ann was when
Mary was as old as
Ann is now.
How old is Ann?

No guesses allowed, show your work.

ALSO:
Folk-Legacy records was born 10/31/1961. The best.

Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved
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