# Shakespeare and Folk Songs



## Potiphera (Mar 24, 2011)

I love Shakespeare songs and I shall start with this one .

The Wind and the rain.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Something good to listen to, in this month of Shakespeare's birth (and death) -- April 23.

I've had some interest in Shakespeare songs since undergraduate days when I did a research paper on music in Shakespeare with emphasis on _The Winter's Tale_. As part of the paper I composed melodies for the songs of the play. I recall vividly I earned a "B" on that paper.

Some years later, upon revisiting the college during a "homecoming" event and happening to attend a production of Shakespeare's _The Winter's Tale_, which just happened to have been programmed for that weekend, I was rather surprised to spot my name in the program for "Music". Apparently, the director of the play, who just happened to have been the professor in the English course for which I penned that research paper on music in Shakespeare's plays, had decided to use his former student's melodies for his production. I was shocked, surprised, flabbergasted, but mostly pleased. (It was a beautiful production.)

After the performance I made my way up to the balcony, where I knew I would find the director in his usual "show seat", and greeted him pleasantly. (We had become good friends during my undergrad years when I participated in several of his shows, as actor, singer, orchestra percussionist, set builder, and even playwright.) I believe the first words I said to him were: "You know, you gave me a 'B' on that paper." He simply mumbled something like "Yes, you had a lot yet to learn."


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*Closer Vocals*

"Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
Heigh-ho! sing heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh-ho! the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
Thou dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend remember'd not.
Heigh-ho! sing heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh-ho! the holly!
This life is most jolly."

*(As You Like It, 2.7.181-201)*


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*Sophie Macrae*

"Fear no more the heat o' the sun, 
Nor the furious winter's rages; 
Thou thy worldly task hast done, 
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages: 
Golden lads and girls all must, 
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.

Fear no more the frown o' the great; 
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke; 
Care no more to clothe and eat; 
To thee the reed is as the oak: 
The scepter, learning, physic, must 
All follow this, and come to dust.

Fear no more the lightning flash, 
Nor the all-dreaded thunder stone; 
Fear not slander, censure rash; 
Thou hast finished joy and moan: 
All lovers young, all lovers must 
Consign to thee, and come to dust.

No exorciser harm thee! 
Nor no witchcraft charm thee! 
Ghost unlaid forbear thee! 
Nothing ill come near thee! 
Quiet consummation have; 
And renownèd be thy grave!"

*(Cymbeline, 4.2.324-29), Guiderius*


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*Marianne Faithfull
*
How should I your true love know
From the other one ?
By his cockle hat and staff
And his sandal shoon.
He is dead and gone, lady,
He is dead and gone.
At his heels the grass-green turf
At his head a stone.
How should I your true love know
From the other one ?
By his cockle hat and staff
And his sandal shoon.

*(Hamlet, 4.5.23-6), Ophelia*


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## Potiphera (Mar 24, 2011)

Mollie John, those renditions of Shakespeare songs are all so lovely, thank you for such a great contributions. 

I din't know Marianne Faithful sung the song Ophelia's song. I was looking for a good rendition and you found one.:tiphat:


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*Donovan*

"Under the greenwood tree
Who loves to lie with me
And tune his merry note
Unto the sweet bird's
Come hither come hither come hither
Here shall he see no enemy
But winter and rough weather

Who doth ambition shun
And love to live in the sun
Seeking the food he eats
And pleased with what he gets
Come hither come hither come hither
Here shall he see no enemy
But winter and rough weather

and if it do come to pass
That any man turn a$$
Leaving his wealth and ease
A stubborn will to please
Ducdame ducdame ducdame
There shall he see gross fools as he
And if will come to me"

*(As You Like It, 2.5.4-10-16), Amiens*


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

From one of my favourite 70s albums:


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*Les Sirènes Female Chamber Choir*

"Hark, hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings, 
And Phoebus 'gins arise, 
His steeds to water at those springs
On chalicedflowers that lies; 
And winking Mary-buds begin 
To ope their golden eyes: 
With every thing that pretty is,
My lady sweet, arise: 
Arise, arise."

*(Cymbeline, 2.3.19-27), Cloten*


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*Artist: Rebecca Hickey
Artist: Dorothy Linell
*
"Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day,
All in the morning betime,
And I, a maid, at your window,
To be your Valentine.

The young man rose and donned his clothes,
And dupped the chamber door,
Let in the maid that out, a maid,
Never departed more.

Quoth she, Before you tumbled me,
You promised me to wed,
That would I have done, by yonder sun,
If thou hadst not come to my bed.

By Gis and by Saint Charity,
Away and fie for shame.
Young men will do it, when they come to it,
By cock, they are to blame."

*(Hamlet, 4.5.46-53), Ophelia*


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*Méav*

"Full fathom five thy father lies;

Of his bones are coral made;

Those are pearls that were his eyes:

Nothing of him that doth fade

But doth suffer a sea-change

Into something rich and strange.

Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:

Ding-dong.

Hark! now I hear them,--ding-dong, bell."

*(Hamlet, 4.5.162-4), Ophelia*






*Les Sirènes Female Chamber Choir*


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*The Broadside Band - John Potter*

"In youth, when I did love, did love, 
Methought it was very sweet, 
To contract, O, the time, for-ah, my behove,
O, methought, there was nothing-a meet....

But age, with his stealing steps, 
Hath claw'd me in his clutch, 
And hath shipped me into the land, 
As if I had never been such.

A pick-axe, and a spade, a spade
For and a-shrouding sheet;
O, a pit of clay for to be made
for such a guest is meet."

*(Hamlet, 5.1.62), First Clown *


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*Les Sirènes Female Chamber Choir*

"When daisies pied and violets blue 
And lady-smocks all silver-white 
And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue 
Do paint the meadows with delight, 
The cuckoo then, on every tree, 
Mocks married men; for thus sings he: 
"Cuckoo; 
Cuckoo, cuckoo!" O, word of fear, 
Unpleasing to a married ear!

When shepherds pipe on oaten straws, 
And merry larks are ploughmen's clocks, 
When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws, 
And maidens bleach their summer smocks, 
The cuckoo then, on every tree, 
Mocks married men; for thus sings he, 
"Cuckoo; 
Cuckoo, cuckoo!" O, word of fear, 
Unpleasing to a married ear!

When icicles hang by the wall, 
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail, 
And Tom bears logs into the hall, 
And milk comes frozen home in pail, 
When blood is nipp'd, and ways be foul, 
Then nightly sings the staring-owl, 
"Tu-who; 
Tu-whit, tu-who!"-a merry note, 
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

When all aloud the wind doth blow, 
And coughing drowns the parson's saw, 
And birds sit brooding in the snow, 
And Marian's nose looks red and raw, 
When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl, 
Then nightly sings the staring owl, 
"Tu-who; 
Tu-whit, tu-who!"-a merry note, 
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot."

*(Love's Labour's Lost, 5.2.914-19), Spring Song*


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*Aaron Sheehan*

"King Stephen was a worthy peer, 
His breeches cost him but a crown, 
He held them sixpence all too dear, 
With that he called the tailor lown.

He was a wight of high renown, 
And thou art but of low degree, 
'Tis pride that pulls the country down, 
Then take thine auld cloak about thee. 
Some wine, ho!"

*(Othello, 2.3.87-94), Iago*


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