Folk Music: English/Scottish

Engelse Volksmuziek

The growing popularity of the English language in pop music some kind of attracted many folk songs in the progress. Here you will find a few examples of these traditionals.

Click the title for playback and sheet music:

This is an arrangement of an old English riddle song. I originally made the arrangement for flute and guitar, with some adaptations it appeared to sound beautifully for guitar duo.

If you want to play this music: it is part of the collection Down by the Sally Gardens, available with Muziekuitgeverij Van Teeseling, number VT347.

Sheet music

Scarborough Fair, who does not know the tune? Simon and Garfunkel made it a well-known tune in the seventies. The original, however, is way older. This English riddle song -the text is below- indicates the troubles you might get in getting a lost lover back...

Where are you going? To Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Remember me to a bonny lass there,
For once she was a true lover of mine.

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Without any needle or thread work'd in it,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to wash it in yonder well,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Where water ne'er sprung nor a drop of rain fell,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to plough me an acre of land,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Between the sea and the salt sea strand,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to plough it with one ram's horn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
And sow it all over with one pepper corn,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to to reap it with a stickle of feather,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
And tie it all up with a tomtit’s feather,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to gather it all in a sack,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
And carry it home on a butterfly's back,
And then she shall be a true lover of mine.

Will this relation ever be on...?

This is an arrangement of an English folk song. I originally made the arrangement for flute and guitar, with some adaptations it appeared to sound beautifully for guitar duo.

If you want to play this music: it is part of the collection Down by the Sally Gardens, available with Muziekuitgeverij Van Teeseling, number VT347.

This is an arrangement of a nineteenth century Scottish song, John Miller composed the melody, the well-known romantic poet Robert Burns write the lyrics. I originally made the arrangement for flute and guitar, with some adaptations it appeared to sound beautifully for guitar duo.

If you want to play this music: it iys part of the collection Down by the Sally Gardens, available with Muziekuitgeverij Van Teeseling, number VT347.