Yeoman's Wedding Song
St Licht
I was wondering how many Wodehouse fans out there are actually familiar
with The Yeoman's Wedding Song, the old ballad frequently cited by Bertie
in his annals. It is an actual song, for which I have the sheet music, in
a very old second-hand copy I bought some years ago. It's in a collection
called "Gems of English Song, a collection of very choice SONGS, DUETS and
QUARTETS with an accompaniment for the Piano-Forte," copyright 1875.
Previously owned by one Mary Bell Ranford (or Kay Bell Lanford? hard to
read the writing), signature dated June 1891.
The words were written by Maria X. Hayes (never heard of her? you're
about to find out why!), and the music was composed by no less a personage
than Prince Poniatowski! (anyone have the lowdown on him?)
The song runneth as follows:
Verse 1:
Ding dong ding dong ding dong, I love the song,
For it is my wedding morning,
And the bride so gay in fine array,
For the day will be now adorning.
Tho' I've little wealth but sov'reign health,
And am only a yeoman free,
When heart joins hand, there's none in the land
Can be richer in joys than we.
Refrain:
Ding dong, ding dong, we'll gallop along,
All fears and doubting scorning,
Through the valley we'll haste, for we've no time to waste,
As this is my wedding morning.
Verse 2:
Ding dong ding dong ding dong, my steed, hie on,
For the church will soon be filling,
They must not wait, they must not wait,
For were we late, they'd deem the groom unwilling.
The sun is high in the morning sky,
And the lark o'er our heads doth sing
A bridal song as we gallop along,
Keeping time to the bells as they ring.
Refrain:
Ding dong, &c.
It would be interesting to keep a web page of Song Lyrics Commonly
Referred To By Plum, such as "The Voice That Breath'd O'er Eden," "Pale
Hands I Loved Beside the Shalimar" and "Sonny Boy." Perhaps there already
is such a page? If not, please feel free to start it off with this one!
I also have "Sonny Boy" and "Shalimar" lying around somewhere, if anyone's
interested (though I think those are more readily available than
"Yeoman").
Steve Lichtenstein
St Li...@aol.com
Sudhakar Chandrasekharan
St Licht wrote:
>
> I was wondering how many Wodehouse fans out there are actually familiar
> with The Yeoman's Wedding Song, the old ballad frequently cited by Bertie
> in his annals. It is an actual song, for which I have the sheet music, in
> a very old second-hand copy I bought some years ago. It's in a collection
> called "Gems of English Song, a collection of very choice SONGS, DUETS and
> QUARTETS with an accompaniment for the Piano-Forte," copyright 1875.
> Previously owned by one Mary Bell Ranford (or Kay Bell Lanford? hard to
> read the writing), signature dated June 1891.
<snip>
> It would be interesting to keep a web page of Song Lyrics Commonly
> Referred To By Plum, such as "The Voice That Breath'd O'er Eden," "Pale
> Hands I Loved Beside the Shalimar" and "Sonny Boy." Perhaps there already
> is such a page? If not, please feel free to start it off with this one!
> I also have "Sonny Boy" and "Shalimar" lying around somewhere, if anyone's
> interested (though I think those are more readily available than
> "Yeoman").
What Ho!
You should be able to see it later tonight (or early tomorrow morning)
[PST] http://home.netscape.com/people/thaths/wodehouse/yeomans_song.html
I volunteer to maintain the pages.
Stephanie Bing
Teapot6761
stl...@aol.com (St Licht) Date: 30 Apr 1997 17:45:51 GMT wrote:
>It would be interesting to keep a web page of Song Lyrics Commonly
I've come across the title "The Voice That Breath'd O'er Eden" quite a few
times in my favorite English books. If anyone has the words to it, I'd
love to have them! Thanks.
Chase Kimball
In article <19970430174...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, stl...@aol.com
says...
>
>I was wondering how many Wodehouse fans out there are actually familiar
>with The Yeoman's Wedding Song, the old ballad frequently cited by Bertie
>in his annals. It is an actual song, for which I have the sheet music, in
>a very old second-hand copy I bought some years ago. It's in a collection
>called "Gems of English Song, a collection of very choice SONGS, DUETS and
>QUARTETS with an accompaniment for the Piano-Forte," copyright 1875.
>Previously owned by one Mary Bell Ranford (or Kay Bell Lanford? hard to
>read the writing), signature dated June 1891.
>
>It would be interesting to keep a web page of Song Lyrics Commonly
>Referred To By Plum, such as "The Voice That Breath'd O'er Eden," "Pale
>Hands I Loved Beside the Shalimar" and "Sonny Boy." Perhaps there already
>is such a page? If not, please feel free to start it off with this one!
>I also have "Sonny Boy" and "Shalimar" lying around somewhere, if anyone's
>interested (though I think those are more readily available than
>"Yeoman").
>
>Steve Lichtenstein
>St Li...@aol.com
Don't forget "My Hero" from "The Chocolate Soldier" as performed by a member
of the redoubtable Kegley-Bassington gang.
--
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+Chase Kimball (ch...@aros.net), nom de plum "Lord Brancaster" +
+ +
+My heart in hiding stirred for a bird, the achieve of, the mastery+
+of the thing! "The Windhover" Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J. +
+ +
+Visit my home page at http://www.aros.net/~chase to view the +
+virtual gallery of fantasy art of Jesse Allen, and the home site +
+of the Wasatch Avian Education Society. +
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
St Licht
> It would be interesting to keep a web page of Song Lyrics Commonly
> Referred To By Plum, such as "The Voice That Breath'd O'er Eden," "Pale
> Hands I Loved Beside the Shalimar" and "Sonny Boy."
>What Ho!
>You should be able to see it later tonight (or early tomorrow morning)
>[PST] http://home.netscape.com/people/thaths/wodehouse/yeomans_song.html
>I volunteer to maintain the pages.
>Stephanie Bing
Wow, a web-page with my name on it!!
Thanks, young Stiffy! I'm all dewy-eyed with Proper Pride!
I'll hunt up Sonny Boy and Shalimar tomorrow. Wish I had "Voice That
Breath'd O'er Eden," but I don't. If anyone thinks of any other Wodehouse
Standards that require footnotes, be sure to write in, and I'll see what I
can come up with!
Steve Lichtenstein
St Li...@aol.com
tansya...@gmail.com
> Referred To By Plum, such as "The Voice That Breath'd O'er Eden," "Pale
> is such a page? If not, please feel free to start it off with this one!
> I also have "Sonny Boy" and "Shalimar" lying around somewhere, if anyone's
> interested (though I think those are more readily available than
> "Yeoman").
>
> Steve Lichtenstein
> St Li...@aol.com