This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
A lover’s ditty
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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A lover’s ditty by Charles Villiers Stanford — Lyrics
I had a love passing fair was she,
As it were the whole world’s jewel,
White as a dove,
Say, how could it be,
She could have a heart so cruel?
Suing her, wooing her,
Still with sighs pursuing her
All I might gain for guerdon
A word unkind,
A doleful mind
And a frown,
And a song with a heavy burden,
Down adown,
And adown, adown, adown, adown, adown,
Hey, down adown a’.
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About A lover’s ditty
This charming SATB setting by Charles Villiers Stanford offers a delightful musical expression of unrequited love. The English text, a traditional poem, paints a picture of a suitor besotted with a beautiful but cruel beloved. The music captures the singer's lament and persistent, yet ultimately fruitless, pursuit. The recurring refrain, 'Down a-down, a-down, a-down, a-down, a-down, Hey, down a-down a', adds a touch of melancholy and emphasizes the singer's doleful state. This piece would be an excellent choice for a concert programme or a themed event celebrating English secular music, offering a chance for a choir to showcase both expressive vocalisation and clear textual delivery. It is a fine example of Stanford's skill in writing for unaccompanied voices.
