This edition was prepared by Andrew Sims — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Jack and Joan
Staff Notation • Secular, Art songs
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Jack and Joan by Charles Wood — Lyrics
Jack and Joan they think no ill,
But loving live, and merry still;
Do their weekdays' work, and pray
Devoutly on the holy day:
Skip and trip it on the green,
And help to choose the Summer Queen;
Lash out, at a country feast,
Their silver penny with the best.
Well can they judge of nappy ale,
And tell at large a winter tale;
Climb up to the apple loft,
And turn the crabs till they be soft.
Tib is all the father's joy,
And little Tom the mother's boy.
All their pleasure is content;
And care, to pay their yearly rent.
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About Jack and Joan
Charles Wood’s Jack and Joan is a charming unison setting of English secular verse, likely intended as an art song. The music captures the simple, contented lives of its titular characters, depicting their diligence, piety, and enjoyment of rural pastimes and celebrations. The text evokes a pastoral idyll, highlighting their appreciation for good ale, storytelling, and the bounty of the harvest, alongside their domestic routines and community engagement. It celebrates a life lived in harmony with nature and tradition, where joy is found in simple pleasures and the fulfillment of daily duties, all set to a melody that reflects this innocent and happy disposition.
