|
| Composer's note
This is a fast-moving tale of a girl who disguises herself as a highwayman in order to test her lover. The tune is jaunty and upbeat and there's plenty of scope for dramatisation. For instance, female and male voices can stand apart, turning to face each other for the dialogues between Sovay and her lover and back out to the audience again for the narrative sections. Rudsambee has even had someone brandish a pistol in the final phrase!
The tune, which probably originated in South West England, is taken mainly by female voices, apart from the men's indignant reply in verse 4. The song is accompanied and kept moving throughout by a quasi-instrumental line (sung to 'doo'). It works best with a smallish ensemble of 10-20 singers.
The notes are not hard but the song goes fast and needs to be rehearsed really well to get across the words and the shape of the story. Ideally it should be sung from memory so you can really carry the audience with you. It's wonderful in performance.
A recording by Rudsambee company of singers is available on citrus and honey (RUBEECD002).
|
|
|
|
| Words
Sovay
Sovay, Sovay, all on a day,
She dress'd herself in man's array.
With a brace of pistols all at her side
To meet her true love away did ride.
As she was riding over the plain
She met her true love, she bade him stand.
'Stand and deliver, kind sir', she said,
'And if you do not, your life I'll have'.
He deliver'd up his gold in store
But still she craved for one thing more.
'That diamond ring that I see you wear,
Hand it over, and your life I'll spare'.
'All with this ring I never will part
For it's a token from my sweet-heart.
Shoot and be damned, you rogue', said he,
'And you'll be hanged for murd'ring me'.
Next morning in the garden green
Young Sovay and her true love were seen,
When he spied his watch hanging from her clothes,
Which made him blush, lads, like any rose.
'Why do you blush, you silly young thing,
I meant to have that diamond ring.
It was I who robbed you all on that plain,
So here's your gold now and your watch again.
'I only did it for to know
If you would be a man or no.
Had you given me that ring', she said,
'I'd have pulled that trigger and shot you dead'.
traditional English song
Note: 'hanged' must be pronounced 'hang-èd' in order to scan
|
| Price
The price of this piece depends on the number of singers in your group. This is a single payment for a licence to make as many copies as you need for your group to rehearse and perform the song as often as you wish. Copies of the song must not be given, lent or sold to any other group.
| Number of singers in your group
|
|---|
| up to 12 singers | 13 to 24 singers | 25 singers or more
| £5 (approx US$8.00)
| £10 (approx US$16)
| £15 (approx US$24)
| Please note that your Paypal transaction will be in sterling but it should automatically
be converted if your credit card draws on a different currency.
|
|
|
| Companion pieces
Browse the 'World folk and traditional' section of the Canasg catalogue for more songs like this one. To go there now, click on the 'catalogue' box to the right.
| 
| |
