WT2022
The water is wide
SATB
performance time approx 3m 00s
tune and words traditional
arranged by Sheena Phillips
for unaccompanied SATB chorus
See a perusal copy (PDF format) of the
music.
This copy is not licensed for rehearsal, performance or recording.
Hear a
MIDI rendering of
The water is wide
This is a quite beautiful and very well known song, full of the little clusters of alliteration, repetition, irregular rhymes and stock phrases that are so common in folk songs. Verses 1 and 5 can be sung by soprano soloists, and 'ooh' can be substituted for 'ah' if the accompaniment needs to be quieter for balance.
Words
The water is wide The water is wide, I cannot get o'er,
And neither have I wings to fly.
Give me a boat that will carry two,
And both shall row, my love and I.
Oh, down in the meadows the other day,
A-gath'ring flowers, both fine and gay,
A-gath'ring flowers both red and blue,
I little thought what love can do.
I put my hand into one soft bush,
Thinking the sweetest flower to find.
I pricked my finger right to the bone,
And left the sweetest flower alone.
I leaned my back up against some oak,
Thinking that he was a trusty tree.
But first he bended and then he broke;
And so did my false love to me.
Oh love is handsome and love is fine,
And love's a jewel when it is new.
But when it is old, it groweth cold,
And fades away like morning dew.
traditional British song This version of the words and tune was collected by Cecil Sharp. Two of the verses overlap considerably with a song of Scottish origin called 'O waly, waly'.
Purchase – 2022: The water is wide
The price 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. You can also re-print
- for instance, to replace copies that get lost or worn out.
Copies must not be given, lent, hired or sold to any other group.
Canasg sales are processed via Paypal. Paypal lets you pay with a simple
credit or debit card if you don't have a Paypal account.
Your Paypal transaction will be in
sterling and it will be converted automatically if
your credit card draws on a different currency.
Paypal passes none of your secure information to Canasg.
If you would like us to send an invoice before you pay, or if you would like your order priced in $US or Euros,
then please
e-mail your order to us instead of using the form below.
Before you click the "buy" button, please enter the name of your group and select the appropriate size.
Orders are normally despatched within 24 hours - not
instantly, because each PDF file is created specially
for the purchaser.
