DESCRIPTION

This beautiful folk melody has been claimed by several countries, including Scotland, England, and America. But regardless of its origin,
it is certainly a timeless and beloved folk song.

In my arrangement, I wanted to give a sense of tranquil waters, and I did this in several ways: First, I set the piece in a flowing 3/4 meter (instead of the 4/4 meter that it's usually in). Additionally, I wrote a gently undulating background figuration (sung to the words "water is wide") which appears frequently and promotes a lulling effect throughout much of the piece.

TEXT INFO

The Water Is Wide

Scottish/English folk song

Complete text:

The water is wide, I cannot get o'er,
But neither have I the wings to fly.
Give me a boat that will carry two,
And both shall row, my love and I.

A ship there is, and she sails the sea,
She's loaded deep as deep can be.
But not so deep as the love I'm in;
And I know not if I sink or swim.

I leaned my back on a fine young oak.
I thought it was a trusty tree.
But first it bent and then it broke.
Thus did my love prove false to me.

Oh, love is handsome, and love is fine,
And love's a jewel while it's new.
But love grows old, and waxes cold,
And fades away like the morning dew.