Down by the Sally Gardens

from Irish Airs for Solo Cello by Ilse de Ziah

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Sally gardens is a well-known poem by William Butler Yeats included in his book, The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems, published in 1889. Yeats indicated in a note that it was "an attempt to reconstruct an old song from three lines imperfectly remembered by an old peasant woman in the village of Ballysodare, Sligo, who often sings them to herself." Yeats's original title, "An Old Song Re-Sung", reflected this; it first appeared under its present title when it was reprinted in Poems in 1895. The verse was subsequently set to music by Herbert Hughes to the air The Maids of the Mourne Shore in 1909.
"Salley" is an Anglicisation of the Irish saileach, meaning willow, i.e. a tree of the genus Salix. Willows are known as "salleys", "sallies" or "salley trees" in parts of Ireland.
In this arrangement keep the Vivo variation rhythmic and not too heavy. Again there is use of Left hand pizzicato in bars 41 and 45.
Most of these arrangements sound better when vibrato is used sparingly. Traditionally it is rarely used in Airs, so be very mindful where you use it.
The melodies have more of a Baroque sensibility than Classical.

lyrics

Down by the sally gardens my love and I did meet;
She passed the sally gardens with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree;
But I, being young and foolish, with her did not agree.
In a field by the river my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand.
She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs;
But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears.

credits

from Irish Airs for Solo Cello, released September 9, 2010
Composed, arranged and performed by Ilse de Ziah

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Ilse de Ziah Ireland

Irish-Australian cellist and composer Ilse de Ziah has a deep passion for composing, arranging and performing music for the cello. Using traditional Irish melodies as source material, she creates contemporary arrangements perfectly suited for the cello. With the marriage of classical detail and folkloric tradition, this makes for a transcendent musical experience. ... more

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Ilse de Ziah recommends:

Just My Luck
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I worked on mixing this and I know it backwards but love to regularly listen to it. It's always fresh, always happy, lots to discover - surely listening will bring you luck - these guys are masters! Ilse de Ziah
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