Time and Tides

Set in five movements, Time and Tides is inspired by four folk tunes as follows:

I. My True Lover’s Farewell – from England
II. Who Can Sail Without Wind? – from Finland
III. My Fair Young Love – from Scotland
IV. The Golden Willow Tree – from America

This collection of folk songs explores themes of boating, the oceans and parting from loved ones. Each movement begins with a statement of the folk tune in its original form and I then spin it out through my own lens - harmonizing, orchestrating and expanding upon the source material to create new narratives. The fifth and final movement, titled Farewell, weaves together elements of all four folk tunes heard in the previous movements. Time and Tides is dedicated to violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Special thanks to musicians Bruce Molsky and Aidan O’Rourke for sharing folk tunes from their native countries.

– Anna Clyne

I. The True Lover’s Farewell
Melody transcribed from a recording by Marsha Genensky and
Bruce Molsky (from the album “1865: Songs of Hope and Home
from the American Civil War”)

Oh fare you well my own true love
So fare you well for a while
I’m going away, but I’m, coming back
If I go ten thousand miles.

If I prove false to you, my love,
The earth may melt and burn,
The sea may freeze and the earth may burn,
If I no more return.

Ten thousand miles, my own true love,
Ten thousand miles or more;
The rocks may melt and the sea may burn,
If I never no more return.

And who will shoe your pretty little feet,
And who will glove your hand,
And who will kiss your red rosy cheek
When I’m in the far-off land?

My father will shoe my pretty little feet,
My mother will glove my hand,
And you can kiss my red rosy cheek
When you return again.

O don’t you see that little turtle dove,
A-skipping from vine to vine,
She’s mourning for her own true love
Just as I mourn for mine.

– from England

II. Who Can Sail Without Wind?
Melody transcribed from a recording by Pekka Kuusisto

Who can sail without wind?
Who can row without oars?
Who can part from a friend without shedding tears?

I can sail without wind,
I can row without ours,
But not part from a friend without shedding tears.

– from Finland

III. My Fair Young Love
Melody transcribed from a recording by Aidan O’Rourke

Mo rÃ’n geal og
Skye Lorram

– ancient rowing songs from Scotland

IV. The Golden Willow Tree
Melody transcribed from a recording by Bruce Molsky
(from the album “Soon Be Time”)

There was little ship in South Ferry Sea
Cryin’ Oh the lonesome land so low
‘Was a little ship in South Ferry Sea
And she went by the name of the Golden Willow Tree
And she lay there in the low and lonesome low
Lay there in the low land so low

She had not been sailin more than two weeks or three.
Cryin Oh the lonseome land so low
‘Had not been sailin more than two weeks or three
Till she came to the side of the British Rovarie
And they lay there in the low and lonesome low
Lay there in the low land so low.

Up stepped a little cabin boy
Cryin oh the lonesome land so low.
Up stepped a little cabin boy
Cryin what will you give me for that ship that I’ll destroy
If I sink her in the low and lonesome low
Sink her in the low land so low.

Oh I’ll give you gold or I’ll give thee
Cryin oh the lonesome land so low
I’ll give you gold or I’ll give thee
the fairest of my daughters as you sail upon the sea
If you sink her in the low and lonesome low
sink her in the low land so low

Well he turned on his back and away swum he
Cryin oh the lonesome land so low
Turned on his back and away swum he
He swum till he come to the British Roverie
and they lay there in the low and lonesome low
Lay there in the low land so low.

He had a little instrument all fitted for his use
Cryin oh the lonesome land so low
Had a little instrument all fitted for his use
And he bored nine holes and he bored them all at once.
And he sunk her in the low and lonesome low
Sunk her in the land so low

Well he turned on his back and back swum he
Cryin oh the lonesome land so low
Turned on his back and back swum he
He swum till he come to the Golden Willow Tree
And she lay there in the low and lonseome low
Lay there in the low land so low

Oh Captain Oh captain sir take me on board
Cryin oh the lonsome land so low
Captain Oh captain sir take me on board
And do unto me as good as your word
For I sunk her in the low and lonesome low
Sunk her in the low land so low

Oh no I won’t take you on board
Cryin oh the lonsome land so low
No I won’t take you on board
Nor do unto you as good as my word
Though you sunk her in the low and lonesome low
sunk her in the low land so low

If it wasn’t for the love of your daughter and your men
Cryin oh the lonsome land so low
‘Wasn’t for the love of your daughter and your men
I’d do unto you as I’d done unto them.
I would sink you in the low and lonesome low
Sink you in the low land so low

He turned around ‘n down swum he
Crying oh the lonesome land so low
Turned around ‘n down swum he
He swum till he come to the bottom of the sea
And he lay there in the low and lonesome low
Lay there in the low land so low

– from America

The Scotsman
“Time and Tides … has a depth and sincerity that feel immediately involving, and ultimately very moving.”

“A fiendishly challenging, deeply extrovert piece, with a breathlessly demanding solo part and radiant, glowing colours in the orchestral writing.”