The Salley Gardens

THE SALLEY GARDENS is an intimate four-part SATB arrangement of Yeats’ poem to the traditional Irish tune ‘The Maids of Mourne Shore’. This version was written for The Swingle Singers and recorded on their 1991 album of folk songs, ‘Around The World’.

This arrangement is part of the Kikapust Choral Series curated by The Swingle Singers. The series offers choirs an extensive choice of close-harmony a cappella arrangements. All the arrangers/composers Jonathan Rathbone, Ben Parry & Mark Williams were long-standing members of The Swingle Singers.

Down by the Salley Gardens
My love and I did meet
She crossed the Salley Gardens
With little snow-white feet

She bid me to take life 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 I am full of tears

William Butler Yeats