It was a Lover and his Lass - The New Swingle Singers

from a poem by Bill Shakespeare, 1564-1616
music by Ward Swingle

S: Olive Simpson, Kym Amps
A: Lindsay John, Carol Canning
T: Alan Byers, Ward Swingle
B: Lindsay Benson, Simon Grant

perf from early 80s

IT was a lover and his lass,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
That o'er the green corn-field did pass,
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

Between the acres of the rye,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
These pretty country folks would lie,
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

This carol they began that hour,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
How that life was but a flower
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

And, therefore, take the present time
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
For love is crown&graved with the prime
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Lover
• Lass
• Swingle

[CGAWLEY]

I LOVE the Swingle Singers!!!!

What album is this from?!? I thought I had them all!

[omega125th]

this particular performance is not from any album...live perf from a radio show early 80s

'live in new york '82' CD(released 2006, lost orig recently discovered) has this song...from a nostalgia standpoint, it's a great CD, very good perf...unfortunately, has some balance issues/lacking clarity in some areas; recorded at Village Gate club

despite some background radio/tape hiss noise of this vid, you can tell it was well recorded...engineers at Studio M/MPR in St Paul are top-notch

[missmillie071]

Wow -- a recording off a live feed!? -- wonderful performance!

[IamaPoohnatic]

The line Gene Wilder sings is from the Arthur Frackenpohl arrangement.

[SondheimFanatic1]

I love this song! It clearly paints the image of an evening in late spring. So lovely!

[dwf56]

I'm baffled... how can anyone "dislike" this wonderful ~ and *very* challenging to perform ~ 8-part jazz arrangement by Ward Swingle!? Certainly more zippy than Thomas Morley's contemporary (c.1600s) arrangement of Willie Shake's song!

[IamaPoohnatic]

@dragonheart4life I've never found a recording of it, but if you google "Lovers Love the Spring" and "Arthur Frackenpohl", you should be able to track down sheet music.

[toodledoodle94]

Haha this reminds me of willy wonka!!

[dragonheart4life]

@IamaPoohnatic

Could you tell me where I could listen to a version of that, I've been searching forever.

[retread01]

It wasn't a poem, it appears as a song in As you Like it

[holldoll93]

The beginning of this song always makes me so happy :)