False, False

Darkness and Light |Endings, Loss and Change

False, False was collected by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger in 1962 from the singing of the traveller Christina MacAllister from Crooten Bay, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, and published in their book Travellers’ Songs From England and Scotland (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1977). I was completely bowled over by June Tabors singing of it on her 1994 Album Against the Streams and made this arrangement for Womens voices. Here’s a link to June Tabor singing: https://youtu.be/Njs3UBRj4zY

I’ve anglicised the text which I wouldn’t do theses days but this was one of my very early arrangements and I did it for a group of English singers. The original text can be found here :https://mainlynorfolk.info/june.tabor/songs/falsefalse.html

 

 

Mood

Mournful and haunting

Technical

2 parts – the lower part suitable for an alto or tenor (singing in their low register) voice and the higher part suitable for a soprano or alto. Added higher part in choruses.

Text Source

Christina MacAllister

Lyrics

False, false hae ye been to me, my love
O, when did you changed your mind?
Since ye’ve laid your love on another fair maid
I’m afraid that you’re no longer mine

I was climbing to a tree that was too high for me
Asking fruit where there weren’t any grew
I been lifting warm water from aneath the cold clay
And against the streams I’ve been rowing

But I mean to climb up some higher tree
To harry a white snowflake’s nest
And down shall I fall, ay, without any fear
To the arms that loves me the best

What’s included?

pdf of score

£5.00

Licence type
Purchase a licence with this download. More information about licensing

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