Brigg Fair
Language: English
It was on the fifth of August Er' the weather fine and fair, Unto Brigg Fair I did repair, For love I was inclined. I rose up with the lark in the morning, With my heart so full of glee, Of thinking there to meet my dear, Long time I'd wished to see. I took hold of her lily-white hand, O and merrily was her heart: "And now we're met together I hope we ne'er shall part". For it's meeting is a pleasure, And parting is a grief, But an unconstant lover Is worse than any thief. The green leaves they shall wither And the branches they shall die If ever I prove false to her, To the girl that loves me.
Note: "Er" is a folk-singer's added "nonsense-syllable"
Researcher for this page: David K. Smythe
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , taken down by Percy Aldridge Grainger at Brigg, Lincolnshire, in 1905, from the singing of Mr Joseph Taylor.  [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882 - 1961), "Brigg Fair", rev. 1911. [single high male voice and mixed chorus with piano or orchestra] [text verified 1 time]
- by John Jeffreys (1927 - 2010), "Brigg Fair" [voice and piano] [text not verified]
Researcher for this page: David K. Smythe
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 122