It Was A Lover And His Lass

Other Info: It Was A Lover And His Lass is a lively and up tempo setting of the well known Shakespeare text from As You Like It from Act 5 Scene 3.  Commissioned in 2016 to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of William Shakespeare's death by Mavis Fletcher on behalf as part of ABCD's auction 2013. Also included in the compilation OUP publication Shall I Compare Thee?.

OUP's description

With fluid melodies and rich harmonies peppered with tonal shifts, this setting of Shakespeare's text from As You Like It perfectly captures a pair of lovers on a beautiful day in spring, underpinned by a flowing, supportive piano part. Originally published in the collection Shall I compare thee.

It was a lover and his lass,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
That o’er the green cornfield did pass,
In springtime, 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,
Those pretty country folks would lie,
In springtime, 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 a life was but a flower
In springtime, 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 crownèd with the prime
In springtime, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.