Ae Fond Kiss

Ae fond kiss

words by Robert Burns (1759-1796) tune traditional, arranged by Frances Cockburn for SATB a cappella

This song of love and heartbreak is based on a real parting between Robert Burns and Agnes MacLehose, a woman who was married but had separated from her husband. Burns and MacLehose were never lovers, but corresponded intimately, using the pen-names Clarinda and Sylvander. Burns sent the poem to MacLehose in 1791, shortly before she left for the West Indies. As it happens, she returned to Scotland six months later, but the two never met again.

Frances Cockburn’s gorgeous setting uses three different harmonisations, featuring many 2nds and 9ths that add a little dissonant spice and pain to the sweet declarations of love! A soloist sings the first verse.

A recording by Rudsambee Company of Singers, directed by the arranger, is posted on the Canasg website and is also available on the album Bottled At Source (RUBEECD003).

duration 3:00

licensed exclusively to Largs Gaelic Choir copy as required for use by this group only not to be lent, given, hired, or sold to any other group all rights reserved arrangement © copyright Frances Cockburn 1998 edition © copyright Canasg Music Publishing 2001 www.canasg.com ______Canasg Music Publishing Edinburgh, Scotland & Los Gatos, California Ae fond kiss

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever! [one] Ae fareweel, and then for ever! [farewell] Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee, Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee!

Who shall say that fortune grieves him While the star of hope she leaves him? Me, nae chearfu' twinkle lights me; [no cheerful] Dark despair around benights me.

Had we never lov'd sae kindly, [so] Had we never lov'd sae blindly, Never met - or never parted, We had ne'er been broken-hearted.

Fare thee weel, thou first and fairest! [well] Fare thee weel, thou best and dearest! Thine be ilka joy and treasure, [every] Peace, Enjoyment, Love, and Pleasure!

Robert Burns

Guide to pronunciation ae ~ rhymes with the final vowel of 'café' (IPA: e) chearfu' ~ like 'cheerful' without the final 'l' nae, sae ~ a short version of 'nay' or ‘say’, with no diphthong (IPA: ne, se)

IPA: International Phonetic Alphabet

words by Robert Burns tune traditional, arr. Frances Cockburn

Lento qk»£™ solo (soprano or tenor) p solo 6 j œ œ œ œ œ j j & b 8 œ œ œ J œ j j œ J J œ œ œ œ 1. Ae fond kiss and then weœ seœ -ver! Ae fare-weel and then for - e - ver!

SA b 6 ˙ ˙. ˙. & 8 ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. p ah ah ˙. TB ? 6 ˙ ˙. ˙. ˙. b 8 . ˙. ˙. ˙.

5 end solo solo œ œ j j œ j & b œ J œ œ j j œ œ œ œ J œ œ œ. ˙. Deep in heart-wrung tears I'llœ pledgeœ thee, War-ring sighs and groans I'll wage thee!

SA & b ˙. ˙ ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. . ˙. ˙. ah ah . TB ˙. ˙ ? ˙. ˙ ˙. ˙. œ ˙. b ˙. . œ. . ˙.

10 più mosso qk»£§ j j j SA j œ j b œ œ œ œ j j œ œ œ œ œ j œ œ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J J œ œ œ œ œ J J J œ J 2. Who shall say that for - tune grieves him While the star of hope she leaves him? P 4. Fare thee weel thou first and fair - est! Fare thee weel thou best and dear - est! p 5. Ae fond kiss and then we se - ver! Ae fare - weel and then for - e - ver! π j œ œ j œ j j j œ j j TB ? œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b J œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J J J J J J J

14 Fine j j SA œ œ j j j œ œ j & b œ œ œ œ œ j œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ ˙. J œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ J œ œ œ J œ ˙. Me, nae cheer - fu'J twink - leJ lightsJ me; Dark des-pair aJ - round be - nights me. Thine be il - ka joy and trea - sure, Peace, En - joy- ment, Love and Plea - sure! Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee, War - ring sighs and groans I'll wage thee!

Fine œ j j j j j j j TB ? œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. J J J J J J J ˙.

19 j j j SA j œ j b œ œ œ œ j j œœ œ œ œ œ j œ œ & œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J J J J J J 3. Had we ne - ver lov'd sae kind - ly, Had we ne - ver lov'd sae blind - ly, F j œ œ j j œ j j TB ? œ œ œ œ œ j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J J J J J œ J

23 to bar 10 j j SA œ œ j j j œ œ j & b œœ œ œ œ œ j œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ. ˙. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J J J Ne - ver met or ne - ver part-ed, We had ne'er been bro - ken heart - ed.

to bar 10 j j j j œ TB ? œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. J J J J J J ˙.