Aaron Copland, Old American Songs, First Set, No. 3 Long Time Ago

Old American Songs (Aaron Copland)
First Set
No. 3 Long Time Ago
James Bierney, baritone

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The wonderful accompaniment was provided by Uli Schauerte whose YouTube channel can be found here @UliSchauerte and website is https://www.uli-schauerte.de/orchestr...

On his great website you can find orchestral accompaniments, from Mahler, Schubert, Ravel and many others, all painstakingly, and beautifully, made by this excellent musician.

Long Time Ago, is the third song of the First Set of Aaron Copland's Old American Songs and was issued in 1837 by the publisher and poet George Pope Morris (who adapted the words) and Charles Edward Horn (who arranged the music from an anonymous minstrel tune). Copland writes a tender arrangement to convey the sadness of lost love and death.

On the lake where droop’d the willow
Long time ago,
Where the rock threw back the billow
Brighter than snow.
Dwelt a maid beloved and cherish’d
By high and low,
But with autumn leaf she perished
Long time ago.
Rock and tree and flowing water
Long time ago,
Bird and bee and blossom taught her
Love’s spell to know.
While to my fond words she listen’d
Murmuring low,
Tenderly her blue eyes glisten’d
Long time ago