This edition was prepared by Francis Melville — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Afton Water
Staff Notation • Secular, Folk songs
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Afton Water by Francis Melville — Lyrics
Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise;
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.
Thou stockdove, whose echo resounds thro' the glen,
Ye wild whistling blackbirds in yon thorny den,
Thou greencrested lapwing, thy screaming forbear,
I charge you disturb not my slumbering fair.
How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighbouring hills,
Far mark'd with the courses of clear winding rills;
There daily I wander as noon rises high,
My flocks and my Mary's sweet cot in my eye.
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About Afton Water
Francis Melville sets this celebrated Scottish lyric, an ode to the river Afton and the composer's beloved Mary. The text expresses a gentle plea for peace and quiet as Mary slumbers by the stream, alongside observations of the surrounding natural beauty. Melville's setting for SATB choir captures the pastoral and romantic spirit of the words. As a traditional folk song, its direct and heartfelt sentiment is ideally suited to a rich choral arrangement. The composer invites the singers to evoke the flowing water and the quiet devotion described in the poem.
