This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
An old song re-sung
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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An old song re-sung by Henry Balfour Gardiner — Lyrics
I saw a ship asailing, asailing, asailing,
With emeralds and rubies and sapphires in her hold;
And a bosun in a blue coat bawling at the railing,
Piping through a silver call that had a chain of gold;
The summer wind was failing and the tall ship rolled.
I saw a ship asteering, asteering, asteering,
With roses in red thread worked upon her sails;
With sacks of purple amethysts, the spoils of buccaneering,
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About An old song re-sung
Henry Balfour Gardiner's An old song re-sung is a secular setting of a traditional English text for SATB choir. The composer evokes a vivid, dreamlike narrative of a ship sailing, laden with precious cargo and then succumbing to the sea. The text describes the ship's journey and eventual sinking with rich imagery, from jewels and fine wines to the sounds of merriment and the final surrender to the waves. Gardiner's choral setting brings this evocative poem to life, capturing both its adventurous spirit and its poignant conclusion through the interplay of voices.
