This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Ben Bolt
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Ben Bolt by Nelson Kneass — Lyrics
Oh! don’t you remember sweet Alice, Ben Bolt,
Sweet Alice, with hair so brown;
She wept with delight when you gave her a smile,
And trembled with fear at your frown.
In the old churchyard, in the valley, Ben Bolt,
In a corner obscure and alone,
They have fitted a slab of granite so gray,
And sweet Alice lies under the stone.
Oh! don’t you remember the wood, Ben Bolt,
Near the green sunny slope of the hill,
Where soft we have sun ’neath its wide spreading shade,
And kept time to the click of the mill.
The mill has gone to decay, Ben Bolt,
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About Ben Bolt
Nelson Kneass's popular 19th-century song Ben Bolt is here presented as an SATB setting. This arrangement captures the sentimental and nostalgic character of the original, which tells a poignant story of lost love and remembrance. The English lyrics evoke memories of a past romance and the melancholic observation of a changed landscape where a loved one once resided.
The piece is a secular part-song that speaks directly to the listener’s emotions, reflecting on fleeting happiness and the passage of time. Its setting for mixed-voice choir makes it suitable for a variety of choral ensembles seeking a piece with a strong narrative and accessible emotional content.
