You are here

As I me walked

Date: 
1609
Discussion: 

This is transcribed in 3/4 in the modern edition, but has a rather funky 2/4 3/4 feel: Ravenscroft's notation, without barlines, allows the stresses to fall where they feel natural.

Sound: 

Once through "in unison", then twice through as a round, with all four voices.

Composer: 
Ravenscroft
Sheet Music: 

Modern notation:

Facsimile:

You can sing it at any comfortable pitch. We often sing it in G - start note is G, range is G to D.

When we use all four "verses", we usually do it like this:

  • First verse in unison
  • First verse as a round, each person singing it once through
  • Second verse, in unison: as soon as the last person finishes the last "cuckoo" of the first verse we all begin the second
  • Second verse as a round, once through
  • Third verse in unison
  • Third verse as a round, once
  • Fourth verse in unison
  • Fourth verse as a round
  • First verse in unison, once, to finish off

When we're singing this as a round, we often start with the "cuckoo", as this can make counting easier.

I.e. In unison, we all sing "As I me walked in a May morning I heard a bird sing *** cuckoo"

The first person goes straight on, singing (part in unison is in bold)

"As I me walked in a May morning I heard a bird sing *** cuckoo As I me walked ..."

The second repeats the "cuckoo" before continuing:

"As I me walked in a May morning I heard a bird sing *** cuckoo *** cuckoo As I me walked ..."

The third has three cuckoos, and the fourth four, etc.

Source: 
Pammelia
Parts: 
any 4
Type: 
round

Music Categories:

English
Ranges: 

An octave and a fifth. In G, that's from G to D.