Main content
Folksong arrangements, vol 3 (O Waly, waly)
Composer: Benjamin Britten
Performer: Ruby Hughes (Soprano)
Performer: Julius Drake (Piano)
Recording date: 14 November 2011
Date of broadcast: 30 December 2011
A text from 1600s Scotland and a tune from Somerset, this folksong has travelled to America and Australia. It's synonymous with love and separation. The first line - "The water is wide, I can not get o'er" - and a minor key confirms the anguish.
Composer: Benjamin Britten
Performer: Ruby Hughes (Soprano)
Performer: Julius Drake (Piano)
Recording date: 14 November 2011
Date of broadcast: 30 December 2011
