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Timothy C. Takach
Timothy C. Takach Publications
Ambletown
A touching, well-crafted arrangement of a sea chanty with a lyrical melody and guitar-like vocal accompaniment.
TTBB a cappella
Well-known for his contributions to the male choral repertoire, Takach does not disappoint with this folk song arrangement. A quietly rhythmic, guitar-like vocal accompaniment supports the easily singable melodies in the tenor line. The music is strophic but never boring, and each verse is crafted to match the story told in the text. A sailor’s longing for home is a common narrative in folk music from the coast, and “Ambletown” is a fresh, unique way to express it. A must-have for any male choral library.
Text
O Amble is a fine town with ships about the bay
I’m wishing in my heart that I was there myself today
I’m wishing in my heart I was far away from here
Sitting in my parlor and talking with my dear
And it’s home, dearie, home, and it’s home I want to be
My topsails are hoisted and I am out to sea
The oak and the ash and the bonnie birchen tree
They’re all a-growing green in the North country
And it’s home, dearie, home
A letter came today, but somehow I cannot speak
And the proud and happy tears are a-rolling down my cheeks
There’s someone here, she said, you’ve been waiting for to see
With your merry hazel eyes, looking up from off my knee
But the letter never said if we had a boy or girl
Got me so confused that my heart is all a whirl
So I’m going back to port, where I’ll quickly turn around
And take the fastest ship, which to Ambletown is bound
Well, if it be a girl, she shall wear a golden ring
If it be a boy, you can name him after me
With his buckles and his boots and his little jacket blue
He’ll walk the quarterdeck, like his daddy used to do.
– Traditional
$1.60 per licensed PDF
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