It’s apple season across much of the United States right now. Perhaps you have an apple tree in your backyard, or perhaps a homeschool pick-your-own expedition is one of your family traditions. Our next poem-of-the-week, coming up on Friday, is Robert Frost’s “After Apple-Picking,” a philosophical favorite for harvest time.
Today, however, happens to be the birthday of the great English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958), and he wrote music to accompany another much-loved apple-time poem, William Barnes’ “My Orchard in Linden Lea.” So we’re going to have an extra poem (and song!) this week, in honor of Vaughn Williams and the apple harvest.
William Barnes (1801–1886) was from the county of Dorset in the southwest of England, and he was both a linguist and a poet. He wrote many of his verses in the Dorset dialect of his native county, and they often show a special appreciation for country life. “My Orchard in Linden Lea” (1859) is probably his best known work; it’s usually presented today in a slightly modernized form.
My Orchard in Linden Lea
Within the woodlands, flow’ry gladed,
By the oak tree’s mossy moot,
The shining grass-blades, timber-shaded,
Now do quiver under foot,
And birds do whistle overhead,
And water’s bubbling in its bed,
And there for me the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.When leaves that lately were a-springing
Now do fade within the copse,
And painted birds do hush their singing
Up upon the timber tops,
And brown-leav’d fruit’s a-turning red
In cloudless sunshine overhead,
With fruit for me the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.Let other folk make money faster
In the air of dark-roomed towns —
I don’t dread a peevish master,
Though no man may heed my frowns.
I be free to go abroad
Or take again my homeward road
To where for me the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.
The stand-out Dorset dialect word in this “Common English” version of the poem is moot — a tree stump (“by the oak tree’s mossy stump”). And in fact, you already know one other rare Dorset dialect word, although you may not realize it — I guarantee you do: the Dorset word for Bumblebee is Dumbledore. 🐝 🧙
Barnes’ Dorset poem was beautifully set to music in 1902 by Vaughan Williams under the shortened title “Linden Lea,” and it has been much favored by classically-trained singers. Here’s a magnificent version by baritone Thomas Allen (b. 1944):
But it’s not just classical singers who have loved the song: choral settings of Vaughan Williams’ “Linden Lea” have become staples of school and college choirs around the world. Here’s a fine version from the Diocesan Boys’ School Choir of Hong Kong:
If you and your students like this music and want to learn more about “RVW” during his birthday week, why not go over and explore the website of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society.
What other pomologically oriented musico-literary discoveries have you made in your homeschool this Cygnus Term? 🍎
❡ Literary lives: The website of the Poetry Foundation includes biographical notes and examples of the work of many important poets (including William Barnes) that are suitable for high school students and homeschool teachers. 🖋
❡ I be free to go abroad: This is one of our occasional Homeschool Arts & Music posts. Add your name to our weekly mailing list and get great homeschool teaching ideas delivered right to your mailbox all through the year. 🗞
