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My Singing Bird

[ Roud V43884 ; words Edith Wheeler, tune trad.]

The McPeake Family sang My Singing Bird in 1963 on their Topic album Irish Traditional Folk Songs and Music, with the first verse sung in Irish. This track was also included in 2009 on their Topic compilation CD Wild Mountain Thyme. Bert Lloyd noted:

The melody is of a Munster folk tune. The words are by the Irish poetess, Edith Wheeler. The song came to the McPeakes from Cathal O’Byrne, who organised stage ceilidhs at which Francis senior played as a young man.

Alex Campbell sang My Singing Bird in 1966 on this Transatlantic album Yours Aye, Alex. This track was also included in 2005 on his Castle anthology Been on the Road So Long.

Master fiddler Dave Swarbrick played the tune of The Singing Bird in 1976 on his eponymous Transatlantic album Swarbrick. He was accompanied by Savourna Stevenson on clarsach.

Ian Giles sang The Singing Bird, “a song I learnt from Mick Henry, a great Irish singer long residing in Oxford”, on his 1997 WildGoose CD The Amber Triangle.

Beryl Graeme sang The Singing Bird on her 1999 CD of “songs in the traditional manner”, Moth to a Flame. She noted:

Another traditional Irish song. Backed here with uilleann pipes and vocals by Brien Howard. It was Keith Scowcroft’s dad’s favourite.

Margaret Bennett sang The Singing Bird on her 2007 CD Take the Road to Aberfeldy. She noted:

Having grown up in a singing household, I ’ve long been drawn to recordings made by families (including extended and adopted members). Somehow they have you singing before you know it. One of the most influential was the McPeake Family from Belfast, whom I first heard on a radio show in Newfoundland in the late sixties. Better known overseas than at home, they’re the folk who gave us Will Ye Go Lassie Go—or Wild Mountain Thyme—they even influenced Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart and John Lennon. I found myself singing this one as soon as I heard it, so it’s time to share it again—and Heather [Downie]’s sensitive piano accompaniment gives it a special touch.

Brian Ó hEadhra and Fionnag NicChoinnich My Singing Bird in 2021 on their album Càirdeas. They noted:

Brian first heard this sweet song being sung by his aunts Mona and Kathleen during family get-togethers.

The Unthanks sang My Singing Bird on their 2022 album Sorrows Away. Niopha Keegan noted:

Whilst studying at Limerick university when on an Erasmus exchange I discovered an album called Irish Traditional Folk Songs and Music, recorded in 1963 (Topic Records) [reissued in 2009 on their CD Wild Mountain Thyme] by the McPeake Family from Belfast. Track 7 [on the CD] was My Singing Bird which I immediately fell in love with. The song has been attributed to a Ms Edith Wheeler. She was a poetess that came from a large family of musicians, poets and collectors of Irish song and dance music from Ireland. Their family hailed from Omagh in the north of Ireland and were prominent figures within the Irish music world in the early 1900’s. The tune that Wheeler used to go with the beautiful words is considered to be a traditional air from the Munster region that Edith and her sisters no doubt collected for the ‘Irish Folk Song Society’ in London in 1904. Her sister Charlotte Milligan Fox was the founder of the society.

I resurrected this from my repertoire after 10 years as I thought it would sound great in three part harmony for Rachel, Becky and I to sing.

Lyrics

Ian Giles sings Singing Bird

I’ve seen the lark soar high at morn,
Heard his song up in the blue.
I have heard the blackbird pipe his note,
The thrush and the linnet too.
But there’s none of them can sing so sweet,
My singing bird, as you,
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
My singing bird, as you.

If I could lure my singing bird
From his high cosy nest,
Then I would take my singing bird
And would warm him to my breast.
For there’s none of them can sing so sweet,
My singing bird, as you, …

Then I’ll go climb a high, high tree
And I’ll rob that wild bird’s nest,
Then I’ll take home my singing bird
To the arms that I love the best.
For there’s none of them can sing so sweet
My singing bird, as you, …

(repeat first verse)

Beryl Graeme sings The Singing Bird

I have seen the lark soar high at morn,
Heard his song up in the blue.
I have heard the blackbird pipe his note,
The songbird and the linnet too.
But there’s none of them can sing so sweet,
My singing bird, as you,
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
My singing bird, as you.

Oh I’ll go climb yon high, high tree
And I’ll rob that wild bird’s nest,
And I’ll bring back that singing bird
To the arms that I love the best.
For there’s none of them can sing so sweet,
My singing bird, as you, …

If I could lure my singing bird
From his own coy nest,
Then I’d take back that singing bird
Any lay it on my homeless breast.
For there’s none of them can sing so sweet,
My singing bird, as you, …

The Unthanks sing My Singing Bird

I have seen the lark soar high at morn,
Heard his song up in the blue.
I have heard the blackbird pipe his note,
The thrush and the linnet, too.
But, there’s none of them can sing so sweet
My singing bird as you,
Ah, my singing bird as you.

If I could lure my singing bird
From his own cozy nest,
If I could catch my singjng bird
I would warm him on my breast.
But, there’s none of them can sing so sweet
My singing bird as you,
Ah, my singing bird as you.

(repeat first verse)