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Autumn to Spring Medley

Steeleye Span originally recorded the first two songs of this medley, Marigold and Harvest Home for their 1980 reunion album Sails of Silver, where they are credited to Peter Knight and trad. arr. Peter Knight, respectively. According to Wikipedia, Harvest Home was written in 1844 by Henry Alford, and it is often sung to the tune St. George’s, Windsor by George Job Elvey. Accrording to the Roud Index, it is printed in Clarke, The Penny Happy Home Songster (1867), p.56.

An Australian live recording of 1984 from Perth Concert Hall rounded these two songs up with the fine song The Spring Will Bring Us Together. This medley was published on the Steeleye Span / Maddy Prior compilation A Rare Collection 1972-1996.

Marigold (here credited to Maddy Prior) and Harvest Home are also part of Maddy Prior’s season’s cycle on her 1993 album Year.

Lyrics

Marigold

[Maddy Prior]

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Harvest Home

[Henry Alford, George Job Elvey]

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The Spring Will Bring Us Together

[Trad. arr. Hart / Prior / Knight / Johnson / Kemp / Pegrum]

What makes you go abroad and work for strangers?
Your books and learning bring too many changes
Here in my world ways are changeless
Does it not call you?

The burning sun will shine and scorch your beauty
All foreigners they all pay you most royally
Come back to me, I’ll do love’s duty
Is it not pleasing?

You joke on greasy smoke through miles of steel and glass
The cruel foundry fires and the furnaced glass
No quiet of bliss, no time to watch and waste
No time for loving

But come back when the snows melt and we’ll love again
These gentle restless feelings they will still remain
And the clouds will bloom as you walk down the lane
Where I am waiting

And the spring will bring us together forever
The love will rise and sing from the clover
Rise to the promise of fine spring weather
Rise to the promise that winter is over

(repeat last verse)

Acknowledgements

Lyrics of Marigold and Harvest Home copied from the Year sleve notes. The Spring Will Bring Us Together lyrics transcribed by Reinhard Zierke. Thanks to Bernard Leak for corrections.