David Solomons

Composer

David W Solomons

Lyricist

Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Publisher

David W Solomons

Genre

Classical / Choral music

Instrumentation

Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Male choir: Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Scored for

Trio, Choir

Type of score

Vocal score

Duration

2'30"

Language

English

Difficulty

Medium

Year of composition

2016

Description
Fun but challenging three part arrangement of my old song Wine and Water.
Each voice has the tune verse by verse while the others provide various accompaniments.
(A performance by Matthew Curtis of the original trio (for ATB) can be found on youtube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UYX_4Ape74 )
This version is different from the original trio in that I have transposed the second verse up a third.
The sound sample here is an electronic preview.

The words of the trio come from this satirical poem by G K Chesterton

Old Noah he had an ostrich farm with eggs on the largest scale,
He ate his egg with a ladle in a egg-cup big as a pail,
And the soup he took was Elephant Soup and fish he took was Whale,
But they all were small to the cellar he took when he set out to sail,
And Noah he often said to his wife when he sat down to dine,
"I don't care where the water goes if it doesn't get into the wine."

The cataract of the cliff of heaven fell blinding off the brink
As if it would wash the stars away as suds go down a sink,
The seven heavens came roaring down for the throats of hell to drink,
And Noah he cocked his eye and said, "It looks like rain, I think,
The water has drowned the Matterhorn as deep as a Mendip mine,
But I don't care where the water goes if it doesn't get into the wine."

But Noah he sinned, and we have sinned; on tipsy feet we trod,
Till a great big black teetotaller was sent to us for a rod,
And you can't get wine at a P.S.A., or chapel, or Eisteddfod,
For the Curse of Water has come again because of the wrath of God,
And water is on the Bishop's board and the Higher Thinker's shrine,
But I don't care where the water goes if it doesn't get into the wine.

Upload date

03 Dec 2016