singer, one-man choir, guitarist and composer
Robin Adair – for SATB choir
SM-000085858
- Composer
- Carroll O'Daly
-
Arranger
-
David W Solomons
-
Lyricist
-
Caroline Keppel
- Publisher
- David W Solomons
- Genre
- Classical / Choral music
- Instrumentation
- Mixed choir: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
- Scored for
- Choir
- Type of score
- Full score
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Year of composition
- 2005
Description
Choral arrangement of Robin Adair, with some interesting harmonies.
Audio sample sung (multitrack and transposed down a little) by the composer
The original tune was composed with the words Eibhlin a Ruin (Ellen Aroon or Eileen Aroon) by the Irish bard Carroll O'Daly (14th Century),
although it was later attributed to the 18th century Irish composer Charles Coffey (this was presumably an arrangement of the original).
The words of "Robin Adair" itself are understood to be by Lady Caroline Keppel, who was in love with a surgeon by that name. (This seems more likely than the theory that Robert Burns wrote it, although Burns certainly knew Keppel's lyrics and made his own parodies upon the words).
Some later versions of the melody contain "Scotch snaps" but this version follows the simplest melodic line, without the Scotch snaps - possibly O'Daly's original tune? - and with quite romantic choral harmonies.