will you not come back again/silence

Will you not come back again

Will you not come back again

Better Loved you canna' be

Will you not come back to me

Will you not come back again

Will you not come back again

Better Loved you canna' be

Will you not come back to me

There is a Silence where hath been no sound

There is a Silence where no sound may be

In the cold grave, under the deep, deep sea

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“Will Ye No’ Come Back Again” adapted from a traditional Scottish song.

Poetry from “Silence” written by Thomas Hood 1798–1845.

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"Will Ye No' Come Back Again" is a traditional Scottish song attributed to

Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne (1766-1845).  After the defeat of Bonnie

Prince Charlie at Culloden and his escape back to France, with the aid of

Flora MacDonald, there were still many who hoped that he would return

some day.  Carolina Oliphant wrote this song about that sentiment.  When

I heard a recording of the song (quite a few years later) I was quite taken

with it and heard the possibility for my own interpretation with piano and

voice.  When I sat down at the piano this version of the song came together

very quickly.

"Silence" is a poem by Thomas Hood.  My exposure to it initially was in

the last few minutes of the movie "The Piano" and I was entranced

with the beauty and elegance of the words amidst a subject and

context of utter melancholy.  As "Will You Not..." in its full version

talks of a soldier gone to war and loved ones praying for his safe

return, I felt that Thomas Hood's words in "Silence" fit well as a

words to conclude the passion of "Will You Not..." and end hopefully

in the musical equivalent of the elegance and beauty present in

Thomas Hoods words.

The fact that both Carolina Oliphant and Thomas Hood died the

same year adds one final piece of synchronicity linking these two

pieces of writing.

arrangements & "Silence" melody dennis crumbine 1994