Joseph Corfe (arr.)
(1740 - 1820)

Mary's dream
(S.A.T.B. + reduction)
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Corfe, organist of Salisbury Cathedral, 1792 - 1804, issued two sets of "Twelve glees.... composed from ancient Scotch melodies" in the early 1790s, to satisfy two contemporary enthusiasms: that for mixed sex social music, and that for all things North-British. The current arrangement comes from the second set.

These glees were selected from a repertoire of well-known Scottish songs that had been anthologised in the previous seventy years. Corfe appears to have been particularly indebted for source material to James Johnson's "Scots Musical Museum", Edinburgh 1787, which included texts edited and improved by Robert Burns. Verses that are not underlaid were not included by Corfe, and have been imported from external sources (most especially the aforementioned "Scots Musical Museum").
Lyrics: Anon

The moon had climbed the highest hill,
Which rises o'er the source of Dee,
And from the eastern summit shed
Her silver light on tow'r and tree;
When Mary laid her down to sleep,
Her thoughts on Sandy, far at sea;
Then soft and low, a voice was heard say
"Mary, weep no more for me".

She from her pillow gently raised
Her head, to ask who there might be;
She saw young Sandy shiv'ring stand,
With visage pale and hollow eye;
"O Mary dear, cold is my clay;
It lies beneath a stormy sea;
Far, far from thee I sleep in death;
So, Mary, weep no more for me".

"Three stormy nights and stormy days
We tossed upon the raging main;
And long we strove our barque to save,
But all our striving was in vain.
Ev'n then, when horror chilled my blood,
My heart was filled with love for thee:
The storm is past, and I at rest,
So, Mary weep no more for me".

"O maiden dear, thyself prepare;
We soon shall meet upon that shore,
Where love is free from doubt and care,
And thou and I shall part no more".
Loud crowed the cock, the shadow fled,
No more of Sandy could she see;
But soft the parting spirit said
"Sweet Mary, weep no more for me".