Composer: A Lady of Virginia (fl. 1860s)

 

Date: Twas Bright published in 1863, Sad Memories in 1867

Original Instrumentation:  Voice, piano

 

The composer of these songs was an anonymous woman credited only as a Lady of Virginia.

 

She wrote during the American Civil War era and these are the only two songs credited to her on IMSLP.org.  "Sad Memories" was dedicated to a Sallie P Faulkner of Martinsburg, Virginia. 

 

Sadly, that's all I know about the Lady of Virginia.

 

Movements:

 

Twas Bright but Twas a Dream

Sad Memories

 

Why this one:

 

I'm trying to record more female composers and finding an anonymous "Lady of Virginia" was too tempting to pass up.  Also since she wrote in the American Civil War era, I thought these songs would be perfect for my good friend and collaborator Amanda Lyn to sing on.  She's a history buff who has done a lot of research into that era and is also a phenomenal singer.

 

Description:  

 

Twas Bright but Twas a Dream

 

Time: 3/4      BPM=95

Key: E

 

This song isn't quite structured like a modern verse-chorus song being more of an AB structure for each of the three "verses."   There's a lot of accidentals in the piano part and a few in the vocal line, the latter of which give it some chromatic character.   

 

Amanda told me the vocal part was a little melodically quirky.

 

Lyrics:

 

It was a vision—beauteous and bright,
As Poet's dream seemed it fair
dream seemed it fair,
And charm'd was my youthful Fancy's sight,
And I was happy then.

 

Then hope with joy shook its wings

And smiling brightly soared on high

Thought it not what the morning oft brings

Though bright the eve before

 

​

But ah, how oft when fancy soars
On brightest wing a cloud comes o'er,
And often when fairest all things seem,
We wake to find a dream.

 

Twas thus a vision fair

My fancy once had picture'd too

But an echo is whispering where

Is that once happy spell?

 

​

Yes, it was bright, it was fair but 'tis o'er,
And now sadly, vainly I call;
Those tones once responsive come no more,
And silence breathes—'tis past.

 

E'en when it brightest beamed

More quickly yet the moments fled

But thought I not how e'er bright it seemed

That oh twas but a dream

 

Performance:

 

This was really hard for me to play and took a lot of repetitions just to figure out the fingerings and pedal points.   Amanda's assessment after I sent her the score was:  "Damn, this lady was a good piano player."  None of the three parts, the Intro, the A part, or the B part, were easy so I couldn't let me attention wander.  I was really well rehearsed so the actual recording went way easier than I mentally prepared for, basically being a best case scenario.  

 

Unlike my other LMP pieces that feature the piano we did not record it as MIDI, but as audio output from the digital piano.  This was a little nerve wracking; with MIDI you have more wiggle room for post processing because you can see the individual notes and tailor them if you need to.  We couldn't do that here, so I just had to play it correctly the first time.  Punch ins are tricky with a piano, but we didn't have many to do.   

 

I sent the rough mix of the piano recording to Amanda, who lives in Los Angeles, and about a week later she sent me the vocals.  She only sent one take, but it was all we needed.  She crushed a pretty demanding part.  (I was not surprised.)

 

Sad Memories

 

Time: 3/4      BPM=95

Key: F

 

This is structured similarly to Twas Bright, with an intro and then five "verses" with an AB form.

 

Lyrics:

 

In childhood's happy sunny hours,
The world seems bright and fair,
But woman's years what do they bring,
Save sorrow, toil and care;

How many weep in bitterness,
Our hopes and joys all fled;
And the world is fill'd with mourners,
Sorrowing for their dead.

​

​

The sportive child that skips along,
O'er meadows fair and green;
Thinks not of the coming morrow,
Or trouble that has been.

Let him live then for the present,
Be happy while he may;
Sure that in the coming future,
Lies many a dark day.

 

​

Yes, days of gloom and sadness,
Unconceived of now;
That will tame the happy spirits,
And make the young heart bow,

 

For o'er each gladsome, joyous life,

Sorrow must throw its pall,
And the sad heart must sigh in vain,
For joys beyond recall.

 

​

As I look back on my childhood,
Bright visions to me come,
Gentle faces rise before me
That once belonged to home;

Beneath the sod they are sleeping,
God claimed them as his own;
But I know their sainted spirits
Now worship round his throne.

 

​

Hush sad heart and cease thy mourning,
They have but gone before,
They bask in the sunlight of heaven,
And ne'er know sorrow more,

From the blissful heights of glory,
They whisper to thee come;
We await thee in Paradise,
Our blessed Saviour's home.

 

Performance:

 

This was considerably easier than Twas Bright, though the intro and B sections had some tricky passages, the A section was a piece of cake.  Overall, much less stressful than Twas Bright.  

 

Once again, Amanda only sent me one really really good take.

 

Album Art:

 

Amanda took this photo of the Norbourne Parish Cemetery in Martinsburg, VA, where the dedicatee of "Sad Memories" lived.