Page:The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Vailima Edition, Volume 8, 1922.djvu/103

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PREFATORY NOTE

The writing of Over the Sea to Skye grew out of a visit from one of the last of the old school of Scots gentlewomen, Miss Ferrier, a granddaughter of Professor Wilson (Christopher North). Her singing was a great delight to my husband, who would beg for song after song, especially the Jacobite airs, which had always to be repeated several times. The words to one of these seemed unworthy, so he made a new set of verses more in harmony with the plaintive tune:

OVER THE SEA TO SKYE.

Gaelic Air.

{ \time 6/8 \key e \minor \tempo "Animato" \relative d' { \autoBeamOff d8 e d g g g | a b g d'4 r8 | b8. a16 b8 e,4 e8 | d4 r8 r r4 | d8 e d g4 g8 | a8. b16 a8 d4 r8 | b a b e,4 e8 | e4. r8 r4^\markup { \caps Fine. } \bar "." \break b'8 g b b4 r8 | a e a a4 r8 | g e g g4 g8 | e4. r8 r4 | b'8 g b b4 r8 | a e a a4 r8 | g8 e g g4 g8 | e4. r8 r4 \bar "||" } \addlyrics { Sing me a song of a lad that is gone, Say, could that lad be I? Mer -- ry of soul, he sailed on a day O -- ver the sea to Skye. Mull was a -- stern, Rum on the port, Egg on the star -- board bow: Glo -- ry of youth glowed in his soul. Where is that glo -- ry now? } }

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