Loveliest of Sad Songs, The Grenadier and the Lady

I first heard this lovely ballad in the movie Far from the Madding Crowd with Julie Christie, Terence Stamp and Alan Bates. It is a fascinating film, set in a sometimes bleak landscape, based on the book by Thomas Hardy.

Listen to the movie excerpt from "Far from the Madding Crowd". This is a stirring performance, especially if you are caught up in the story. Here, Sergeant Troy, a British Grenadier, has just buried the woman he truly loves (it is not his new-married wife), and his infant son whom he never met. You think, "If only...if only..."



This is a story about choices, careless choices that ruin many lives.

It is a good use for this beautiful English ballad. In verse 2, the soldier asks the lady where she is going, and I almost think in a foreshadowing of heaven, she replies "I am going a-walking by the clear crystal stream..."

Download free vocal sheet music The Grenadier and the Lady

Free vocal sheet music in the key of Gm

And the Bold Grenadier in Fm

The Grenadier and the Lady is a great song for a beginning singer. The range is only an octave, and the melody stays mostly in the middle, with two little climbs to the top. It is easily memorized, as it tells a story. And the phrases are very singable -- no hard parts.

Yet the song has many opportunities for breath control practice. Even the first phrase, "As I was a-walking one morning in May..." offers the temptation to take a little breath after "a-walking." Singers don't need to breathe there...make them get at least to the comma! Generally, the phrases of this song should not be interrupted by a breath. I make an exception down at the bottom line, and allow a breath before the last 5 notes if it seems necessary...and always on the final verse, where a ritard is natural.

But folk songs are not like classical music, so the reason I'm picky about phrasing in this English ballad is because I want to train students to breathe for singing: to take quick breaths and long exhalations, and to observe natural pauses in the sentence structure. Breathing for singing has to become a habit.

Pianists who want to play this song may find the extra melody notes confusing. Of course, the extra voicings are there to accomodate the rhythm changes which occur with the different words in each verse. I have made an easy piano version for students with fingering but no left hand -- just chord symbols.



Easy piano music for The Grenadier and the Lady.

Here is a beautiful classical-style guitar rendition of The Grenadier and the Lady by Denio, who first encountered the song here on my site and was moved to arrange it for guitar. Denio, if you are out there, I still want the PDF for your lovely arrangement if you are willing to share it!

Denio said: I'm a classical guitarist (who loves melancholic tunes) and I just wanted to thank you for introducing me to the beautiful tune The Grenadier and The Lady (The Bold Grenadier) here on your site. I arranged the tune for solo guitar and you can hear and see my performance on YouTube, here's the link:

Youtube link to Denio's classical guitar arrangement

I hope you enjoy my performance and if you'd like the sheet music for your students I'd gladly send you a PDF. I'd say it's high intermediate to advanced difficulty. I also want to thank you for introducing me to the film Far From The Madding Crowd with Julie Christie which I borrowed from the library and absolutely loved it! The music from the film was composed by the great Richard Rodney Bennett who has written for the classical guitar so that was a nice surprise. Thanks again and keep up all the great music and teaching for everybody here on the internet and in real life.

Best,

Denio (GuitarRomancer on YouTube)

Someone has taken this beautiful traditional English folktune and put new words to it, calling it The Emigrant's Daughter. Here is how it sounds (very bad recording, but very lovely singing and singer!):



And (I can't resist!) here is a rendition of Emigrant's Daughter on Irish Tin Whistle!



Lastly, here is a version for guitarists who love sad songs.



Easy guitar tabs for The Grenadier and the Lady

Comments

Do you have a funny story about this music, or does it remind you of something you'd like to share with other readers? Do you have a question? We'd love to hear it!