Piano-Violin Duet Sheet Music:
Song Without Words "I'll Love My Love"
A lovely piece from Gustav Holst's Second Suite for Band, called "Song Without Words: I'll Love My Love."
Arranged for two violins, this classical music is perfect for early intermediate players who are just venturing out of first position into third position, and want a piece with substance and beauty. My violin students and I are playing this in an upcoming recital.
What you'll find on this page:
- Graphics of the violin duet arrangement
- A video of the original composition for band in performance
- Additionally, a video of a choral arrangement also made by Holst, and the lyrics of the folk tune he based this instrumental piece on
- A link to the piano accompaniment for violin arrangement, over at 8notes dot com
- The download link for my free violin duet arrangement PDF
Please scroll on down the page to find that download link!
I “discovered” a rather nice piano and solo violin arrangement of this lovely piece for band, and two of my violin students, brothers, suggested I write a second violin part so the piece could be a duet.
The original, from Gustav Holst’s Second Suite in F for Military Band, part II, sounds like this:
So beautiful. Holst, like Ralph Vaughan Williams, is able to capture what feels like ENGLAND, to me.
While my violin duet plus the piano accompaniment cannot convey the subtle shifts in harmonies you hear with the band above, it is still a pleasure to play.
Page one of the violin duet:
Is this really for early violin?
Yes. If your students have made it out of Suzuki Book 1, and are reading notes, then they are ready to work on this piece. Only once does the primo melody break out of first position and slide up into third position. That is at the end of line 1 on page 2, where the arpeggio continues on up, necessitating a swift adjustment to third position, where (according to my down-bow mark and slur) the fingers stay for three notes, then slide back down to first position.
You may have a better idea for this section (I am a pianist, not really a violinist), but this approach works well for us, shifting with the change in bow direction.
That is, admittedly, the trickiest section of the piece, with finger 4 needing to land with precision on the highest note of all.
What excellent practice!
Page two of the arrangement:
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
There are a lot of bow marks
I decided that I wanted the duet parts to bow in the same direction as much as possible, and also for the longest notes and the downbeats to always be downbows.
Hence, there are quite a lot of bowing marks - this way my students can repeat the patterns consistently each time they go through their parts, rather than guessing each time they play. The danger of inconsistent bowing, I feel, is similar to young piano players using different fingering each time they play a piece - it will take ten times as long to learn!
What is the origin of the name "I'll Love My Love?" It comes from a Cornish song about two young lovers parted from each other... the young man is sent to sea, while the maid is confined to Bedlam! (A mental institution.) Happily, they are reunited and wed despite his parents' meddling.
Some time after the Second Suite for Military Band was published, Holst set his hand to this tune again and made a choral version. Here it is, with lyrics below:
Abroad as I was walking one evening in the spring
I heard a maid in Bedlam so sweetly for to sing;
Her chain she rattled with her hands and thus replied she:
Chorus:
I love my love because I know
My love loves me.
Oh cruel were his parents who sent my love to sea
And cruel was the ship that bore my love from me:
Yet I love his parents since they’re his although they’ve ruined me:
Chorus: I love my love because I know My love loves me.
"With straw I'll weave a garland,
I'll weave it very fine;
With roses, lilies, daisies,
I'll mix the eglantine;
And I'll present it to my love when he returns from sea.
For...
Chorus: I love my love because I know My love loves me.
Just as she there sat weeping, her love he came on land.
Then, hearing she was in Bedlam he ran straight out of hand;
He flew into her snow-white arms and thus replied he:
Chorus: I love my love because I know My love loves me.
She said: “My love don’t frighten me,
are you my love or no?”
“O yes, my dearest Nancy,
I am your love, also
I am returned to make amends
for all your injury.”
Chorus: I love my love because I know My love loves me.
So now these two are married, and happy may they be
Like turtle doves together,
In love and unity.
All pretty maids with patience wait that have got loves at sea;
Chorus: I love my love because I know My love loves me.
The links to the free sheet music:
Download the piano-violin duet sheet music "I'll Love My Love"
Visit 8notes.com to acquire the piano accompaniment
Dianna:
Your website is a light in the darkness. THANK YOU for all you do in helping to spread the love of music. It matters!
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About the Author
Hi, I'm Dana! (Say that like "Anna".) I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.
Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.
You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.
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