720. Seven Long Years

720. Seven Long Years

'Seven Long Years.' Anonymous singer. This melody was found on the back of a MS score containing a pencil copy of 'Sally Ann.' The words "Seven Long Years" at the beginning of the third phrase gave the only indication as to the nature of the song. The identical tune, also by an anonymous singer, is the ballad 'Young Edwin in the Lowland, Low' (IV 153, No. 79). The only difference is that the latter begins with the additional phrase "Seven Long Years." The ballad tune skips from there to the last four measures of our present melody; the second stanza, however, begins with just this omitted phrase.
F-619

Sev - en long years

Scale: Mode IV. Tonal Center: d. Structure: aa^baia^ (4,4,4,4,4), basically a Reprisenbar plus coda; The latter is actually a mere repetition of the preceding four measures. Excepting the third phrase, every other cadences on II.