DOWN IN THE VALLEY Kentucky Folk Tune arranged by George Mead
Terms: piano, circa, forte, fermata, TTBB, decrescendo, unison, descant, fortissimo, piano, pianissimo, crescendo, pianisissimo, American folk song
Often called a Kentucky or Appalachian Folk Song, Down in the Valley uses nearly the same melody as the Irish Connemara Cradle Song. Even the lyrics—at least those of the chorus—bear too close resemblance to be coincidence. Carl Sandburg lists the tune in his American Songbag of 1927 and it is known as the tune for many versions of Birmingham Jail. Variants of both the lyrics and the tune were printed earlier in a collection published in London in 1917 titled Tommy’s Tunes, but the oldest source traces it back to the Happy Home Waltz, No. 1 by Julien, written around 1850. This arrangement is a richly harmonized setting for 4-part men’s chorus with piano accompaniment.
Popular music almost always has to do with the subjects of love and heartbreak, and in the days before records and radio, “Down in the Valley” was among the most popular songs sung in rural America. Folklorists count many, many variations of this classic, but each is sentimental and nostalgic and each deals with isolation. No one knows exactly who wrote either the words or the music for folk songs; rather, a person or more likely some people just began singing these songs when they were working or playing together or to celebrate a special event. Parents taught them to their children, who taught them to friends, and pretty soon more and more people knew these songs.
Finally, someone wrote down the words and also the tunes or melodies so the songs could not be forgotten. To this day no one knows exactly who wrote these songs. The additional versus to this song as printed below (not part of this arrangement) give more insight into the meaning of the text.
Down in the valley, the valley so low,
Hang your head over, hear the wind blow.
Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow,
Hang your head over, hear the wind blow.
Writing this letter, containing three lines,
Answer my question, will you be mine?
Will you be mine, dear, will you be mine?
Answer my question, will you be mine?
Roses love sunshine, violets love dew,
Angels in heaven, know I love you.
Know I love you, dear, know I love you,
Angels in heaven, know I love you.