O Waly, Waly

The Water Is Wide (also called O Waly, Waly) is a folk song of Scottish origin, based on lyrics that partly date to the 1600s. It remains popular in the 21st century. It's related to the ballad Jamie Douglas, one of the so-called Child Ballads, a collection of traditional ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants, anthologized by Francis James Child during the second half of the nineteenth century. Cecil Sharp published the song in Folk Songs From Somerset (1906).

The Water is Wide has been recorded many times. Classical singers who have recorded it include Janet Baker (English mezzo-soprano), Ian Bostridge (English tenor), Sarah Brightman (English soprano), Felicity Lott (English soprano), Benjamin Luxon (English bass-baritone), Frederica von Stade (American mezzo-soprano), Carolyn Watkinson (English mezzo-soprano), and Kathleen Ferrier (English contralto).

The Water is Wide has also been performed in several movies, including Renaldo and Clara (1978), in which it was sung by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.

The Library of Congress audio-archives contain a recording of the American composer Samuel Barber singing The Water Is Wide and accompanying himself on piano in a recital broadcast from the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia on 26 December 1938.

Tutorial

• Piano Accompaniment

Sheetmusic on imslp