Shakespeare, William. "Sigh No More, Ladies." Much Ado About Nothing. The Riverside Shakespeare. 2nd ed. Gen. ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. 376-77. Tune: Stözel, Johann Georg. 1744. Oxford American Hymnal. Comp. Carl F. Pfatteicher. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1930. 92.A year ago, I was called upon to direct a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream for a grade school. Perhaps I did something right, because they've asked me to direct Much Ado About Nothing this year.
I told you that to tell you this. Last year, I needed a tune for the lullaby the fairies sing to Titania (for which, q.v.). This year, I needed a tune for "Sigh No More, Ladies." Once again, a little-known hymn fits very well, and I think the entire cast is going to have a lot of fun with it.
Below, you'll find a video with the lyrics and the music; you'll then find a score for each verse below that (click on each image to enlarge it). Finally, you'll find the lyrics, which are very slightly modified from Shakespeare's original words. Enjoy!
Verse One
Verse Two
Sigh No More, Ladies
Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more.
Men were deceivers ever:
One foot on sea and one on shore,
To one thing constant never.
Then sigh not so, but let them go.
Be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your songs of woe
Into hey nonny, nonny.
Sing no more ditties, sing no more
Of dumps so dull and heavy.
The fraud of men was ever so
Since summer first was leafy.
Then sigh not so, but let them go.
Be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your songs of woe
Into hey nonny, nonny.
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