The Water is Wide

Did you ever hear a song and/or melody that haunts you and you can't find the name of the song or who wrote it? During my life time I have heard two such songs. One I found the name to very quickly. It is the Ashokan Farwell by Jay Unger. This lovely melody was widely used during the PBS series The Civil War. Most people might think it was written during the Civil War, but it wasn't and there is a very interesting story behind it. However, that's another post and you can google Jay Unger if you wish.

I probably heard the music to The Water is Wide in my teens. It took me until my 40s to finally learn the name to the music. It is an traditional Irish or Scottish song, probably brought over here in the 1700s. Even more so than Ashokan Farwell, this melody lingers on my mind. There are several videos below of the song embedded below, some with great slide shows which really compliment the song perfectly. However some versions are over 4 minutes, so, it back and enjoy.

One more thing, the both the Water is Wide and Ashokan Farwell are waltz's and I would love to dance to one of them at my wedding.