Description
As with most long-surviving melodies passed down by ear, the origins of My bonny lies over the ocean are a mystery. Perhaps it was written about Charles Edward Stuart—erstwhile claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland—known as ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’, following his defeat at the Battle of Culloden. Anna Semple bookends her arrangement with a dreamy aleatoric passage, which gives way to a series of duets in the middle of the work.
© Owain Park 2026
My bonny lies over the ocean,
My bonny lies over the sea,
My bonny lies over the ocean,
O bring back my bonny to me.
My bonny lies…
Traditional
