‘I’ve brought my little pipe,’ Rowan said. ‘And Tolly’s brought his drum. We thought perhaps the brave young lads could join in with their bells.’ She laughed merrily as she lifted her pipe to her lips.
‘Something for the ladies, this time,’ Tolly went on. ‘A little jig, we thought, to set them dancing.
Rowan turned to the room and swept the crowd with her eyes. ‘Push back the tables a bit, won’t you now. We’ve a jig to set your toes tapping.
Cherish the Ladies, it is. Come ladies! Choose your partners for the dance.’ She blew a note on her whistle, to let the others know the key she’d play in. She started first and the others joined in the sprightly
melody.
When the last note was played the dancers crowded about the little stage and called for another. Emlin joined the others on stage and took out his own whistle, nearly a twin to Rowan's but pitched a little higher, like the song of a wee bird.
Rowan played the opening bars with the others, then held her whistle in her hand as she harmonized with her brother on another danceable
tune.
♪ --- ♫ --- ♪
Oh, the days of the Shire dancing
Oh, the ring of the piper's tune
Oh, for one of those hours of gladness
Gone, alas, like our youth, too soon!
When the boys began to gather
In the glen of a summer's night
And the Shire piper's tuning
Made us long with wild delight!
Oh, to think of it
Oh, to dream of it
Fills my heart with tears!
Oh, the days of the Shire dancing
Oh, the ring of the piper's tune
Oh, for one of those hours of gladness
Gone, alas, like our youth, too soon!
Was there ever a sweeter lass
In the dance than Blossom Appledore
Or a prouder lad than Minto
As he boldly took the floor.
Lads and lasses to your places
Up the middle and down again
Ah, the merry hearted laughter
Ringing through the happy glen!
Oh, to think of it
Oh, to dream of it
Fills my heart with tears!
Oh, the days of the Shire dancing
Oh, the ring of the piper's tune
Oh, for one of those hours of gladness
Gone, alas, like our youth, too soon!
Time goes on, and the happy years are dead
And one by one the merry hearts are fled
Silent now is the wild and lonely glen
Where the bright glad laugh will echo ne'er again
Only dreaming of days gone by in my heart I hear.
Loving voices of old companions
Stealing out of the past once more
And the sound of the dear old music
Soft and sweet as in days of yore.
When the boys began to gather
In the glen of a summer's night
And the Shire piper's tuning
Made us long with wild delight!
Oh, to think of it
Oh, to dream of it
Fills my heart with tears!
Oh, the days of the Shire dancing
Oh, the ring of the piper's tune
Oh, for one of those hours of gladness
Gone, alas, like our youth, too soon!
♪ --- ♫ --- ♪
They played the chorus twice at the end. The dancers stopped as the repeat began and sang the words along with the band.