Annotation:Pray Goody

Back to Pray Goody

---

PRAY GOODY. AKA - "Pray Goody, please to moderate." English, Air (cut time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The air is to a song from Kane O'Hara's burletta Midas (1764), music by Thomas Arne. According to William Chappell, "in the original book of words to the opera, the music of 'Pray Goody' is stated to be 'A tune in Queen Mab. The music for the pantomime of Queen Mab was composed by Dr. Burney. 'Hope told a flattering tale' was written [by Peter Pindar] to supply the demand for English words to Paisiello's exquisite air--

Nel cor più non mi sent
Brillar la gioventù.

We will only add...that as music to pantomimes is almost invariably selected music, Dr. Burney may have borrowed 'Pray Goody' from Rousseau, for whom the air has been claimed" [Notes and Queries, Sept. 12, 1874, p. 220].

Pray goody please to moderate the rancour of your tongue

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: O’Farrell (Pocket Companion for the Union Pipes, vol. IV), c. 1810; p. 111. Riley (Riley's Flute Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1814; p. 93.

Recorded sources:

---