Charlotte Alington Barnard


Charlotte Alington Pye Barnard was an English poet and composer of ballads and hymns, who often wrote under the pseudonym Claribel. She wrote over 100 songs as well as two volumes of verse, and became the most commercially successful balled composer managed by her publishers Boosey's, with whom she established one of the first royalty arrangements.

Life

Charlotte Alington Pye was the daughter of Henry Alington Pye, a solicitor, and Charlotte Yerburgh. In 1854, she married Charles Cary Barnard. Though he was parson of St Olaves in Ruckland, Lincolnshire, the couple lived at The Firs in Westgate, Louth, Lincolnshire. After Charlotte's presentation at court in 1856, the couple moved to Pimlico. Among their neighbors was the conductor Michael Costa. In London she studied music with the pianist W.H. Holmes and the singer Charlotte Sainton-Dolby.
On 8 July 1847, Charlotte laid the foundation stone of Louth railway station. During a visit back to Louth in 1862, Charlotte published a collection of poetry entitled Twenty Spring Songs, and sang some of her own compositions at a concert held to clear the debt on the new east window of St James' Church, Louth. A stained glass window in her memory now stands at the west end of the church.
By 1864, she had moved to Kirmington rectory as her husband had been appointed Rector of Brocklesby with Kirmington.
A prolific balladeer and hymn-writer, Barnard had her first public success as a composer in 1859 with the ballad 'Janet's Choice', written for Charlotte Sainton-Dolby. She is probably best known for 'I Cannot Sing the Old Songs', 'Bide A Wee', 'Won't You Tell Me Why, Robin?', 'Five O'Clock in the Morning', 'Mountain Mabel' and 'Come Back to Erin'. She was also the composer of the hymn tune 'Brocklesby'.
In 1868 it was discovered that her much respected father had been systematically stealing money left in his care and trust. He fled to Belgium with his second wife. Charlotte joined him there with her husband but returned to England at the beginning of 1869 for a holiday, when she became ill and died after a short illness from typhoid fever.

In popular culture

Selected works

Poetry and ProseSpring Songs Fireside Thoughts, Ballads, Etc. Verses and Songs Thoughts, Verses and Songs
Hymn Tunes
  • BARNARD
  • BROCKELSBY
  • HALL
  • PILGRIMAGE
Ballads and Songs
  • "Age"
  • "All Along the Valley"
  • "Always"
  • "Always Speak Kindly"
  • "At Her Window Ho! "
  • "Blind Alice"
  • "Children's Voices"
  • "Come Back to Erin"
  • "Day Dreams"
  • "Do You Remember?"
  • "Dream Land"
  • "Far Away in Bonnie Scotland"
  • "Farewell to Erin"
  • "Firelight"
  • "Five O'Clock in the Morning"
  • "Friends For Ever"
  • "Friendship and Love"
  • "Give Him My Last Goodbye"
  • "Give of Your Best to the Master"
  • "Golden Days"
  • "Half Mast High"
  • "Hidden Voices"
  • "Hope"
  • "Hussar's Parting"
  • "I Cannot Sing the Old Songs"
  • "I Cannot Wed Another"
  • "I Leaned Out the Window"
  • "I Remember It"
  • "Is This All?"
  • "I've Found a Home"
  • "Jamie"
  • "Janet's Bridal"
  • "Janet's Choice"
  • "Kathleen's Answer"
  • "Lingering at the Gate"
  • "Little Bird, Little Bird on the Green Tree"
  • "Lowland Mary"
  • "Maggie's Secret "
  • "Maggie's Test"
  • "Maggie's Welcome"
  • "Maiden Fair, Maiden Fair"
  • "Marion's Song"
  • "Milly's Faith"
  • "Mountain Mabel"
  • "My Brilliant and I"
  • "My Heart, My Heart is Over the Sea"
  • "Norah's Treasure"
  • "November Flowers"
  • "O Willow-Tree!"
  • "Oh Many a Time I Am Sad at Heart "
  • "Old House on the Hill"
  • "Only a Lock of Hair"
  • "Only a Year Ago"
  • "Our Bud Hs Bloomed in Heaven"
  • "Out at Sea"
  • "Out on the Rocks"
  • "Poet's Love"
  • "Pray For Her" "
  • "Riding Thro' the Broom"
  • "Robin Redbreast"
  • "Roses and Daisies"
  • "Second Love"
  • "Secrets"
  • "Silver Chimes"
  • "Something to Love"
  • "Song of a Boat"
  • "Sorrow"
  • "Spring-Time"
  • "Strangers Yet"
  • "Susan's Story"
  • "Swallow Come Again"
  • "Sweet Name of Love"
  • "Take Back the Heart"
  • "Tell It Not"
  • "The Bells' Whisper"
  • "The Blue Alsatian Mountains"
  • "The Day of Rest"
  • "The Blue Ribbon"
  • "The Broken Sixpence"
  • "The Brook"
  • "The Chimes of St. Mary"
  • "The Highland Lassie's Love-Test"
  • "The Life Boat"
  • "The Love Test"
  • "The Old Pink Thorn"
  • "The Orphan's Dream"
  • "The Passing Bell"
  • "The Rose of Erin"
  • "The Sailor Boy"
  • "The Snow Lies White"
  • "The Strife is Over Now"
  • "The Two Nests"
  • "There's a Silver Lining to Every Cloud"
  • "Three O'Clock in the Morning"
  • "Through the Jessamine"
  • "Tide Time "
  • "Voices Holy"
  • "Walter's Wooing"
  • "We'd Better Bide a Wee"
  • "Weep No More, Darling"
  • "What Need Have I the Truth to Tell?"
  • "When I Was Young and Fair"
  • "Wherever Thou Art Would Seem Erin To Me"
  • "Won't You Tell Me Why, Robin?"
  • "Why Can I Not Forego, Forget"
  • "Yes, We Must Part"
  • "You and I"
  • "You Came to Me"
CollectionsSixteen Sacred Songs and Hymns. Words by Dr. H. Bonar, Rev. F Whitefield, Claribel, and others. Music by Claribel. Arranged for one or four voices, pianoforte, harmonium, or organ. The Christmas Rose. Twelve Ballads. Twelve New Ballads.
  • ''First Juvenile Album: Sixteen Airs by Claribel and Sullivan easily arranged for the Pianoforte.''

Contemporaries with similar names

  • Claribel J. Barnard was an American composer. Her compositions for solo piano include "Pansy Blossom Waltz" and "Echoes from Wausepi."
  • American songwriter James C. Macy wrote under various pseudonyms, including "Rosabel." As Rosabel, Mr. Macy authored many sentimental songs and short works for solo piano.