Sheet Music: Madam, Will You Walk?

TitleMadam, Will You Walk?
Alternate titlesI Will Give You the Keys of Heaven
ComposerTraditional English
InstrumentationFlute solo
KeyE-flat major
RangeD4–C6
Time signature4/4
Tempo136 BPM
Performance time1:05
Difficulty leveleasy
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (45 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (514 kB)
Date added2009-08-27
Last updated2009-08-27
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 0.2 (not so popular)
Categories
Love songs, Traditional/Folk

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Thursday 27 August 2009

Tune of the Day: Madam, Will You Walk?

Traditional English song

The earliest printed copy of this traditional tune appeared in 1849. Originally from Cheshire, it was used in some areas as a two team singing game.

Will you accept of the key of my heart
To bind us together and to never never part?
Madam, will you walk?
Madam, will you talk with me?

No, I won't accept of the key of your heart
To bind us together and to never never part.
Neither will I walk,
Neither will I talk with you.

In many versions of the song, after many stanzas the lady's cupidity is at last excited by some especially magnificent offer, and, on her consenting, the man refuses to have anything to do with her.

This is very similar in subject to “The Keys of Canterbury”, but this tune has radically different characteristics, being in duple meter and in major mode.