The Lakes of Pontchartrain is an Irish ballad about an
unfortunate immigrant from Ireland who is given shelter
by a beautiful Louisiana Creole woman. He falls in love
with her and asks her to marry him, but she is already
promised to a sailor and declines the offer.
The exact origin of the song is unknown, though it is
commonly held to have originated in the southern United
States in the 19th century. In the liner notes of
Déanta's album Ready for the Storm, which includes the
song,...(+)
The Lakes of Pontchartrain is an Irish ballad about an
unfortunate immigrant from Ireland who is given shelter
by a beautiful Louisiana Creole woman. He falls in love
with her and asks her to marry him, but she is already
promised to a sailor and declines the offer.
The exact origin of the song is unknown, though it is
commonly held to have originated in the southern United
States in the 19th century. In the liner notes of
Déanta's album Ready for the Storm, which includes the
song, it is described as a "traditional Creole love
song." The liner notes accompanying Planxty's version
state that the tune was probably brought back by
soldiers fighting for the British or French armies in
Louisiana and Canada in the War of 1812.
Although originally written for traditional folk
instruments, I created this arrangement for Flute
(melody), Cello (Drone) and Harp (arpeggios).
SHEET MUSIC