The Ploughboy

This melody first appeared in ‘The Farmer’, a comic opera from 1787 by the Irish composer John O’Keeffe (1747-1833), which was produced in London and Dublin. The melody was later adapted by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) in his Folksong Arrangements for voice and piano.

Selected from Grade by Grade - Piano Grade 2. The Grade By Grade series draws on the rich and varied Boosey & Hawkes catalogue of classical, contemporary and educational repertoire, highlighting composers including Serge Prokofieff, Dmitri Shostakovich, Karl Jenkins, Carol Barratt and Christopher Norton, alongside arrangements of traditional music from around the world by Peter Wastall, Vera Gray and others. Carefully selected by Iain Farrington, this practical anthology provides the complete repertoire resource for the aspiring Grade 2 pianist.