The Mermaid

“Three times ’round went our gallant ship” drawn with colored pencils on paper by Sanford Ross Bender.
“The Mermaid” composed, performed, and recorded with vocals, guitar, and concertina by Sanford Ross Bender on May 26, 2023. Traditional ballad lyrics documented by J.J. Niles No. 62A after F.J. Child No. 289.

One Saturday night as we set sail,

Not very far from land,

We there did spy a pretty mermaid,

With a comb and a glass in her hand,

With a comb and a glass in her pretty, pretty hand,

With a comb and a glass in her hand.

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This pretty mermaid sprung into the sea,

The storm it began to roar.

The snow and rain came thick and fast:

“We’ll never see land any more,

We’ll never see land any more, more, more, more,

We’ll never see land any more.”

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The first one on deck was the captain of our ship,

With a plumb and a line in his hand,

He plumbed and he plumbed and he plumbed for to see,

How far it was to the sand,

How far it was from the sea to the sand,

How far it was to the sand.

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The next one on deck was the mate of our ship,

And a well-looking man was he,

“My wife and my child are in Merry England,

And tonight a widow she’ll be,

And tonight, a widow she’ll surely, surely be,

And tonight, a widow she’ll be.”

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The next one on deck was our little cabin boy,

And a very pretty boy was he,

“Oh what, oh what will my mother say,

When she knows I’m drowned in the sea,

When she knows I’m drowned in the salt, salt sea,

When she knows, I’m drowned in the sea?”

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Oh three times ’round went our gallant ship,

And three times more went she,

And as the storm did rage and roar,

She sank to the bottom of the sea,

She sank to the bottom of the deep blue sea,

She sank to the bottom of the sea.

“Deep Blue Sea” painted and drawn wuithy gouache, watercolors band colored pencils by Sanford Ross Bender

The Soldier and the Lady

“The Soldier and the Lady” arranged and sung by Sandy Ross Bender with guitar and concertina on May 25, 2023 and based on “The Soldier and his Lady” (Niles No. 65 B) from “The Ballad Book” compiled by John Jacob Niles in 1960.

A soldier come from Georgia way,

Of ridin’ he was weary.

He tingled on the side-door ring

To hearken up his lady.

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She’s took him by the bridle line,

She’s led him to the stable.

“Here’s oats, here’s corn, here’s hay for your horse,

Let him eat what he is able.”

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She’s took him by the lily-white hand,

She’s led him to the table.

“Here’s cakes and wine for you, my dear,

Come eat what you are able.”

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She’s went to smooth his downy bed,

And she smoothed it like a lady,

And off she took her red, red dress,

Said, “Dearie, are you ready?”

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Off come his bugle soldier’s coat,

Off come his boots of leather,

And quickly into bed he jumped,

And there they lay together.

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He held her high, he held her low,

For hours one, two. and three,

When the bugle blew, she did fear so much

Did sound forth cruelly.

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“When shall we meet and marry, dear,

If you cannot tarry?”

“When cockle-shells turn silver bells,

‘Tis then that we shall marry.”

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“The Sweep of the Bow’ drawn with pen and ink by Sandy Ross Bender

Sanford Ross Bender, Artist at the Tyler Park Center for the Arts Member Show

For more information: Click here

I am excited to announce that I will be having my artwork displayed in the Members Group Show at the Tyler Park Center for the Arts for a full month opening on Friday, March 19, 2023 . Art has been my life passion, despite having had launched a second (perhaps more practical) profession in architecture, and while also having become fascinated by musical composition as an essential mode of creative and therapeutic expression. My committment to a life-sustaining ecology pervades my “sketchbook” approach to draw from the natural evironment in a manner practiced by artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Albrecht Durer, Antonio di Pucci (Pisanello), and Rembrandt Van Rijn. SRB

The Tyler Park Center for the Arts is located at 10 Stable Mill Trail, Richboro, Pennsylvania 18954 in Bucks County. The Art Center telephone contact number is 267-218-0290.

“The Old Dog Left Home ” composed, performed, amd recorded with two guitars and concertina by Sanford Ross Bender on February 26, 2022
“Snapping turtle” drawn with mixed media from a sketch by Sanford Ross Bender in 2023.
“Cone shells” drawn with colored pencil by Sanford Ross Bender in 2023
Two Conch Shells” drawn with colored pencil on paper by Sanford Bender in 2015.
Owls” drawn with mixed media from a sketches by Sanford Ross Bender in 2023
White Conch shell” drawn with colored pencil on paper by Sanford Ross Bender in 2015.