‘Castles in the Air’

‘Castles in the Air’

The bonnie, bonnie bairn wha sits poking in the ase,
Glow'ring in the fire wi' his wee round face;
Laughing at the fuffin' lowe, what sees he there?
Ha! the young dreamer's bigging castles in the air.
His wee chubby face and his touzie curly pow,
Are laughing and nodding... to the dancing lowe,
He'll brown his rosy cheeks, and singe his sunny hair,
Glow'ring at the imps wi' their castles in the air.

He sees muckle castles tow'ring to the moon,
He sees little sodgers pu'ing them a' doun!
Worlds whombling up and doun, bleezing wi' a flare,
See how he loups! as they glimmer in the air.

For a' sae sage he looks, what can the laddie ken!
He's thinking upon naething, like mony mighty men;
A wee thing mak's us think, a sma' thing mak's us stare,
There are mair folk than him bigging castles in the air.

Sic a night in winter weel mak' him cauld;
His chin upon his buffy hand will soon mak' him auld,
His brow is brent sae braid, O pray that daddy Care,
Would let the wean alane, wi' his castles in the air.

He'll glow'r at the fire! and he'll keek at the light!
But mony sparkling stars are swallow'd up by night;
Aulder e'en than his are glamour'd by a glare,
Hearts are broken, heads are turn'd wi' castles in the air.

1. Score [flipbook version]
2. Score [download as zipped file]

Luke is a Sydney-based composer, musical director and pianist. Recent commissions include Capricorn and Desert Sea for Sydney Philharmonia, Storm Bird, Buruwan Elegy and Birinyi for Gondwana Indigenous Children's Choir with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Where Sails Once Flew for Adelaide Chamber Singers. Luke arranged the national anthems for the 2015 Netball World Cup and in 2012 was composer-in-residence for Sydney Children's Choir.

In 2018, Luke's musical Between the Sea and Sky was selected for the New York Musical Festival where it won awards including Best Musical and Outstanding Music.

Luke is also a musical director in theatre, and in 2018 was the musical director for Sydney Theatre Company's The Harp in the South. Other credits include Muriel's Wedding and Chimerica (Sydney Theatre Company), The Events for Sydney Festival/Belvoir/Malthouse, Hamlet (Belvoir), The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (Belvoir/Sydney Festival) Big Fish (Hayes Theatre), and The World's Wife (Melbourne Theatre Company).

The first three tracks are versions of our tune, while the last two examples have been inspired by the title.

‘Castles in the Sky’ - Traditional Scottish Folk Song

‘Castles in the Air’

‘Fidil’ - Castles in the Air, Japanese Hornpipe

‘Castles in the Air’ - Don McLean

‘Castles in the Air’ - Hoodoo Gurus