Composed by Dillon Bustin, arranged by Grey Larsen. 
Vocals Cindy Kallet, Alban Maino 
Flute Grey Larsen

Inspired by a quotation from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Yes, we must ever be friends; and of all who offer you friendship let me be ever the first, the truest, the nearest and dearest!”, I wrote to my dear friend Dillon Bustin, asking him if the quote could inspire him to write a song about friendship.

Dillon’s reply led to the creation of this song: "Good Day, Alban, I suggest you add to the cloud folder the quotation that first inspired you. Are you aware this passage is not about friendship between two men, but between a man and a woman? It’s from Longfellow’s The Courtship of Miles Standish (1858), about the Mayflower Pilgrims. John Alden says these words to Priscilla Mullins, whom he loves but is too shy to approach. Instead, he delivers a proposal from Captain Miles Standish, the military leader. John reassures Priscilla of their friendship, prompting her famous response: 'Prithee, why don’t you speak for yourself, John?'

Longfellow’s connection to the story stems from his mother, Zilpha Wadsworth, a descendant of the Mullins/Alden family. The poem highlights the friendship between Standish and Alden, who shared a home at Plymouth Plantation in the 1620s, and explores whether Miles was right to feel betrayed when Priscilla preferred John. After hearing John’s conversation with Priscilla, Miles explodes, accusing him of betrayal. He compares himself to William Walworth, the Mayor of London, who killed Wat Tyler in 1381 during truce negotiations, claiming John’s betrayal is greater as it’s a treason to friendship.

This scene rings true to me as a grievance over male friendship. John is saved from a potential sword fight with Miles by an attack on Plymouth Plantation, though this didn’t happen historically.

In Longfellow’s personal life, his closest friend was Nathaniel Hawthorne. Although they were classmates at Bowdoin, they grew closer later, with Longfellow supporting Hawthorne’s fiction through promotional reviews. They never quarreled, fortunately. After graduating in 1825, Longfellow was hired by Bowdoin to develop courses in French, Italian, and Spanish, and was sent to Europe to study these languages. The same happened when Harvard hired him in 1834; he went to Europe again, ultimately founding Harvard’s first department in modern languages. His work sparked reforms that led to the creation of the Modern Language Association (MLA).

I suggest incorporating the 'Yes, we must ever be friends…' line into the song, translated into French, Spanish, and Italian as a refrain. The song could reflect Longfellow’s composition of The Courtship of Miles Standish in the 1850s, perhaps reminiscing about his first wife, Mary Potter, who died tragically, or his courtship with his second wife, Fanny Appleton, who initially rejected him but eventually relented and married him.

You are uniquely qualified to make these translations, and they would add depth to the song. Maybe one day we can visit the Plimoth Plantation museum, the Standish Memorial in Duxbury, or the Alden House museum, home to the Alden descendants. Dillon."

This keeps the essence of Dillon's response while trimming some of the historical detail.

The Courtship Of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

An “Esprit Voyageur” would be a free spirit that travels through life with an open mind and a willingness to discover and share new horizons, whether they are geographical, musical, or artistic. Lucien Bonheur is one of them, this is a token of his efforts as a student of music.

New tracks tagged #Cindy Kallet