<\/p>\n

Stephen Scotti\u00a0was a composer, musician, singer and poet. A graduate of Boston University, Scotti had a long, distinguished career in all his artistic fields, with an emphasis on song composition and setting poetry to music. He collaborated with Cole Porter on song composition and appeared on RTE, Ireland\u2019s national television network, performing poems of William Butler Yeats. \u00a0Below are two examples of Scotti\u2019s work. The first poem, On the Dogtown Common Road<\/em>, is by Scotti and Lee Cox, a Gloucester poet of the early 20^{th<\/sup> century. The second poem, Morgan Stanwood,<\/em> is by Hiram Rich, a Gloucester poet of the 19th<\/sup> century; the text is from Poems of American History<\/em> ed. by Burton Egbert Stevenson. Both recordings were made in Dublin. Click on bar above the titles to listen to Scotti perform the pieces.<\/p>\n}

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

On the Dogtown Common Road<\/strong><\/p>\n

O come and roam with me today,<\/p>\n

Where nature undefiled holds sway,<\/p>\n

And where its majesty profound,<\/p>\n

In primal grandeur may be found,<\/p>\n

Then let\u2019s to Dogtown Common lie,<\/p>\n

Where nature\u2019s scenic grandeurs lie,<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll bid the city streets adieu,<\/p>\n

And some old road our way pursue.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (Chorus)<\/em><\/p>\n

Away, Come away, come away…<\/p>\n

On the Dogtown Common Road…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One road that\u2019s sure to give delight,<\/p>\n

Leads to an ancient village site,<\/p>\n

Whose homes are now but scattered stone,<\/p>\n

And garden patches brush o\u2019er grown<\/p>\n

From there we\u2019ll trudge o\u2019er rugged ground,<\/p>\n

Where many winding trails abound,<\/p>\n

Or through some narrow path we\u2019ll push,<\/p>\n

Which off times leads through bramble bush.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

These winding paths run here and there,<\/p>\n

With barren wildness everywhere,<\/p>\n

But from the open heights we see,<\/p>\n

Fair vistas of the distant sea,<\/p>\n

While there I\u2019m constantly aware,<\/p>\n

Of fragrant bayberry in the air,<\/p>\n

And listen as I trudge along,<\/p>\n

To hear the catbird\u2019s plaintive song.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(Chorus)<\/em><\/p>\n

Away, Come away, come away…<\/p>\n

On the Dogtown Common Road…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Who knows who laid these old stonewalls,<\/p>\n

That frequently our progress stalls,<\/p>\n

Or when the ice age held domain,<\/p>\n

And left its terminal moraine?<\/p>\n

The mammoth boulders o\u2019er the ground,<\/p>\n

In such fantastic shapes are found,<\/p>\n

And some have sayings carved thereon,<\/p>\n

They\u2019re noble thoughts to ponder on.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cKeep out of Debt,\u201d \u201cIntelligence,\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInitiative,\u201d \u201cIntegrity,\u201d \u201cIdeas,\u201d \u201cIdeals\u201d and \u201cLoyalty,\u201d<\/p>\n

These words we see while walking free.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe True,\u201d \u201cBe Clean,\u201d and \u201cBe on Time,\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp Mother,\u201d \u201cSave\u201d and \u201cGet a Job,\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s \u201cCourage,\u201d \u201cTruth\u201d and \u201cKindness,\u201d too,<\/p>\n

There\u2019s \u201cSpiritual Power,\u201d<\/p>\n

These rocks ring true.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(Chorus)<\/em><\/p>\n

Away, Come away, come away…<\/p>\n

On the Dogtown Common Road…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/www.gloucesterpoetlaureate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Stephen-Scotti-Track-06.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Morgan Stanwood<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cape Ann, 1775\u00a0 Morgan Standwood, Patriot!<\/p>\n

Little more is known;<\/p>\n

Nothing of his home is left<\/p>\n

But the door-step stone!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Morgan Stanwood, to our thought<\/p>\n

You return once more;<\/p>\n

Once again the meadows lift<\/p>\n

Daisies to your door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Once again the morn is sweet,<\/p>\n

Half the hay is down, –<\/p>\n

Hark! what means that sudden clang<\/p>\n

From the distant town?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Larum bell and rolling drum<\/p>\n

Answer sea-borne guns;<\/p>\n

Larum bell and rolling drum<\/p>\n

Summon Freedom\u2019s sons!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And the mower thinks to him<\/p>\n

Cry both bell and drum,<\/p>\n

\u201cMorgan Stanwood, where art thou?<\/p>\n

Here th\u2019 invaders come.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMorgan Stanwood\u201d need no more<\/p>\n

Bell and Drum-beat call;<\/p>\n

He is one who, hearing once,<\/p>\n

Answers once for all!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ne\u2019er the mower murmured then<\/p>\n

\u201cHalf my grass is mown,<\/p>\n

Homespun isn\u2019t soldier-wear,<\/p>\n

Each may save his own!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fallen scythe and aftermath<\/p>\n

Lie forgotten now;<\/p>\n

Winter need may come and find<\/p>\n

But a barren mow.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Down the musket comes. \u201cGood wife, –<\/p>\n

Wife, a quicker flint!\u201d<\/p>\n

And the face that questions face<\/p>\n

Hath no color in it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWife, if I am late to-night<\/p>\n

Milk the heifer first; –<\/p>\n

Ruth, if I\u2019m not home at all, –<\/p>\n

Worse has come to worst.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Morgan Stanwood sped along,<\/p>\n

Not the Common Road;<\/p>\n

Over wall and hill-top straight,<\/p>\n

Straight to death, he strode;<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Leaving her to hear at night<\/p>\n

Tread of burdened men,<\/p>\n

By the gate and through the gate,<\/p>\n

At the door, and then \u2013<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ever after that to hear,<\/p>\n

When the grass is sweet,<\/p>\n

Through the gate and through the night,<\/p>\n

Slowly coming feet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Morgan Stanwood\u2019s roof is gone;<\/p>\n

Here the door-step lies;<\/p>\n

One may stand thereon and think, –<\/p>\n

For the thought will rise, –<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Were we where the meadow was,<\/p>\n

Mowing grass alone,<\/p>\n

Would we go the way he went,<\/p>\n

From this very stone?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Were we on the door-step here,<\/p>\n

Parting for a day,<\/p>\n

Would we utter words as though<\/p>\n

Parting were for aye?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Would we? Heart, the hearth is dear,<\/p>\n

Meadow-math is sweet;<\/p>\n

Parting be as parting may,<\/p>\n

After all, we meet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Stephen Scotti\u00a0was a composer, musician, singer and poet. A graduate of Boston University, Scotti had a long, distinguished career in all his artistic fields, with an emphasis on song composition and setting poetry to music. He collaborated with Cole … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-101","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n