An old English ballad gets a brassy new spin in the Westerlies’ rendition of “Saro,” which borrows from an arrangement by Nico Muhly and Sam Amidon.

The tune, which dates back to the 18th century, is timeless in its bittersweet melody and melancholy lyrics⁠—the wrenching memory of a love just out of reach. Yet the Westerlies capture the tune’s heartache and spin it into hope without using any words at all, their radiant melodies and hymn-like harmonies telling a new tale of the poor man and his pretty Saro.

We’re thrilled to premiere our in-studio video of the Westerlies performing “Saro.”