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Catalog: Song Information: Page 41 of 83Please keep this site alive by contributing song listings and other information to the catalog. See the bottom of every catalog page for how. "Lullaby"Song 2 (not extractable) from set Songs of Desperation and Comfort
This entry contributed by John Eaton around 3/27/99
Know this song? Add your review! Music Comments: The first song of comfort is a setting of a lullaby which the librettist of three of my operas, the Irish poet, Patrick Creagh, wrote in 1975 for my daughter Estela when she was six months old. I originally wrote this piece for mezzo-soprano, Estela's mother, and a series of tools designed to gently agitate the piano strings and color the resulting rustles: a noiseless electric brush, a heavy iron and rubber tubing bar to raise harmonics by touching the same nodes on a cluster of adjacent strings, (Both of these were designed by the inventor of the Syn-Ket, my dear friend, Paolo Ketoff) a cluster bow, a thin bow to play only one string, (Both of these were built to my specifications by an ingenious violist, Adrian Lo), and a few others. All of these implements have either disappeared or been decapacitated by this time: the electric brush developed a "cough", the harmonic bar and single note bow were left in a taxi, and so on. However, I've always wanted to preserve the haunting melody that Patrick's poetry inspired. It formed a movement of my Symphony no.2 -- even so, I missed the voice. Hence this attempt at using the orchestra to provide "uninvolved" susurrations to my setting of Patrick's very moving poem. Text Comments: Peace gently light upon you, till the dawn of day; Dreams, soft as feather dusters, brush your fears away. Sleep, my bonny little baby, all the deep night through; We'll listen to the soft rain falling for the love of you. In your chrysalis of slumber, may the dark hours pass, Just as gently as the sun goes over blades of grass. Warm wings are spread above you, in your little nest; While wakeful ones who love you, watch you while you rest. Sweet sleep embrace you, Soft wings caress you, Bright dreams release you, Good angels kiss you, And heaven bless you. This entry contributed by John Eaton around 3/27/99. The contributor(s) composed the song. "Lullaby"Song 6 (extractable) from set Quiet Songs
This entry contributed by G&K around 5/19/99 Know this song? Add your review! Music Comments: Marked "Slowly". A quiet, flowing, sad song. Tessitura is wide ranging, from D4-ish to G5-ish, and does not stay high or low. Text Comments: Hush. Lullay, lullay. Your treasures all encrust with rust. Your trinket pleasures fall to dust. Beneath the sapphire arch Upon the grassy floor is nothing more to hold, And play is over old. Your eyes in sleepy fever gleam, Your lids droop to their dream. You wander late alone, The flesh frets on the bone, Your love falls in your breast. Here is the pillow. Rest. This entry contributed by G&K around 5/19/99. The contributor(s) looked over the song. "Lullaby"Song not from a cycle or set
This entry contributed by Paul M. Stouffer around 3/13/99 Know this song? Add your review! Music Comments: Tempo: quarter=80 Time:1:45 Typical lullaby type texture. Smooth melody. Level: Average sophisticated audience. Not difficult No technical difficulties Conservative style Text Comments: Gentle, quiet mood suggesting "Cares will come another and child should have pleasant dreams" (Sleep my baby sleep today Lu-la-lu. Cares will come another day Lu-la-lay etc.) Easily understood and appreciated for first-time listener Recordings: Upon singers request composer can furnish analog cassette. This entry contributed by Paul M. Stouffer around 3/13/99. The contributor(s) composed the song. "Lullaby for Estela"
This entry contributed by John Eaton around 3/20/99
Know this song? Add your review! Music Comments: Optional notes take the top range down to G#5. 4'. Premiered by Nelda Nelson at Alta Aula der Universitat Heidelberg 4/76 A simple plaintive song, used by the composer in his Songs of Desperation and Comfort, a part will be included among the sound bites of that work. This entry contributed by John Eaton around 3/20/99. The contributor(s) composed the song. "Lullaby News"
This entry contributed by CounterPoint Musical Services around 10/7/99
Know this song? Add your review! Music Comments: Alternates between "Slow and Legato" F lydian and "Fast and crisp" C Lydian. Text Comments: Dear singular snookums, you're a beddiebye aight. It's a shame you have no partner to share your night. But companions are expensive on Mama's account at the big compartment store where babies come from. It isn't Daddy's fault, he's a regular fellow. His head goes right to sleep when it hits the pillow. So your chum may be adopted at a slight discount in the big compartment store where babies come from. This entry contributed by G&K around 10/7/99. The contributor(s) looked over the song. "Lying Among the "Bloodstained Bamboo""
This entry contributed by Andy Vores around 11/22/98 Know this song? Add your review! Music Comments: Duration 0:50 Rapid - dotted rhythms in voice over sextuplets in piano, quickly winds down. This entry contributed by Andy Vores around 11/22/98. The contributor(s) composed the song. "maggie and milly and molly and may"Song 1 (extractable) from set Quiet Songs
This entry contributed by G&K around 5/18/99 Know this song? Add your review! Music Comments: Marked "Breezily," the song often has fairly fast text declamation and what look to be some fast piano licks too. Although this is definitely a soprano tessitura, it is on the low side. G#5 sustained. Tricky rhythmically, with changing meters and tempos and with syncopation. Text Comments: maggie and millie and molly and may went down to the beach (to play one day) and maggie discovered a shell that sang so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles and milly befriended a stranded star whose rays five languid fingers were and molly was chased by a horrible thing which raced sideways while blowing bubbles and may came home with a smooth round stone as small as a world and as large as alone for whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it's always ourselves we fins in the sea This entry contributed by G&K around 5/18/99. The contributor(s) looked over the song. "Make Your Wit a Guard"Song 3 (not extractable) from set The Long Shadow of Lincoln
This entry contributed by G&K around 9/7/98
Know this song? Add your review! Music Comments: Very virtuosic for instruments (violin, cello, piano). Quarter note = 160. 1:50. Text Comments: See songs 1, 5, and 7 for direct quotes. One quote from this song perhaps sums up message: "Let your laughter come free remembering looking toward peace: 'We must disenthrall ourselves.'" (last bit is quote from Lincoln--see notes to cycle). Recordings: none--see song 1 for comments. This entry contributed by G&K around 9/7/98. The contributor(s) rehearsed the song. Please contribute to the catalog
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