First line of lyrics: Live all thy sweet life thro’
Place in the larger work: The fifth song of six in a song cycle called "Remembrance," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "A Sonnet"; 2. "Spring Quiet"; 3. "Up-Hill"; 4. "Song"; 5. "A Summer Wish"; 6. "Envoi".
Composition history: "Commissioned by The Lane Family, In Memory of Erma C. Lane" "for the Nova Singers of Galesburg, Illinois" (Hawley)
Tempo markings: "Adagietto"; quarter note = 72 ca.
Performance instructions: After this song "attacca subito l' 'Envoi'", the next and final song.
Performance history: Premiered by Nova Singers, Laura Lane, Music Director, on February 21, 1998, at Knox College [Galesburg, Illinois]" (Hawley)
Hawley, William; music (American, born 1950)
Rossetti, Christina Georgina; text (English, 1830-1894)
Other data reference(s): Hawley, William. "Re: Christina Rossetti in Music inquiry." Received by Mary Arseneau. 21 Apr. 2020.
Cataloguer: Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa
"© 1997 William Hawley" This score is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The score appears on this website by kind permission of composer William Hawley. To purchase musical scores or to request performance rights, please consult the composer’s website, www.williamhawley.net.
The Christina Rossetti in Music project website is hosted in Canada at the University of Ottawa Library, and we aim to comply with Canadian copyright laws. If you believe we have violated Canadian copyright law, please contact us at christinarossettimusic@uottawa.ca. The Christina Rossetti in Music project is strictly not for profit and intended for research and educational purposes only.
4 pages (pp. 19-22); complete song cycle performance time ca. 12 minutes
First line of lyrics: O wind, where have you been
Rossetti poem(s): "'O wind, where have you been'"
Place in the larger work: The sixth song of six in a song cycle called "Remembrance," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "A Sonnet"; 2. "Spring Quiet"; 3. "Up-Hill"; 4. "Song"; 5. "A Summer Wish"; 6. "Envoi".
Tempo markings: "Larghetto"; dotted quarter note = 63 ca.
Performance instructions: "attacca subito l' 'Envoi'" (at the end of the previous song "A Summer Wish")
2 pages (pp. 22-23); complete song cycle performance time ca. 12 minutes.
First line of lyrics: Come to me in the silence of the night
other version 1 - instrumentation: string quartet
Place in the larger work: The eighth song of ten in the song cycle called "The Call" which includes 1. "The Call" (George Herbert); 2. "Autobiography"; 3. "St Michael and All Angels, Edenham"; 4. "Let a Florid Music Praise" (W.H. Auden); 5. "Remember" (Christina Rossetti); 6. "The Tyger"; 7. "Two Loves"; 8. "Echo" (Christina Rossetti); 9. "If I could tell you" (W.H. Auden); 10. "Who can deny?"
Tempo markings: "With slow pulsating rhythm"; quarter note = c. 72
Performance instructions: For soprano and piano or string quartet or harp. "Orchestral parts available on hire" ("Echo (from The Call)"
Notes: "The eighth piece from the song-cycle The Call written in Autumn 1997 in the aftermath of the death of Princess Diana and uses poems which seemed to echo the public’s need for answers to eternal questions. This piece for soprano and piano is a setting of the beautiful poem by Christina Rossetti describing the sadness and deep pain of the poet for a deceased lover."
Hawes, Patrick; music (English, born 1958)
Other data reference(s): "Echo (from The Call)." Hawes Music Publishing, https://www.hawesmusic.com/product/echo-vocal-score/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2020. "Echo (from The Call)." Patrick Hawes Composer, https://www.patrickhawes.com/2017/10/05/echo-from-the-call/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2020.
Cataloguer: Jazmine Clement and Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa
1997 [composition]; 2016 [publication] [copyright]
8 pages (soprano and piano score); performance time 4 minutes; complete song cycle performance time 40 minutes
First line of lyrics: Remember me when I am gone away
genre: song|art song (lied)|choral music|song cycle
other version 1 - instrumentation: string orchestra
other version 2 - chorus: SATB voices with divisi
other version 2 - instrumentation: piano|organ
other version 2 - initial sharps/flats: three flats
other version 3 - chorus: SATB voices with divisi
other version 3 - instrumentation: string quartet|harp
Place in the larger work: The fifth song of ten in the song cycle called "The Call" which includes 1. "The Call" (George Herbert); 2. "Autobiography"; 3. "St Michael and All Angels, Edenham"; 4. "Let a Florid Music Praise" (W.H. Auden); 5. "Remember" (Christina Rossetti); 6. "The Tyger"; 7. "Two Loves"; 8. "Echo" (Christina Rossetti); 9. "If I could tell you" (W.H. Auden); 10. "Who can deny?"
Composition history: "Originally a piece for solo soprano and piano from the collection The Call, there is now also a new choral setting of the well-known Christina Rossetti poem." ("Remember")
Tempo markings: "Con Amore"; quarter note = c. 80
Performance instructions: For soprano (from "The Call") and piano or string orchestra; chorus: SATB or solo soprano and piano/organ or strings and harp. "Parts for Soprano, String Quartet & Harp version and Full Orchestral version available on hire" ("Remember")
Performance history: Premiere of the choral version on 8 Nov. 2014 by the Aliquando Choir and the West Forest Sinfonia, Patrick Hawes, conductor, in "The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal Concert; In Memoriam - Lest We forget" at St Mary's Church, Henley-on-Thames. Recording for performance available: https://www.patrickhawes.com/2016/12/01/remember/ ("Remember")
Recordings: Hawes, Patrick. "Remember (Christina Rossetti)." Performance by Elizabeth Adams, soprano and Patrick Hawes, piano, YouTube, uploaded 12 Sep. 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e49GVcUZuE.
Other data reference(s): Patrick Hawes Composer, https://www.patrickhawes.com/2016/12/01/remember/. Accessed 24 Apr. 2020.
Cataloguer: Robyn Finlay and Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa
musical score for SATB & piano: "Patrick Hawes: Remember." Presto Sheet Music, https://www.prestomusic.com/sheet-music/products/7647528--patrick-hawes-remember. Accessed 24 Apr. 2020.
1997 [composition]; 2014 [publication] [copyright]; 2016 [cycle publication]
SATB chorus and piano: "© 2014 Novello & Company Limited"
8 pages (satb & piano/organ); performance time 3 minutes and 14 seconds; complete song cycle performance time 14 minutes
First line of lyrics: My heart is like a singing bird
Recordings: "A Birthday." Fair Albion: A Vision of English, performance by Dante Quartet, Elin Manahan Thomas, soprano and Claire Jones, harp, Hyperion Records, 2009, https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_SIGCD178. And in Art Song Collection, 2012, Signum Classics, https://signumrecords.com/product/art-song-collection/SIGCD303/.
Notes: "A birthday is one of my favourite Rossetti poems. [...] we are reminded of our native wildlife and flora and the way in which our natural habitats inevitably become part of the people we are." (liner notes by Patrick Hawes, 2009)
performance time 3 minutes and 3 seconds
First line of lyrics: I cannot tell you how it was
initial sharps/flats: no sharps or flats
other version 1 - chorus: SATB voices with divisi
other version 1 - instrumentation: flute|oboe|clarinet|harp|strings
Rossetti poem(s): "May" ("I cannot tell you how it was")
Place in the larger work: The first movement of four in the choral cycle "The Rossetti Songs," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "May"; 2. "Come to Me in the Silence of the Night (Echo)"; 3. "When I am Dead, My Dearest (Song)"; 4. "A Birthday".
Composition history: "The Rossetti Songs were completed during the summer and fall of 1997 as the second commission for the recently-created position of Composer in Residence for the Pacific Chorale. Come to Me in the Silence of the Night (Echo), the first piece written, was composed in the fall of 1996 as a gift to the Chorale for their a cappella performance at the national ACDA Convention. [...] The successful reception of that movement encouraged the addition of other settings of the beautiful, mostly wistful poetry of Christina Rossetti (1830-1894). Three new movements were added, each for SATB Chorus and Harp [...] After the completion of this choral cycle, the composer adapted the instrumental part for small orchestra. The instrumentation is 1 Flute, 1 Oboe, 1 Clarinet in A, Harp and Strings."
Performance instructions: "For SATB chorus (divisi) and Harp (or Piano)" "Performance with Harp is preferred. In this case, the separate fully edited Harp part available for purchase from the publisher must be used (Catalog No. 5486). Use this Piano part for rehearsal and performance with piano."
Performance history: Debut performance: "April 26, 1998; St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church; Newport Beach, California; The Pacific Chorale; John Alexander, Conductor; Mindy Ball, Harpist"
Recordings: "May - from The Rossetti Songs (James Hopkins)." Sweet Harmony, performance by the Pacific Chorale's John Alexander Singers, Mindy Ball, harp, and John Alexander, conductor. Amazon.com.
Hopkins, James F.; music (American, born 1939)
Cataloguer: Kevin Batsinduka and Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa
This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "The Rossetti Songs: 1. May." ECS Publishing Group, https://www.ecspublishing.com/the-rossetti-songs-no-1-may.html. Accessed 24 Apr. 2020.
"© Copyright 2000 by E. C. Schirmer Music Company, a division of ECS Publishing, Boston, Massachussetts. All rights reserved"
8 pages (pp. 3-10); performance time ca. 3 minutes and 30 seconds
"Come to Me in the Silence of the Night (Echo)" [James Hopkins]
other version 1 - instrumentation: harp|piano
other version 1 - initial sharps/flats: one sharp
other version 2 - instrumentation: flute|oboe|clarinet|harp|strings
Place in the larger work: The second movement of four in the choral cycle "The Rossetti Songs," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "May"; 2. "Come to Me in the Silence of the Night (Echo)"; 3. "When I am Dead, My Dearest (Song)"; 4. "A Birthday".
Composition history: "The Rossetti Songs were completed during the summer and fall of 1997 as the second commission for the recently-created position of Composer in Residence for the Pacific Chorale. Come to Me in the Silence of the Night (Echo), the first piece written, was composed in the fall of 1996 as a gift to the Chorale for their a cappella performance at the national ACDA Convention. It is dedicated to Mary Lyons, musician, generous patron of the arts and special friend. The successful reception of that movement encouraged the addition of other settings of the beautiful, mostly wistful poetry of Christina Rossetti (1830-1894). Three new movements were added, each for SATB Chorus and Harp. To provide ensemble unity among the four movements, an optional Harp part was created for use with Come to Me in the Silence of the Night (Echo). After the completion of this choral cycle, the composer adapted the instrumental part for small orchestra. The instrumentation is 1 Flute, 1 Oboe, 1 Clarinet in A, Harp and Strings."
Performance instructions: "For SATB chorus (divisi) and Harp (or Piano)" "May also be sung a cappella." "Performance with Harp is preferred. In this case, the separate fully edited Harp part available for purchase from the publisher must be used (Catalog No. 5486). Use this Piano part for rehearsal and performance with piano."
Performance history: Debut performance of this song in 1997 by the Pacific Chorale. Debut performance of the complete cycle on April 26, 1998 at "St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church; Newport Beach, California; The Pacific Chorale; John Alexander, Conductor; Mindy Ball, Harpist"
Recordings: "Come to Me in the Silence of the Night." Musica, Pacific Chorale, John Alexander, conductor, Pacific Chorale, 1998. "Echo (Come to Me in the Silence of the Night) - from The Rossetti Songs (James Hopkins)." Sweet Harmony, performance by the Pacific Chorale's John Alexander Singers, Mindy Ball, harp, and John Alexander, conductor, Pacific Chorale, 2012. Amazon.com.
Dedication: "to Mary Lyons - a very special friend"
Cataloguer: Diana Bishara and Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa
This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "The Rossetti Songs: 2. Come to Me in the Silence of the Night (Echo)." ECS Publishing Group, https://www.ecspublishing.com/the-rossetti-songs-no-2-come-to-me-in-the-silence-of-the-night-echo.html. Accessed 24 Apr. 2020
9 pages (pp. 3-11); performance time ca. 4 minutes 30 seconds
"When I am Dead, My Dearest (Song)" [James Hopkins]
Rossetti poem(s): "Song" ("When I am dead, my dearest")
Place in the larger work: The third song of four in a song cycle called "The Rossetti Songs," settings of Christina Rossetti's poems, which includes 1. "May"; 2. "Come to Me in the Silence of the Night (Echo)"; 3. "When I Am Dead, My Dearest (Song)"; 4. "A Birthday."
Recordings: "Song (When I am Dead, My Dearest) - from The Rossetti Songs (James Hopkins)." Sweet Harmony, performance by the Pacific Chorale's John Alexander Singers, Mindy Ball, harp, and John Alexander, conductor. Amazon.com.
Cataloguer: Claudia Laugalys and Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa
This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "The Rossetti Songs: 3. When I Am Dead, My Dearest (Song)." ECS Publishing Group, https://www.ecspublishing.com/the-rossetti-songs-no-3-when-i-am-dead-my-dearest-song.html. Accessed 24 Apr. 2020.. Accessed 18 April 2018.
13 pages (pp. 3-15); performance time 3 minutes and 30 seconds
Place in the larger work: The fourth movement of four in the choral cycle "The Rossetti Songs," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "May"; 2. "Come to Me in the Silence of the Night (Echo)"; 3. "When I am Dead, My Dearest (Song)"; 4. "A Birthday".
Recordings: "A Birthday - from The Rossetti Songs (James Hopkins)." Sweet Harmony, performance by the Pacific Chorale's John Alexander Singers, Mindy Ball, harp, and John Alexander, conductor. Amazon.com.
Notes: The score includes composition and performance history on page 2.
Cataloguer: Sarah Pennington and Anna Lewis, University of Ottawa
musical score: University of Houston Libraries, Houston
This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "The Rossetti Songs: 4. A Birthday." ECS Publishing Group, https://www.ecspublishing.com/the-rossetti-songs-no-4-a-birthday.html. Accessed 9 Mar. 2017.
14 pages (pp. 3-16); performance time 3 minutes and 30 seconds to 4 minutes
"Come to me in the silence of the night" [Colin Brumby]
Brumby, Colin; music (Australian 1933-2018)
Other data reference(s): "Come to me in the silence of the night : SATB unaccompanied / music by Colin Brumby ; words by Christina Rossetti." Australian Music Centre, australianmusiccentre.com.au/workversion/brumby-colin-come-to-me-in-the-silence-of-the-night/9069. Accessed 2 Mar. 2018.
"Come to me in the silence of the night" [Graham Ross]
Notes about the text: This song is a setting of stanza 1 only.
Performance instructions: "For unaccompanied SSAATTBB chorus." "Simple, but with expression."
Performance history: Debut performance by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, conducted by Michael Brewer on "Easter Saturday, 15 April 2006, and later broadcast on BBC Radio 3."
Recordings: "Come to me in the silence of the night." Sound recording excerpt by the Novello Choir, Ralph Allwood conductor, Graham Ross, https://www.grahamross.com/list-of-works/come-silence-night/. Accessed 24 Apr. 2020.
Notes: This song "was the winner of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain's 2006 Composition Prize."
Ross, Graham; music (English, born 1985)
Other data reference(s): "Come to me in the silence of the night." Graham Ross, http://www.grahamross.com/list-of-works/come-silence-night/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2018.
musical score: "Come to me in the silence of the night." Alexander Street, https://search.alexanderstreet.com/preview/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cscore%7C2383335. Accessed 24 Apr. 2020
This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "Come to me in the silence of the night." Alexander Street, https://search.alexanderstreet.com/preview/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cscore%7C2383335. Accessed 24 Apr. 2020. This source maybe restricted except to subscribing institutions or individuals.
8 pages (pp. 2-9); performance time 3 minutes
Tempo markings: "Larghetto"; quarter note = ca. 60
Recordings: "Echo (SATB Choir) - by Bethany Meyer." Performance for promotional purposes with score, YouTube, uploaded by Hal Leonard Choral, 27 Feb. 2018, https://youtu.be/jisqeRmC1pY.
Dedication: "With special thanks to Deke Polifka"
Meyer, Bethany; music (American, active 2017)
This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "Echo." JW Pepper, https://www.jwpepper.com/Echo/10843157.item#/submit. Accessed 24 Apr. 2020
"© Copyright 2017 by HAL LEONARD LCC. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved."
12 pages; performance time ca. 4 minutes and 20 seconds
Composition history: For Les Choristes, Karen Ann Schuessler, conductor, a women’s choir comprised of students from across campus, most of whom are voice majors at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Dedication: "for Les Choristes, Karen Ann Schuessler, conductor"
Daley, Eleanor; music (Canadian, born 1955)
Other data reference(s): "Eleanor Daley." Alliance Music Publications Inc., 2004, alliancemusic.com/peopledetails.cfm?iPeopleID=4, Accessed 16 Mar. 2018.
This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "Echo." Alliance Music Publications Inc., 2004, alliancemusic.com/peopledetails.cfm?iPeopleID=4, Accessed 16 Mar. 2018.
Houston: JEHMS Inc. A Division of Alliance Music Publications Inc.
"© Copyright 2006 JEHMS, Inc. A Division of Alliance Music Publications, Inc. P.O. Box 131977. Houston, Texas, 77219-1977. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved."
First line of lyrics: The hope I dreamed of was a dream
Place in the larger work: The first song of four in the song cycle called "The Speaking Silence," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "Mirage"; 2. "Remember"; 3. "Song"; 4. "Echo".
Performance history: Brown, Matthew. “Matthew Brown--The Speaking Silence--I. Mirage.” YouTube, uploaded by rmbuscedu, Matthew Brown Music, 14 May 2007, https://youtu.be/Psz5FmRYinU
Recordings: Brown, Matthew. "The Speaking Silence: I. Mirage." SoundCloud, uploaded in 2015, https://soundcloud.com/matthewbrown/the-speaking-silence-i-mirage.
Brown, Matthew; music (American, active 2005)
Other data reference(s): "The Speaking Silence." Matthew Brown Composer, https://sites.google.com/mattbrowncomposer.com/home/vocal-music/the-speaking-silence. Accessed 25 Apr. 2020. Record for “The speaking silence : four poems of Christina Rossetti for soprano and guitar quartet” WorldCat, www.worldcat.org/oclc/993498616. Accessed 11 Apr. 2018
Cataloguer: Arianne Zamin and Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa
37 pages; performance time 20 minutes [song cycle]
performance time 5 minutes and 11 seconds
[setting of “A Birthday”] [Ethan McGraph]
Composition history: The song collection, Silver Springs, was funded by an ArtsBuild Community Cultural Connections Grant (Joyner).
Performance history: First performed 22 March 2019 by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Chamber Singers at First Baptist Church with McGrath serving as pianist, organist, or conductor for some pieces (Pierce 3).
Recordings: McGrath, Ethan. Silver Songs. Performed by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Chamber Singers, 2019.
Notes: This setting of "A Birthday" is included in the song collection "Silver Songs" which includes 22 original works inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti, Amy Carmichael, Elinor Wylie, and Sarah Tullock (Pierce 3).
McGrath, Ethan; music (American, active 2019)
Other data reference(s): Joyner, Sarah. "Poetry in Musical Motion: UTC alum turns poems into songs." University of Tennessee at Chattanooga News Releases, https://blog.utc.edu/news/2019/03/poetry-in-musical-motion-utc-alum-turns-poems-into-songs/. Accessed 30 Mar. 2019. Pierce, Susan. "UTC Chamber Singers hosting CD release concert [Chattanooga Times Free Press, Tenn.]." Chattanooga Times Free Press Tennessee, 20 Mar. 2019, pp. 3-4, Cision. Accessed 26 Mar. 2019.
Cataloguer: Sarah Pennington, University of Ottawa
Place in the larger work: The second song of four in the song cycle called "The Speaking Silence," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "Mirage"; 2. "Remember"; 3. "Song"; 4. "Echo".
Performance history: Brown, Matthew. “Matthew Brown--The Speaking Silence: II. Remember.” YouTube, uploaded by rmbuscedu, Matthew Brown Music, 14 May 2007, https://youtu.be/pPIWIjN0s3s
Recordings: Brown, Matthew. "The Speaking Silence: II. Remember." SoundCloud, uploaded in 2015, https://soundcloud.com/matthewbrown/the-speaking-silence-ii-remember.
performance time 5 minutes and 57 seconds
First line of lyrics: She sat and sang I
Rossetti poem(s): "Song" ("She sat and sang alway")
Notes about the text: In this song, the word "alway" found in the Rossetti poem is replaced by "I".
Performance history: Brown, Matthew. “Matthew Brown--The Speaking Silence--III. Song.” YouTube, uploaded by rmbuscedu, Matthew Brown Music, 14 May 2007, https://youtu.be/aVsBOvXEls8
Recordings: Brown, Matthew. "The Speaking Silence: III. Song." SoundCloud, uploaded in 2015, https://soundcloud.com/matthewbrown/the-speaking-silence-iii-song.
performance time 4 minutes and 17 seconds
Place in the larger work: The fourth song of four in the song cycle called "The Speaking Silence," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "Mirage"; 2. "Remember"; 3. "Song"; 4. "Echo".
Performance history: Brown, Matthew. “Matthew Brown--The Speaking Silence: IV. Echo.” YouTube, uploaded by rmbuscedu, Matthew Brown Music, 14 May 2007, https://youtu.be/Sc8aSVdL7rM
Recordings: Brown, Matthew. "The Speaking Silence: IV. Echo." SoundCloud, uploaded in 2015, https://soundcloud.com/matthewbrown/the-speaking-silence-iv-echo.
performance time 6 minutes and 52 seconds
First line of lyrics: Somewhere or other there must surely be
Place in the larger work: The first song of five in the song cycle "Rossetti Songs," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "Somewhere or other"; 2. "Echo"; 3. "When windflowers blossom"; 4. "For hope that is so fair"; 5. "My love is come to me."
Composition history: Notes from the composer included on score: "My affinity for the poetry of Christina Rossetti has spanned most of my adult life. I have found her poems to be, for the most part, deftly simple and remarkably subtle. Her poetry reflects a truism that a life fully lived has a profound significance for each of us as we live the balance of our own lives. Although times and circumstances vary, the fundamental challenges are perennial. I am fascinated by the close kinship of Christina's thoughts about the beauty and pain of human love. It was this 'closeness' that led me to select the particular poems about love to be included in this cycle. I hope you enjoy them. — JRD"
Tempo markings: "Slowly"; quarter note = 56
Performance instructions: Notes from the editor included on score: "Reflecting on both the beauty and the pain of human love, each of these Rossetti text settings may be sung individually, or performed as a complete set for a song recital. In the best sense of 20th-century music, these new compositions marry the voice with the accompaniment and require accomplished performers for both. — Scott Foss"
Day, James R.; music (American, 1948-2018)
Cataloguer: Moira Duncan, University of Ottawa
musical score: University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia
"© 2000 Roger Dean Publishing Company, a division of The Lorenz Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is a criminal offense subject to prosecution. THE CCLI LICENSE DOES NOT GRANT PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY THIS MUSIC"
Place in the larger work: The second song of five in the song cycle "Rossetti Songs," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "Somewhere or other"; 2. "Echo"; 3. "When windflowers blossom"; 4. "For hope that is so fair"; 5. "My love is come to me."
Tempo markings: "Cantabile"; eighth note = 116
"When Windflowers Blossom" [James R. Day]
First line of lyrics: Oh tell me once and tell me twice
Rossetti poem(s): "'One Foot on Sea, and One on Shore'"
Place in the larger work: The third song of five in the song cycle "Rossetti Songs," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "Somewhere or other"; 2. "Echo"; 3. "When windflowers blossom"; 4. "For hope that is so fair"; 5. "My love is come to me."
Tempo markings: "Andante"; quarter note = 84
"For Hope that Is So Fair" [James R. Day]
First line of lyrics: She sat and sang alway
Place in the larger work: The fourth song of five in the song cycle "Rossetti Songs," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "Somewhere or other"; 2. "Echo"; 3. "When windflowers blossom"; 4. "For hope that is so fair"; 5. "My love is come to me."
Tempo markings: "Contabile"; quarter note = 63
Place in the larger work: The fifth song of five in the song cycle "Rossetti Songs," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "Somewhere or other:; 2. "Echo"; 3. "When windflowers blossom"; 4. "For hope that is so fair"; 5. "My love is come to me."
Tempo markings: "Andante"; quarter note = 92
Performance instructions: A note on page 30 indicates that "pomegranates" should be pronounced with three syllables only, "Pome-gran-ates." Notes from the editor included on score: "Reflecting on both the beauty and the pain of human love, each of these Rossetti text settings may be sung individually, or performed as a complete set for a song recital. In the best sense of 20th-century music, these new compositions marry the voice with the accompaniment and require accomplished performers for both. — Scott Foss"
Dedication: "to Kevin and Emily Shumway"
Notes: The score includes phonetic spelling and definitions for "dais" and "vair" on page 29. "Dais" is defined as "platform above the floor" and "vair" is defined as "the bluish gray and white fur of a squirrel prized for ornamental use in medieval times."
Place in the larger work: The first movement of three in a song cycle called "In the Silence of the Night," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "Echo"; 2. "Song"; 3. "Mirage".
Recordings: "Echo." Children of our time, performance by Schola Cantorum of Oxford and Jeremy Summerly, conductor, Hyperion, 2006. https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67575
Byrchmore, Ruth; music (English, born 1966)
Other data reference(s): "In the silence of the night." Hyperion, https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/tw.asp?w=W5212. Accessed 25 Apr. 2020.
performance time 3 minutes and 41 seconds; complete song cycle performance time 14 minutes and 45 seconds
First line of lyrics: When I am dead, my dearest
Place in the larger work: The second movement of three in a song cycle called "In the Silence of the Night," settings of Christina Rossetti poems. The songs include 1. "Echo"; 2. "Song"; 3. "Mirage".
Recordings: "Song." Children of our time, performance by Schola Cantorum of Oxford and Jeremy Summerly, conductor, Hyperion, 2006. https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67575
performance time 6 minutes and 20 seconds; complete song cycle performance time 14 minutes and 45 seconds