"My heart is like a singing bird" [James Paul Kennedy]
First line of lyrics: My heart is like a singing bird
Notes about the text: Kennedy substitutes "thickest fruit" for "thickset fruit."
Performance instructions: At the beginning of the second stanza, the tempo changes to "Andantino." Then, at the beginning of the line "Work it in gold and silver grapes" it switches back to "Allegretto."
Dedication: "to Lucille Allison Kennedy"
Kennedy, James Paul; music (American, 1911-1995)
Rossetti, Christina Georgina; text (English, 1830-1894)
Other data reference(s): Record for "My heart is like a singing bird : for high voice and piano." Bowling Green State University, http://maurice.bgsu.edu/record=b2800797~S9. Accessed 31 Mar. 2019.
Cataloguer: Sarah Pennington, University of Ottawa
musical score: Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
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.
"My heart is like a singing bird" [Madeleine Dring]
Notes: Published posthumously as part of a collection including other previously-unpublished works by the composer (Record for "Previously unpublished vocal works. Volume 1, Art songs and arrangements").
Dring, Madeleine; music (English, 1923-1977)
Other data reference(s): Record for "Previously unpublished vocal works. Volume 1, Art songs and arrangements." McGill University Library, https://mcgill.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1035766569. Accessed 31 Mar. 2019.
"Because my love has come to me" [arr. Robert S. Hines, music Edvard Grieg]
Notes: Original music by Edvard Grieg, "Lyriske stykker, op. 65. Bondens sang" arranged by Robert S. Hines for "A Birthday."
Grieg, Edvard; music (Norwegian, 1843-1907)
Hines, Robert S.; arrangement (American, died 2014)
Other data reference(s): Record for "Because my love has come to me : for two-part chorus of treble voices." Library of Congress, https://lccn.loc.gov/93730477. Accessed 31 Mar. 2019.
First line of lyrics: The hope I dreamed of was a dream
Place in the larger work: The third 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: "Mirage." 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.
Cataloguer: Diana Bishara and Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa
performance time 4 minutes and 44 seconds; complete song cycle performance time 14 minutes and 45 seconds
First line of lyrics: When I am dead, my dearest
Rossetti poem(s): "Song" ("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
First line of lyrics: Come to me in the silence of the night
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
performance time 3 minutes and 41 seconds; complete song cycle performance time 14 minutes and 45 seconds
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."
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: "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."
Day, James R.; music (American, 1948-2018)
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"
"For Hope that Is So Fair" [James R. Day]
First line of lyrics: She sat and sang alway
Rossetti poem(s): "Song" ("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
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"
Cataloguer: Moira Duncan, University of Ottawa
"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
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
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."
Tempo markings: "Slowly"; quarter note = 56
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.
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
37 pages; performance time 20 minutes [song cycle]
performance time 6 minutes and 52 seconds
First line of lyrics: She sat and sang I
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".
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.
Cataloguer: Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa
performance time 4 minutes and 17 seconds
First line of lyrics: Remember me when I am gone away
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
[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.
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.
Cataloguer: Arianne Zamin and Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa
performance time 5 minutes and 11 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."
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)
Cataloguer: Jazmine Clement and Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa
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
"Come to me in the silence of the night" [Graham Ross]
initial sharps/flats: no sharps or flats
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
"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.
other version 1 - chorus: SATB voices with divisi
other version 1 - instrumentation: flute|oboe|clarinet|harp|strings
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".
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: "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.
Hopkins, James F.; music (American, born 1939)
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.
"© Copyright 2000 by E. C. Schirmer Music Company, a division of ECS Publishing, Boston, Massachussetts. All rights reserved"
14 pages (pp. 3-16); performance time 3 minutes and 30 seconds to 4 minutes
"When I am Dead, My Dearest (Song)" [James Hopkins]
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
"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 - chorus: SATB voices with divisi
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"
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
First line of lyrics: I cannot tell you how it was
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".
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.
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.
8 pages (pp. 3-10); performance time ca. 3 minutes and 30 seconds
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)
Hawes, Patrick; music (English, born 1958)
performance time 3 minutes and 3 seconds