"A birthday" [Malcolm Willliamson]

"A birthday" [Malcolm Willliamson]

First line of lyrics: My heart is like a singing bird

Part of: "Six English Lyrics"

Williamson, Malcolm; music (Australian, 1931-2003)

Rossetti, Christina Georgina; text (English, 1830-1894)

1967 [publication]

London: Josef Weinberger Ltd.

genre: song|choral music|song cycle

solo: low voice

instrumentation: violin|viola|cello|double bass|string orchestra

initial sharps/flats: two flats

initial time signature: 4/4

other version 1 - solo: baritone|mezzo-soprano

other version 1 - instrumentation: piano

other version 2 - chorus: SATB chorus

other version 2 - instrumentation: piano

origin: Australia

male composer

English

Rossetti poem(s): "A Birthday"

Place in the larger work: The third song of six in the song cycle "Six English Lyrics" which includes 1. "Go, lovely Rose" (Edmund Waller); 2. "Crossing the Bar" (Alfred, Lord Tennyson); 3. "A Birthday" (Christina Rossetti); 4. "Sweet and Low" (Alfred, Lord Tennyson); 5. "Jenny kiss'd me" (Leigh Hunt); 6. "When I am dead" (Christina Rossetti).

Tempo markings: "Allegro"

Performance instructions: A version of this may be sung by either mezzo-soprano or baritone (Other version 1).

Dedication: "for Nancy Evans" [song cycle]

Format 1: musical score

4 (pp. 11-14); performance time 15 minutes (song cycle)

10 pages

In reference to the published works below: Gooch and Thatcher 4233

Reference: Gooch, Bryan N.S. and David S. Thatcher. Musical Settings of Early and Mid-Victorian Literature: A Catalogue. New York: Garland, 1979.

Cataloguer: Sarah Pennington, University of Ottawa

musical score: University of Toronto Library, Toronto

This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "A BIRTHDAY SHEET MUSIC BY MALCOLM WILLIAMSON." Sheet Music Now, https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/a-birthday-score-p333586. Accessed 4 Mar. 2019.

Record: CRM-birthday-williamson

"Copyright 1967/1969 Josef Weinberger Ltd."

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