For mixed choir
Lullaby
for Mixed Choir
A brief a cappella choral setting of William Blake’s Cradle Song, held between tenderness, night, and the fragile threshold of sleep.
Text
William Blake. Cradle Song, in English.
First Performance
21 November 2004. Vienna · Chamber choir “Vox humana”, Gumpoldskirchen.
Structure
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Lullaby
Single-movement choral work.
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Text
William Blake, Cradle Song.
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Language
English.
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Sound world
A cappella mixed choir.
Work Information
The Work
Lullaby compresses the intimacy of Blake’s cradle-song into a short, unaccompanied choral form. The poem’s surface gentleness carries a deeper doubleness: sleep as protection, dream as shadow, and innocence as something both radiant and vulnerable.
The a cappella scoring gives the piece a private, breathed quality. Without instruments, the choir becomes the cradle: a single body of sound holding the text in suspension.
- Form Single-movement choral miniature.
- Text William Blake, Cradle Song.
- First Performance 21 November 2004, Vienna.
Text
Text
Text in English. The poem is closed until clicked.
English William Blake · Cradle Song
Sweet dreams, form a shade O’er my lovely infant’s head; Sweet dreams of pleasant streams By happy, silent, moony beams.
Sweet sleep, with soft down Weave thy brows an infant crown; Sweet sleep, angel mild, Hover o’er my happy child.
Sweet smiles, in the night Hover over my delight; Sweet smiles, mother’s smiles, All the livelong night beguiles.
Sweet moans, dovelike sighs, Chase not slumber from thy eyes; Sweet moans, sweeter smiles, All the dovelike moans beguiles.
Sleep, sleep, happy child, All creation slept and smiled; Sleep, sleep, happy sleep, While o’er thee thy mother weep.
Sweet babe, in thy face Holy image I can trace; Sweet babe, once like thee, Thy maker lay, and wept for me:
Wept for me, for thee, for all, When he was an infant small. Thou his image ever see, Heavenly face that smiles on thee.
Smiles on thee, on me, on all, Who became an infant small; Infant smiles are his own smiles; Heaven and earth to peace beguiles.
Listen to Work
Educational listening access to Lullaby, presented as an embedded performance video after the listening notice is accepted.
Online Materials
Public links related to Lullaby, including publisher materials, commercial recordings, and educational listening on this page.
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YouTubeListen to Work YouTube / leraauerbach.com
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PublisherBoosey & Hawkes / Sikorski Boosey & Hawkes
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ScorePurchase Score Boosey & Hawkes
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Apple Music ClassicalRecording by Allmänna Sången and Maria Goundorina Apple Music Classical
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SpotifySpotify recording Spotify
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AlbumFemina Moderna AllMusic
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DiscographyLera Auerbach Discography leraauerbach.com
Publisher and Materials
Published by Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski. The official publisher catalogue page and purchase / enquiry page are linked below.