The silver swan

The silver swan who, living, had no note,
when death approached, unlocked her silent throat.

Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,
thus sung her first and last, and sung no more:

"Farewell all joys,
O death come close [mine]1 eyes.
More geese than swans now live,
more fools than wise."

by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , "The silver swan", published 1612

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Gary Bachlund , "The silver swan", 1966. [SATB chorus a cappella]
by Garth Baxter (1946-) , "The silver swan" [voice and guitar or SATB], from Three madrigals, no. 2.
by Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) , "The silver swan" [madrigal, a cappella]
by Eric Harding Thiman (1900-1975) , "The silver swan"

GER German (Martin Stock)
FRE French (Dwain Richardson)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Classical Vocal Repertoire