The shepherd

How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot!
   From the morn to the evening he strays;
He shall follow his sheep all the day,
   And his tongue shall be fillèd with praise.

For he hears the lamb's innocent call,
   And he hears the ewe's tender reply;
He is watchful [while]1 they are in peace,
   For they know when their Shepherd is nigh.

by William Blake (1757-1827) , "The shepherd", from Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 2, published 1789

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

by Murray Adaskin (1906-2002) , "The shepherd", 1934.
by Samuel Hans Adler (1928-) , "The shepherd", published 1974 [mixed chorus and band], from Serenade, no. 2.
by Keith Warren Bissell (1912-) , "The shepherd", published 1959. [SSA chorus a cappella]
by William Bolcom (1938-) , "The shepherd", 1956-81 [soloists, madrigal group, chorus, orchestra], from Songs of Innocence, no. 4.
by (William) Havergal Brian (1876-1972) , "Pastoral - The Shepherd", 1914, published c1922. [SSA,pf]
by Lee Hastings Bristol (1923-1979) , "The shepherd", published 1951, from The Lamb and Other New Carols, no. 2.
by Harry Brook (1893-?) , "The shepherd", published 1928. [2v, piano]
by John Callis Brydson (1900-) , "The shepherd", published 1949, from Of a Shepherd and a Lamb, no. 1.
by William Busch (1901-1945) , "The shepherd", published 1944, from Two Songs of William Blake, no. 2.
by Nigel Henry Butterley (1935-) , "The shepherd", op. 2 no. 4 (1956), from Six Blake Songs, no. 4.
by (Henry) Elliot Button (1861-?) , "The shepherd", published 1892, from Songs of Innocence, no. 1.
by Alice Upton Close , "The shepherd", published c1934. [voice, piano]
by Gwendolyn Avril Coleridge-Taylor (1903-1998) , "The shepherd", 1948. [voice, piano]
by Arnold Atkinson Cooke (1906-2005) , "The shepherd", 1956, published 1960 [soprano, clarinet in A, and piano], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 2.
by John Charlton Crawford (1931-) , "The shepherd", published 1965 [soprano, piano], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2.
by Harold Edwin Darke (1888-1977) , "The shepherd", published c1911, from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 1.
by (Henry) Walford Davies, Sir (1869-1941) , "The shepherd", op. 4 no. 4, published 1900, from Four Songs of Innocence, no. 4.
by Norman Frank Demuth (1898-1968) , "The shepherd", published c1938.
by Celius Dougherty (1902-1986) , "The shepherd", 1957 [SATB chorus], from The Happy Shepherd, no. 3.
by Thomas Frederick Dunhill (1877-1946) , "The shepherd", op. 43 no. 1, published c1915, from Countryside Ditties, no. 1.
by Dilys Elwyn-Edwards, née Roberts , "The shepherd", 1968, published 1970.
by Leonard Enns (1948-) , "The shepherd", published c1983 [SATB choir], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2.
by Kenneth George Finlay (1882-1974) , "The shepherd" [partsong]
by John Frandsen (1956-) , "The shepherd", 1984 [soprano and guitar], from Songs of Innocence II, no. 1.
by Earl Robert George (1924-) , "The shepherd" [unaccompanied mixed chorus], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2.
by Richard Franko Goldman (1910-1980) , "The shepherd", 1929, published c1952, from Two Poems of William Blake, no. 2.
by Geoffrey Gwyther , "The shepherd", published 1917 [medium voice and piano], from Seven Poems from Blake's "Songs of Innocence", no. 2, London, The Poetry Bookshop
by Alfred Matthew Hale (1875-1960) , "The shepherd", op. 16 no. 2, published 1910.
by Colin Hand (1929-) , "The shepherd", published 1957 [SS chorus and piano], from Songs of Pleasure, no. 2.
by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874-1949) , "The shepherd", op. 13 (Seven songs) no. 4 (1913) [voice and piano], first setting
by Lee Hoiby (1926-) , "The shepherd", from Two Songs of Innocence, no. 1.
by Paul A. Irby , "The shepherd", published c1928 [voice and piano], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 1, London, Wellington Music Publ. Co.
by (John) Michael Jacques (1944-) , "The shepherd", 1966 [soprano voices and piano with optional accompaniment for strings, two clarinets, and piano], from Six Songs of Innocence, no. 4.
by (John) Rodney Lister (1951-) , "The shepherd", 1974, first performed 1977. [unison children's chorus, recorders, percussion, and piano]
by George Frederick McKay (1899-1970) , "The shepherd"
by Sir Arthur Somervell (1863-1937) , "The shepherd", published 1889 [voice and piano], from Five Songs of Innocence (formerly Four Songs of Innocence), no. 1, London, Stanley Lucas & Co.
by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) , "The shepherd", 1957, published 1958 [voice and oboe], from Ten Blake Songs, no. 6.

Date added to the website: 2003-12-11.

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