Dream‑Pedlary

 If there were dreams to sell,
	What would you buy?
 Some cost a passing bell;
	Some a light sigh,
 That shakes from Life's fresh crown
 Only a rose-leaf down.
 If there were dreams to sell,
 Merry and sad to tell,
	And the crier rang the bell,
	What would you buy?

 A cottage lone and still,
	With bowers nigh,
 Shadowy, my woes to still,
	Until I die.
 Such pearl from Life's fresh crown
 Fain would I shake me down.
 Were dreams to have at will,
 This best would heal my ill,
	This would I buy.

by Thomas Lovell Beddoes (1803-1849) , "Dream-Pedlary", from The Poems Posthumous and Collected of Thomas Lovell Beddoes, published 1851

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

by Jack Hamilton Beeson (1921-) , "Dream-Pedlary", 1952, rev. 1959, 1995, first performed 1958 [high voice and piano], from Six Lyrics, no. 1.
by Robert Fairfax Birch (1917-) , "If there were dreams"
by Maurice Blower (1894-1982) , "If there were dreams to sell", published 1958. [two-part chorus of female or children's voices, piano]
by George Frederick Broadhead (1883-?) , "Dream-Pedlary", published 1939. [voice, piano]
by St. John Brougham , "Dream-Pedlary", published 1919 [voice, piano], from Two Songs
by Colin Brumby (1933-) , "Dream pedlary" [SATB a cappella]
by Percy Carter Buck (1871-1947) , "Dream-Pedlary", published 1910. [SSA, piano]
by Jean Coulthard (1908-2000) , "Dream-Pedlary", 1962 [soprano, piano], from Three Songs for Soprano and Piano
by Bainbridge Crist (1883-1969) , "If there were dreams to sell", published 1915. [medium voice, piano]
by Bernard van Dieren (1887-1936) , "Dream Pedlary", published 1925. [voice, piano]
by Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889-1960) , "Dream-Pedlary", published 1923. [SA or unison voices, piano]
by William Sidney Gwynn Williams (1896-) , "Dream-Pedlary", published 1930. [voice, piano]
by Frank Haworth (1905-) , "Dream-Pedlary", 1956. [voice, piano]
by Julian Herbage (1904-) , "Dream-Pedlary", published c1929. [voice, piano]
by John Hill , "If there were dreams to sell", published 1899 [voice, piano], from Six Songs
by Brian Holmes (1946-) , "Dream-pedlary" [high voice, string quartet], from Death's Jest-Book, no. 2.
by John Ireland (1879-1962) , "If there were dreams to sell", published 1918. [voice, piano]
by William Lovelock (1899-) , "Dream-Pedlary", published 1958. [SA, piano]
by Haydn Morris (1891-1965) , "If there were dreams to sell", <<1965. [soprano, piano]
by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918) , "Dream-Pedlary", published 1920 [voice, piano], from English Lyrics, set 12 no. 5
by Sir Hugh Stevenson Roberton (1874-1952) , "Dream-Pedlary", published 1942. [SATB (chorus or vocal quartet) a cappella]
by Sir Hugh Stevenson Roberton (1874-1952) , "Dream-Pedlary", published 1947. [TTBB a cappella]
by Colin Moncrieff Campbell Taylor (1881-1973) , "Dream-Pedlary", published 1917. [3-part chorus (SMsA), piano]
by Herbert J. Tily , "Dream-Pedlary", published <<1940. [voice, piano]

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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