The chimney sweeper

A little black thing among the snow,
Crying 'weep 'weep in notes of woe!
Where are thy father and mother? say?
They are both gone up to the church to pray.

Because I was happy upon the hearth,
And smil'd among the winter's snow
They clothed me in the clothes of death,
And taught me to sing the notes of woe.

And because I am happy & dance & sing
They think they have done me no injury,
And are gone to praise God & his Priest & King
Who make up a heaven of our misery.

by William Blake (1757-1827) , "The chimney sweeper", from Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 7, published 1794

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

by William Bolcom (1938-) , "The chimney sweeper", 1956-81 [soloists, madrigal group, chorus, orchestra], from Songs of Experience, Volume Two, no. 13.
by (William) Havergal Brian (1876-1972) , "The chimney sweeper", published c1929. [unison song with piano]
by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) , "The chimney sweeper", op. 74 no. 4, from Songs and Proverbs of William Blake, no. 4.
by James Henry Baseden Butt (1929-) , "The chimney sweeper", op. 60 no. 2, published 1980, from Five William Blake Songs, no. 2.
by John H. Corina (1928-) , "The chimney sweeper", 1976, from From Songs of Innocence and Experience, no. ?
by Don Freund (1947-) , "The chimney sweeper", 1967.
by Oskar Morawetz (1917-) , "The chimney sweeper", 1947.
by Gerard Victory (1921-) , "The chimney sweeper", from Songs of Experience, no. ?

FRE French (Guy Laffaille)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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