The song of shadows

Sweep thy faint strings, Musician,
With thy long, lean hand;
Downward the starry tapers burn,
Sinks soft the waning sand;
The old hound whimpers couched in sleep,
The embers smoulder low;
Across the wall the shadows
Come, and go.

Sweep softly thy strings, Musician,
The minutes mount to hours;
Frost on the windless casement weaves
A labyrinth of flowers;
Ghosts linger in the darkening air,
hearken at the opening door;
Music hath called them, dreaming,
Home once more.

by Walter de la Mare (1873-1956) , "The song of shadows", from Peacock Pie: A Book of Rhymes, published 1913

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 song of shadows", 1985 [mezzo soprano and piano], from Three Poems of Walter de la Mare, no. 2.
by Joan Bennett , "A song of shadows", published 1934. [voice and piano]
by Ina Boyle (1889-1967) , "A song of shadows", published <<1940. [voice and piano]
by Irwin Fischer (1903-) , "Song of shadows" [voice and piano]
by Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889-1960) , "The song of shadows", op. 15 no. 3, published 1922, first performed 1918. [voice and piano]
by Geoffrey Gwyther , "A song of shadows", published 1920. [voice and piano]
by Frederick Keel (1871-1954) , "The song of shadows", published 1935. [vocal duet with piano]
by Samuel Liddle (1864?-1951) , "A song of shadows", published 1923 [voice and piano], from Three Songs
by David Pedley , "The song of shadows", published 1966. [SATB a cappella]
by William Gillies Whittaker (1876-1944) , "The song of shadows", published <<1946. [SA and piano]
by William B. Wordsworth (1908-1988) , "The song of shadows", 1938. [voice and piano]
by Percy Marshall Young (1912-) , "The song of the shadows", published 1951 [SSA and piano], from Three songs from "Peacock Pie"

Date added to the website: 2007-05-11.

Gentle Reminder

This project is not funded. If you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated!      - Emily I also have a wishlist at Amazon.ca.

Search/Shop for

Sheet music:

  Search sheetmusicplus.com for The song of the shadows, Song of shadows, The song of shadows, A song of shadows, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
  Search musicroom.com for The song of the shadows, Song of shadows, The song of shadows, A song of shadows, vocal/choral music

CDs:

  Search amazon.com for The song of the shadows, Song of shadows, The song of shadows, A song of shadows, art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for The song of the shadows, Song of shadows, The song of shadows, A song of shadows, art song, Lieder, or chansons

Books:

  The Art of the Song Recital [amazon.com]
  The Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over 1000 Songs [amazon.com]
  Search amazon.com for art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for art song, lieder, or chansons

Classical Vocal Repertoire