Will you walk a little faster?" said a...

"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail.
"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle -- will you come and join the dance? 
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?

"You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!"
But the snail replied "Too far, too far!" and gave a look askance --
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.

"What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied.
"There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The [further]1 off from England the nearer is to France --
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance. 
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?"

by Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) [pseudonym] , from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, published 1865

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

by John Woods Duke (1899-1984) , "The Lobster Quadrille", from Five Lewis Carroll Poems, no. 1.
by Liza Lehmann (1862-1918) , "Will You Walk a Little Faster", published 1908 [soprano, contralto, tenor, bass], from Nonsense Songs: The Songs That Came Out Wrong, no. 5.
by György Ligeti (1923-2006) , "The Lobster Quadrille", 1988-1993, from Nonsense Madrigals, no. 7.

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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 Lobster Quadrille, Will You Walk a Little Faster, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
  Search musicroom.com for The Lobster Quadrille, Will You Walk a Little Faster, vocal/choral music

CDs:

  Search amazon.com for The Lobster Quadrille, Will You Walk a Little Faster, art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for The Lobster Quadrille, Will You Walk a Little Faster, 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