The nightingale has a lyre of gold

The nightingale has a lyre of gold,
   The lark's is a clarion call,
And the blackbird plays but a boxwood flute,
   But I love him best of all.

For his song is all of the joy of life,
   And we in the [mad]1, spring weather,
We two have listened till he [sang]2
   Our hearts and lips together.

by William Ernest Henley (1849-1903) , no title, from A Book of Verses, published 1888

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

by (Mary) Frances Allitsen, née Bumpus (1848-1912) , "The Nightingale has a lyre of gold", <<1912 [voice and piano], from Spring contrasts, no. ?
by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944) , "The blackbird", op. 11 (Three Songs) no. 3 (<<1914). [voice and piano]
by H. L. Brainard , "The blackbird", published <<1940. [voice and piano]
by Frederick Delius (1862-1934) , "The nightingale", published 1915 [soprano or tenor, piano], note: also set in German
by John Hopkins Densmore (1880-1943) , "The nightingale", published <<1940.
by Richard Bruce Faith (1926-) , "The blackbird"
by Victor Harris (1869-1943) , "The blackbird", published 1895.
by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874-1949) , "The blackbird", op. 11 (Seven songs) no. 2 (1912), published 1920. [voice and piano]
by Agnes H. Lambert , "The nightingale has a lyre of gold", published <<1940.
by Harvey Worthington Loomis (1865-1930) , "The blackbird", published 1925, from Folk Songs and Art Songs for Intermediate Grades, using the pseudonym Scollard
by Carl K. McKinley (1895-1966) , "The nightingale has a lyre of gold", 1927.
by Horatio William Parker (1863-1919) , "The blackbird", op. 59 (Four Songs), published 1904, from Four Songs.
by Roger Quilter (1877-1953) , "Song of the blackbird", op. 14 (Four Songs) no. 4, published 1910.
by Milton A. Rogers , "The nightingale has a lyre of gold", published <<1940, from Five Songs, no. ?
by Landon Ronald (1873-1938) , "The nightingale has a lyre of gold", published 1908, from Echoes, no. ?
by Benjamin Whelply , "The nightingale has a lyre of gold", published <<1940.

by Frederick Delius (1862-1934) , "Die Nachtigall spielt auf goldener Leier", published 1915 [soprano or tenor, piano], note: also set in English

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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