Four Songs by William Blake

This collection of four songs draws its text from William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience. The first song of the collection, The Voice of the Ancient Bard, is declamatory in nature, featuring an angular melodic line as the text warns against youthful folly. The Garden of Love is a lyrical and plaintive setting of a poem that expresses Blake's disdain for the church and its restrictions on love. The Little Vagabond is a spirited, cheeky song in praise of the alehouse set with a Spanish flair. Laughing Song is a charming, lighthearted celebration of nature which dances lyrically in the upper register of the soprano range.

Please note, the score of Laughing Song is a major second lower than the online MP3 recording.