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BENJAMIN BRITTEN Four Burns Songs for high voice and piano from 'A Birthday Hansel' Op. 92

Settings of poems by

ROBERT BURNS The piano part arranged by COLIN MATTHEWS

Faber Music Limited London Biirenreiter-Verlag, Kassel : G. Schirmer Inc., New York Boosey & Hawkes (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Sydney : Boosey & Hawkes (Canada) Ltd., Willowdale

First published in 1978 by Faber Music Ltd 3 Queen Square London WC1N 3AU Processed and printed in England by Halstan & Co Ltd Co.ver design by Shirley Tucker All rights reserved These four songs are taken from A Birthday Hansel, Op. 92 for high voice and harp which was written at the special wish of Her Majesty The Queen for her mother's seventy-fifth birthday, August 4th 1975

The engraving of the Old Brig 0' Doon is reproduced by courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum

Four Burns Songs

AFTON WATER

page 5

Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes, Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise; My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream, Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream. Thou stock dove whose echo resounds thro' the glen, Ye wild whistling blackbirds in yon thorny den, Thou green crested lapwing thy screaming forbear, I charge you disturb not my slumbering Fair. Thy crystal stream, Afton, how lovely it glides, And winds by the cot where my Mary resides; How wanton thy waters her snowy feet lave, As, gathering sweet flowerets, she stems thy clear wave. Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes, Flow gently, sweet River, the theme of my lays; My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream, Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.

WEE WILLJE

page IO

Wee Willie Gray, and his leather wallet, Peel a willow-wand, to be him boots and jacket: The rose upon the breerl will be him trews and doublet, The rose upon the breer will be him trews and doublet. Wee Willie Gray, and his leather wallet, Twice a lily-flower will be him sark2 and cravat; Feathers of a flee wad3 feather up his bonnet, Feathers of a flee wad feather up his bonnet. 1

brier

2

shirt

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would

page 12

THE WINTER

The Winter it is past, and the summer comes at last, And the small birds, they sing on ev'ry tree; Now cv'ry thing is glad, while I am very sad, Since my true love is parted from me. The rose upon the brier, by the waters running clear, May have charms for the linnet or the bee; Their little loves arc blest, and their little hearts at rest, But my true love is parted from me.

page 14

MY HOGGIE

What will I do gin1 my Hoggie2 die, My joy, my pride, my Hoggic? My only beast, I had nae mae, And vow but I was vogic. 3 The lee-lang night we watch'd the fauld, Me and my faithfu' doggie; We heard nocht but the roaring linn,4 Amang the braes sac scroggic. 5 But the howlet cry' d frac the castle wa', The blitter6 frae the boggic, The tod7 reply'd upon the hillI trembled for my Hoggic. When day did daw, and cocks did craw, The morning it was foggic; An unco tyke lap8 o'er the dyke, And maist9 has killed my Hoggic. 1

If

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fox

2

3

Hogget: young ewe 8

fierce dog leapt

9

fond

4

waterfall

5

rough and thorny

6

snipe

almost

Robert Burns

BENJAMIN BRITTEN Vocal music A Birthday Hansel Op. 92 (1975) Song cycle for high voice and harp. Poems by Robert Burns. F0537

Canticle IV: Journey of the Magi op.. 86 (1971)

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for countertenor, tenor,, baritone and piano. Text by T. S. Eliot. F0438

Canticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus Op. 89 (1974) for tenor and harp. Poem by T. S. Eliot. Fo230

Four Burns Songs from Op. 92 (1975) . arranged for high voice and piano by Colin Matthews. Fo547 .

Phaedra Op. 93 (1975) Dramatic Cantata for mezzo soprano and small orchestra. Full score F053 r, Vocal score Fo521

The Poet's Echo Op. 76 (1965) Six poems of Push in for high voice and piano. Foo3 5

Songs an� Proverbs ofWilliam Blake Op. 74 (1965) Song cycle for baritone and piano Foor 5 :

Tit for Tat (1928-30) Five poems of Walter de la Marc for medium voice and piano. Fo292

Who are these children? Op. 84 (1969) Lyrics, Rhymes and Riddles by William Soutar for tenor and piano. F0394

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Faber Music Limited 3 Queen Square, London WCIN 3AU