"Roundel: The little eyes that never knew Light" is a song with piano accompaniment written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1897. The words are from the fourth roundel of a poem A Baby's Death written by A. C. Swinburne and originally published in the book A Century of Roundels.
Its first performance was at a Worcester Musical Union meeting of 26 April 1897, [1] sung by Miss Gertrude Walker, accompanied by the composer. Gertrude Walker was the daughter of the Thomas Walker, rector of St. Peter's Church in the Worcestershire village of Abbots Morton - she played the organ there and trained the choir, and had already known Elgar for many years.[2]
The song was never published, but is now due to be published in the
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Lyrics
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- from "A BABY'S DEATH"
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- IV.
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- The little eyes that never knew
- Light other than of dawning skies,
- What new life now lights up anew
- The little eyes ?
- Who knows but on their sleep may rise
- Such light as never heaven let through
- To lighten earth from Paradise ?
- No storm, we know, may change the blue
- Soft heaven that haply death descries
- No tears, like these in ours, bedew
- The little eyes.
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- A. C. Swinburne.
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Recordings
"The Unknown Elgar" includes "Roundel: The little eyes that never knew Light" performed by Teresa Cahill (soprano), with Barry Collett (piano).
References
- Robert Anderson, Gertrude Walker: An Elgarian Friendship The Musical Times, Vol. 125, No. 1702 (Dec., 1984), pp. 698-700
- Young, Percy, Elgar O.M., A Study of a Musician, London, Collins, 1955
Notes
- ^ Percy Young, ”Elgar O.M.”, page 421
- ^ Anderson
- ^ Elgar Society Edition previously Elgar Complete Edition, Vols 15 & 16 will be Solo Songs, with piano
External links
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