Beatriz's Song

for contralto and strings

from the incidental music to Christopher Columbus

General Information – Performing Forces – Manuscript – Publication – Arrangements – Recordings – Text

General Information:

Composition:
1942. Excerpted from the incidental music to the radio play Christopher Columbus.

Duration:
About 3 minutes

Text:
Louis MacNeice (1907–63), for the radio play Christopher Columbus.
Click here for complete text.

Craggs Catalogue Number:
C46b

Performing Forces:

Contralto solo

String orchestra

Manuscript:

See manuscript information for Christopher Columbus.

Publication:

Oxford University Press, 1974. The original orchestral version is no longer available separately, but can be obtained as part of Christopher Palmer's Christopher Columbus Suite.

Arrangements:

The original orchestral version was incorporated into Christopher Palmer's Christopher Columbus Suite.

Arranged for voice and guitar, by Hector Quine.
Publication: Oxford University Press. Vocal score, 019 3458667.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Beatriz's Song / guitar]

Arranged for voice and piano, by Christopher Palmer.
Publication: Oxford University Press, 1991. Published in William Walton: A Song Album, 019 3437597.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Song Album]

Arranged for clarinet and piano, by Christopher Palmer. Re-titled Romanza.
 Publication: Oxford University Press. Included in William Walton: A Clarinet Album, 019 3593823.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: A Clarinet Album]

Arranged for organ solo, by Christopher Palmer, 1996. Re-titled Romanza.
Publication: Oxford University Press, 1996. Published in A Walton Organ Album, 019 3758709.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Organ Album]

Recordings:

The original orchestral version can be heard in recordings of Christopher Palmer's Christopher Columbus Suite.

Recordings of the version for piano, as arranged by Christopher Palmer:

Solo Voice  Pianist Year Compact Disc Timing
Yvonne Kenny Malcolm Martineau piano 1992 Etcetera KTC 1140 2'23"
Felicity Lott Graham Johnson piano 1996/7 Collins 14932
Naxos 8.557112		 2'48"

Recordings of Romanza, as arranged for organ solo by Christopher Palmer:

Organist Organ Year Compact Disc Timing
Robert Gower Hereford Cathedral 1996 Priory PRCD 591 3'13"

 

Text:

When will he return?
Only to depart.
Harrowed by the omen
Of his restless heart;
Bondsman of the voice,
Rival to the Sun,
Viceroy of the sunset
Till his task be done.

Though he is my love
He is not for me;
What he loves lies over
Loveless miles of sea.
Haunted by the West,
Eating out his heart —
When will he return?
Only to depart.

— Louis MacNeice (1907–63)

WilliamWalton.net – Catalogue of Works – Solo Vocal Music – Christopher Columbus