A Lyke-wake Song

for voice and piano

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

General Information:

Composition:
Manuscript is dated July 1918.

First Documented Performance:
Thursday, 9 April 1992. Liddiard Theatre, Darlington. Teresa Troiani soprano, Eileen Bown piano. British Music Society Concert of British Songs

Text:
A. C. Swinburne (1837–1909)
Click here for complete text.

Performing Forces:

Voice

Piano

Manuscript:

Frederick R. Koch Collection. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Manuscript FRKF 1351. Autograph manuscript score. Dated 'July 1918'. 3 pages. Also one page of manuscript, possibly in a different hand, of the first 28 measures only.

Publication:

Oxford University Press. Included in Four Early Songs, 2002, 019 3458683.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Four Early Songs]

Recordings:

This work has never been recorded.

Text:

Fair of face, full of pride,
Sit ye down by a dead man's side.
Ye sang songs a' the day:
Sit down at night in the red worm's way.

Proud ye were a' day ling:
Ye'll be but lean at evensong.
Ye had gowd kells on your hair:
Nae man kens what ye were.

Ye set scorn by the silken stuff:
Now the grave is clean enough.
Ye set scorn by the rubis ring:
Now the worm is a saft sweet thing.

Fine gold and blithe fair face,
Ye are come to a grimly place.
Gold hair and glad grey een,
Nae man kens if ye had been.

— A. C. Swinburne (1837–1909)

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