Art Song Central

Title: Sometimes I feel like a motherless child

Music: Traditional spiritual, arranged by Harry Thacker Burleigh (1866-1949)

Text: Traditional

Free at Art Song Central:

• PDF: Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
• Key: A Minor
• Range: E4 – E5
• Source: Individual song, ©1918 G. Ricordi & Co.

Elsewhere on the Internet:

• Not yet.

Mp3:

• Not yet.

MIDI:

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Sometimes I feel like a motherless chile,
Sometimes I feel like a motherless chile,
Sometimes I feel like a motherless chile,
A long ways from home.

Sometimes I feel like I’m almos’ gone,
Sometimes I feel like I’m almos’ gone,
Sometimes I feel like I’m almos’ gone,
A long ways from home.

• Duke’s Digital Collection has color scans of the original publication of Sometimes I feel like a motherless child

Title: You’ll git dar in de mornin’!

Music: Harry Thacker Burleigh (1866-1949)

Text: Frank Lebby Stanton (1857-1927) (Bio on page 2 of this PDF)

Free at Art Song Central:

• Not yet.

Elsewhere on the Internet:

• Transcribed at Project Gutenberg
• Key: PDF file available in F Major
• Range: C4 – F5
• Finale .mus file available to edit or transpose

Mp3:

• Not yet.

MIDI:

• Available at Project Gutenberg

Keep on lookin’ fo’ de bright, bright skies;
Keep on hopin’ dat de sun’ll rise,
Keep on singin’ when de whole world sighs,
An’ you’ll git dar in de mornin’!

Keep on plowin’ when you’ve miss’d de crops;
Keep on dancin’ when de fiddle stops;
Keep on faithful till de curtain drops,
An’ you’ll git dar in de mornin’!

• Duke’s Digital Collection has color scans of the original publication of You’ll git dar in de mornin’!

Title: Burst forth, my tears

Music: John Dowland (1563-1626)

Text: unknown

Free at Art Song Central:

• PDF file: Burst forth, my tears
• Key: G Minorish (Even though the key signature has one flat)
• Range: D4 – D5
• Source: The First Book of Airs, Part I
• Note: This edition includes lute tabulature as well as a piano transcription.

Elsewhere on the Internet:

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Mp3:

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MIDI:

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Burst forth, my tears, assist my forward grief,
And show what pain imperious Love provokes.
Kind tender lambs, lament Love’s scant relief
And pine, since pensive Care my freedom yokes.
O pine to see me pine, my tender flocks.

Sad, sad pining Care, that never may have peace,
At Beauty’s gate in hope of pity knocks.
But Mercy sleeps while deep Disdain increase,
And Beauty Hope in her fair bosom locks.
O grieve to hear my grief, my tender flocks.

Like, like to the winds my sighs have winged been,
Yet are my sighs and suits repaid with mocks.
I plead, yet she repineth at my teen.
O ruthless rigour harder than the rocks,
That both the shepherd kills and his poor flocks.

• Recmusic.org has the text.

Title: Dear, if you change

Music: John Dowland (1563-1626)

Text: unknown

Free at Art Song Central:

• PDF file: Dear, if you change
• Key: A Minor
• Range: D4 – E5
• Source: The First Book of Airs, Part I
• Note: This edition includes lute tabulature as well as a piano transcription.

Elsewhere on the Internet:

• Not yet.

Mp3:

• The accompaniment can be heard on Guitar thanks to Jon Sayles

MIDI:

• Not yet.

Dear, if you change, I’ll never choose again;
Sweet, if you shrink, I’ll never think of love;
Fair, if you fail, I’ll judge all beauty vain;
Wise, if too weak, more wits I’ll never prove.
Dear, Sweet, Fair, Wise, change, shrink, nor be not weak;
And on my faith, my faith shall never break.

Earth with her flowers shall sooner heav’n adorn;
Heaven her bright stars through earth’s dim globe shall move;
Fire heat shall lose, and frosts of flame be born;
Air, made to shine, as black as hell shall prove;
Earth, Heaven, Fire, Air, the world transformed shall view,
Ere I prove false to faith, or strange to you.

• Recmusic.org has the text.