Art Song Central

Title: The Year’s at the Spring

Music: Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944)

Text: Robert Browning (1812-1889)

Free at Art Song Central:

• Not yet.

Elsewhere on the Internet:

• PDF available via IN Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana
• Key: B♭ Major
• Range: F4 – F5

Mp3:

• Not yet.

MIDI:

• Not yet.

The year’s at the spring,
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearl’d;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in His heaven–
All’s right with the world!

• Recmusic.org has the text.

Title: The Rainy Day

Music: Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944)

Text: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

Note: This appears to be Amy Beach’s first published song, written in 1880 when she was just 13. She was 16 when this was published.

Free at Art Song Central:

• PDF: The Rainy Day
• Key: F Minor
• Range: C4 – F5

Elsewhere on the Internet:

• Available in unedited pages at the Library of Congress. (Note that the name on the cover page and the catalog entry are spelled incorrectly.)

Mp3:

• Not yet.

MIDI:

• Not yet.

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldr’ng wall,
But at ev’ry gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary.
My thoughts still cling to the mould’ring Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

• Recmusic.org has the text.

Title: Hymn of Trust

Music: Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944)

Text: Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894)

Free at Art Song Central:

• Not yet.

Elsewhere on the Internet:

• PDF available via IN Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana
• Key: B♭ Major
• Range: B♭3 – F5
• Note: This version has a violin obbligato.

Mp3:

• Not yet.

MIDI:

• Not yet.

Love Divine, that stoop’d to share
Our sharpest pang, our bitt’rest tear,
O Love Divine, we smile at pain while Thou art near.
Though long the weary way we tread,
And sorrow crown each ling’ring year,
No path we shun no darkness dread,
Our hearts still whisp’ring,
Thou art near!

Love Divine, that stoop’d to share
Our sharpest pang, our bitt’rest tear,
O Love Divine, on thee we cast each earthborn care.
When drooping pleasure turns to grief,
And trembling faith is turn’d to fear,
The murm’ring wind, the quiv’ring leaf
Shall tell us softly,
Thou art near!

O Thee we fling our burd’ning woe,
O Love Divine, forever dear,
Content to suffer, while we know,
Living and dying,
Thou art near!

• Recmusic.org has the text.

Title: Half Minute Songs (I suppose it’s technically a song cycle.)

Composer: Carrie Jacobs-Bond (1862-1946)

Author: Carrie Jacobs-Bond (1862-1946)

Free at Art Song Central (PDF files):

• Half Minute Songs
• Range: C4 – F5
• For some reason, the order of songs in my (original) copy differs from others I’ve seen referenced. I suggest singing them in whatever order suits you.

Elsewhere on the Internet:

• Scorch version at Parlorsongs.com (not printable)
• Good option to hear the songs…

Mp3:

• Not yet.

MIDI:

• Not yet.

1. Making the Best of It.
What you can’t help,
What you can’t help,
What you can’t help,
Forget!

2. First Ask Yourself.
Before you have said it about them,
Ask yourself if you’d like them to know you said it.

3. To Understand.
To understand a sorrow,
You must have one all your own.

4. How to Find Success.
The man who finds success looks sometimes when he’s tired,
When he’s tired, when he’s tired,
Looks sometimes when he’s tired.

5. The Pleasure of Giving
I’d rather say “You’re welcome” once, than “Thank you” a thousand times.

6. Answer the First Rap.
Opportunity may knock often, but it’s better to answer the first rap!

7. A Good Exercise.
With evil things you’ll always find
It’s best to be deaf, dumb and blind.

8. A Present from Yourself.
A friend is a present you give yourself.

9. Now and Then.
The “lucky” fellow gets up at five (A.M.),
And gen’rally works till ten (P.M.);
But the other fellow not quite so “lucky,”
Works hard–just now and then!

10. When They Say the Unkind Things.
Ain’t it gay that what “they say”
Can’t hurt you unless it’s true?

11. Keep Awake.
Success never comes to the sleeping.

12. Doan’ Yo’ Lis’n.
No mattah w’at dey said,
Keep a-walkin’ straight ahaid,
W’y dey’ll praise yo’ when yo’ daid,
But doan’ yo’ lis’n.

• Recmusic.org has texts and translations.
• Parlorsongs.com has a great entry on Carrie Jacobs-Bond