Bird Songs (1907)
Born to a professional painter and a musician, Elizabetha ‘Liza’ Lehmann had much to inspire creativity in her childhood; including growing up in Germany, France and Italy and being encouraged by German composer Clara Schumann. She began her career as a singer, her excellent reputation later aiding her efforts in becoming one of England’s foremost female composers by the 20th century. Particularly adept at setting lighter material, many of her songs were for children, and her pianistic prowess enabled her to accompany herself in recitals. Towards the end of her life, Liza became the first president of the Society of Women Musicians in 1911 and a professor of singing at Guildhall in 1913.
The unnamed poet of these five 'Bird Songs' (A.S.) is thought to have been Alice Sayers, the Lehmann family nurse. Each song is set with its own unique personality, playfully capturing the essence of the bird it embodies, whilst romanticising their day to day activities and human interactions. The song cycle overall advocates for an intimate connection with nature, and characterfully portrays the array of birds we most commonly find in the UK.
Composer: Liza Lehmann (1862-1918)
Poet: A. S.
1. The Woodpigeon | 02:29
When the harvest all was gathered
In the sunny autumn weather,
To the green-wood, blithe and merry,
We went nutting all together;
And as the woods we wander’d,
So dim and dark and green,
We heard a sweet voice calling
Though no one could be seen:
“Two sticks across,
And a little bit of moss;
It’ll do, it’ll do, it’ll do,
Coo, coo, coo.”
The wild things of the woodlands
Scarce seemed of us afraid;
The blue jay flash’d before us,
And the squirrel near us played.
We ate our nuts and rested
On a fallen tree, moss-grown,
And still a voice kept calling
In softest, tend’rest tone:
“Two sticks across"...
09:33
2. The Starling | 01:59
On her nest, with her young,
Sat the starling in the steeple,
While below the great bell swung
To the church to call the people.
“Mother, mother,” cried the starlings,
“What is that? Oh mother, tell!”
“Don’t be frightened, little darlings,
‘Tis the great church bell,
Ringing out its solemn warning,
That the people far and near
All may know ‘tis Sunday morning,
And make haste to gather here.
While the organ’s sweetly playing
Little birds need have no fear!
While below the folk are praying,
You can sing your hymns up here!”
4. The Wren | 02:31
A wren just under my window
Has suddenly, sweetly sung;
He woke me from my slumbers
With his sweet shrill tongue.
It was so very early,
The dewdrops were not dry,
And pearly cloudlets floated
Across the rosy sky.
His nest is in the ivy
Where his little wife sits all day,
And by her side he sings to her,
And never flies far away.
3. The Yellowhammer | 01:29
On a sultry summer morning
Down the dusty road we stray’d,
And plucked the wayside flowers,
And ran and laughed and played!
There was not the slightest breeze,
And we wearied of our play,
And then we heard the yellowhammer say:
“A little bit of bread and no cheese!”
Once again we roamed the woodland,
When the years had fleeted by,
And, poor as mice, we pledged
Our vows, my love and I.
We had kiss’d beneath the trees,
And then we heard again
The yellowhammer say, quite plain:
“A little bit of bread and no cheese!”
5. The Owl | 01:05
Three little owlets
In a hollow tree,
Cuddled up together
Close as could be.
When the moon shone out
And the dew lay wet,
Mother flew about
To see what she could get.
She caught a little mouse
So velvety and soft,
She caught some little sparrows,
And then she flew aloft
To the three little owlets
In a hollow tree,
Cuddled up together
Close as could be.
“Tu-whoo,” said the old owl,
“Isn’t this good cheer?”
“Tu-whit,” said the owlets,
“Thank you, mother dear,
Tu-whit, tu-whit, tu-whit, tu-whit,
Tu-whoo!”