Two Nursery Rhymes (1920)
After the sudden passing of his mother in 1895, an accomplished amateur pianist, Bliss’ widowed father took it upon himself to instill in his son a love for the arts. Inspired by Ravel, Vaughan Williams, and Howells, Bliss’ upper-middle-class education eventually led him to the Royal College of Music, where he studied for one year before being interrupted by the dawn of World War I. Bliss served with distinction in the army, but after being gassed, injured and losing his brother in the battle of the Somme, the emotional wounds he suffered there were deep and lasting. Nevertheless, his musical career continued to prosper, later working alongside Elizabeth Poston as Director of Music at the BBC during World War II. In 1953, the Queen recognised his virtuosity by appointing him Master of the Queen’s Music.
Published not long after his WWI trauma, 'Two Nursery Rhymes' was one of Bliss’ earlier compositions, set for voice, clarinet and piano. Frances Cornford, the poet, expresses her fascination with wildflowers here, likening them to regal, brave figures. A granddaughter of Charles Darwin and daughter of a botanist, her upbringing inspired a great appreciation for the natural world. Bliss highlights this in his music, evoking both fantasy and mischief whilst celebrating the small delights of ordinary life.
Composer: Arthur Bliss (1891-1975)
Poet: Frances Cornford (1886-1960)
1. The Ragwort | 02:01
The thistles on the sandy flats
Are courtiers with crimson hats;
The ragworts, growing up so straight,
Are emperors who stand in state,
And march about, so proud and bold,
In crowns of fairy-story gold.
The people passing home at night
Rejoice to see the shining light;
They quite forget the sands and sea
Which are as grey as grey can be,
Nor ever heed the gulls who cry
Like peevish children in the sky.
03:36
2. The Dandelion | 01:35
The dandelion is brave and gay,
And loves to sit beside the way;
A braver thing was never seen,
To praise the grass for growing green;
You never saw a gayer thing,
To sit and smile and praise the spring.
The children with their simple hearts,
The lazy men that come in carts,
The little dogs that lollop by,
They all have seen its shining eye;
And every one of them would say,
They never saw a thing so gay.