Poet: William Blake (1757-1827)
Source: Songs and Proverbs of William Blake
Date of Composition: 1965 (Apr. 6)
Publication: Faber, 1965
Voice Difficulty Level: Moderately Difficult*
Subject: Wisdom on how to spend a day. (With sleepless anguish)**
Range: C#4 – Bb4
Tessitura: C#4 – Bb4
Tempo: As at the start
Duration: 00:40
Vocal Characteristics: Half steps followed by whole steps;
Piano Difficulty Level: Moderate
Accompaniment Characteristics: Slow moving quarter note octaves
Additional Comments: *The difficulty level reflects only that of these few seconds of music; due to the fact that this would likely never be performed without the following song, which is in the ‘Difficult’ category, it is more likely to fall a level higher than indicated above.
**Britten commonly uses the tone set (0, 1, 2) with the vocal line singing PC 1 to represent the inability to find restful sleep; An further example would be “Sonnet” from the Serenade in a more tonal landscape, and also “O might those sighes” from Donne