How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot! (Blake, set by Murray Adaskin, Samuel Hans Adler, Keith Warren Bissell, William Bolcom, Havergal Brian, Lee Hastings Bristol, Harry Brook, John Callis Brydson, William Busch, Nigel Henry Butterley, Elliot Button, Vincent Henry Palmer Caillard, Sir, Alice Upton Close, Gwendolyn Avril Coleridge-Taylor, Arnold Atkinson Cooke, John Charlton Crawford, Norman Curtis, Harold Edwin Darke, Walford Davies, Sir, Norman Frank Demuth, Celius Dougherty, Thomas Frederick Dunhill, Dilys Elwyn-Edwards, née Roberts, Leonard Enns, Kenneth George Finlay, John Frandsen, Earl Robert George, Richard Franko Goldman, Ole Carsten Green, Geoffrey Gwyther, Alfred Matthew Hale, Colin Hand, Fritz Bennicke Hart, Christian Victor Hely-Hutchinson, Gary Michael Higginson, Lee Hoiby, Joseph Charles Holbrooke, Amy Elise Horrocks, Herbert Norman Howells, Chester Edward Ide, Paul A. Irby, Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob, Michael Jacques, Mabel Jennings, Percy Charles Judd, John Brodbin Kennedy, Richard Bamford Lane, André Laporte, Kerry Glenn Lewis, Rodney Lister, Joan Littlejohn, Bertram Luard-Selby, James Lyon, Edith MacDonald , Charles T. Maclary, George Frederick McKay, Olga Mills, John O'Kill, Robin Orr, Donald Patriquin, Malcolm Cameron Peyton, Mark Raphael, Ellen Raskin, Louisa Raymond, Hugh Stevenson Roberton, Sir, Mervyn Roberts, Michael Edward Rose, Alec Rowley, Charles Shadle, Cecil Sharman, Johannes Somary, Masters van Someren-Godfery, Arthur Somervell, Sir, Ronald Stevenson, Dorothy Wauchope Stewart, Anthony Strilko, William Henry Swinburne, John Austin Sykes, Jean Taylor, Eric Harding Thiman, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Ernest Walker, William Wallace, Rudolph T. Werther, John Ebenezer West, Robert Paul Wetzler, John David White, Philip George Wilkinson, Patrick Williams, Julie Lofgren Wolford, Amy Worth, Ruth Shaw Wylie) (The LiederNet Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)

How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot!

Language: English

Available translation(s): CAT

How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot!
   From the morn to the evening he strays;
He shall follow his sheep all the day,
   And his tongue shall be fillèd with praise.

For he hears the lamb's innocent call,
   And he hears the ewe's tender reply;
He is watchful [while]¹ they are in peace,
   For they know when their Shepherd is nigh.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Cooke: "when"

Authorship

by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The shepherd", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 2, first published 1789 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Murray Adaskin (1906 - 2002), "The shepherd", 1934. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Samuel Hans Adler (b. 1928), "The shepherd", published 1974 [mixed chorus and band], from Serenade, no. 3. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Keith Warren Bissell (b. 1912), "The shepherd", published 1959. [SSA chorus a cappella] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by William Bolcom (b. 1938), "The shepherd", 1956-81 [solo voices, chorus, orchestra], from Songs of Innocence, no. 4. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by (William) Havergal Brian (1876 - 1972), "Pastoral - The shepherd", 1914, published c1922. [SSA chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Lee Hastings Bristol (1923 - 1979), "The shepherd", published 1951, from The Lamb and Other New Carols, no. 2. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Harry Brook (1893 - ?), "The shepherd", published 1928. [vocal duet with piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by John Callis Brydson (b. 1900), "The shepherd", published 1949, from Of a Shepherd and a Lamb, no. 1. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by William Busch (1901 - 1945), "The shepherd", published 1944, from Two Songs of William Blake, no. 2. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Nigel Henry Butterley (b. 1935), "The shepherd", op. 2 no. 4 (1956), from Six Blake Songs, no. 4. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by (Henry) Elliot Button (1861 - ?), "The shepherd", published 1892, from Songs of Innocence, no. 1. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Vincent Henry Palmer Caillard, Sir (1856 - 1930), "The shepherd", published 1891 [voice and piano], from The Songs of Innocence of William Blake, no. 2, London : Novello, Ewer & Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Alice Upton Close , "The shepherd", published c1934. [voice, piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Gwendolyn Avril Coleridge-Taylor (1903 - 1998), "The shepherd", 1948. [voice, piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Arnold Atkinson Cooke (1906 - 2005), "The shepherd", 1956, published 1960 [soprano, clarinet in A, and piano], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 2. [ sung text checked 1 time]
by John Charlton Crawford (b. 1931), "The shepherd", published 1965 [soprano, piano], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Norman Curtis (b. 1933), "The shepherd", c1959 [voice and piano], from William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, no. 2. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Harold Edwin Darke (1888 - 1977), "The shepherd", published c1911 [medium voice and piano], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 1, London: Stainer & Bell [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by (Henry) Walford Davies, Sir (1869 - 1941), "The shepherd", op. 4 no. 4, published 1900 [SSA chorus a cappella], from Four Songs of Innocence, no. 4, London: Novello [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by (Henry) Walford Davies, Sir (1869 - 1941), "The shepherd", published c1931 [voice and piano], London : Novello [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Norman Frank Demuth (1898 - 1968), "The shepherd", published c1938 [unison chorus and piano], London : W. Paxton and Co., in Modern Songs for Children of All Ages, 3rd set, no. 80256 [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Celius Dougherty (1902 - 1986), "The shepherd", 1957, first performed 1957 [SATB chorus], from The Happy Shepherd, no. 3. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Thomas Frederick Dunhill (1877 - 1946), "The shepherd", op. 43 no. 1, published c1915 [medium voice and piano], from Countryside Ditties, no. 1, London : Augener [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Dilys Elwyn-Edwards, née Roberts (b. 1918), "The shepherd", 1968, published 1970 [unison chorus and piano], in The New Welsh Baptist Hymnal (Cyhoedded San Undeb y Bedyddwyr Cymori) [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Leonard Enns (b. 1948), "The shepherd", 1974, published c1983, rev. 1978, first performed 1979 [SATB chorus a cappella], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2, Waterloo, Ont. : Waterloo Music Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Kenneth George Finlay (1882 - 1974), "The shepherd" [SSA chorus with optional piano and descant recorder] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by John Frandsen (b. 1956), "The shepherd", 1984 [soprano and guitar], from Songs of Innocence II, no. 1. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Earl Robert George (b. 1924), "The shepherd", published c1956 [mixed chorus a cappella], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2, Evanston, IL : Summy-Birchard Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Richard Franko Goldman (1910 - 1980), "The shepherd", 1929, published c1952 [medium voice and piano], from Two Poems of William Blake, no. 2, NY : Mercury Music Corp. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Ole Carsten Green (b. 1922), "The shepherd", op. 27b no. 2 (1973) [voice and piano], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Geoffrey Gwyther , "The shepherd", published 1917 [medium voice and piano], from Seven Poems from Blake's "Songs of Innocence", no. 2, London, The Poetry Bookshop [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Alfred Matthew Hale (1875 - 1960), "The shepherd", op. 16 no. 2, published 1910 [voice and piano], from Twelve Songs, no. 2, London : A. Lengnick [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Colin Hand (1929 - 2015), "The shepherd", published 1957 [SS chorus and piano], from Songs of Pleasure, no. 2, London : Novello [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "The shepherd", op. 13 (Seven songs) no. 4 (1913) [voice and piano], first setting [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Christian Victor Hely-Hutchinson (1901 - 1947), "The shepherd", published c1932 [women's chorus or boys' chorus and piano or strings], from The Echoing Green and Other Songs, from Blake's Songs of Innocence, no. 2, London : Elkin & Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Gary Michael Higginson (b. 1952), "The shepherd", op. 55 no. 2 (1981-2) [SATB chorus with divisions a cappella], from Seven Songs of William Blake, Set II, no. 2. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Lee Hoiby (1926 - 2011), "The shepherd", from Two Songs of Innocence, no. 1. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Joseph (or Josef) Charles Holbrooke (1878 - 1958), "The shepherd", op. 130 no. 4 (1934), from Songs of Innocence, no. 4. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Amy Elise Horrocks (1867 - 1919), "The shepherd", published 1900 [unison chorus], from Four Songs, no. 2, London : Augener [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Herbert Norman Howells (1892 - 1983), "The shepherd", op. 11 no. 1, published c1916 [2-part chorus for soprano and alto voices with piano], London : J. Curwen [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Chester Edward Ide (1878 - 1944), "The shepherd", c1928 [vocal duet for treble voices a cappella], from Songs of Innocence -- Eight Poems by William Blake, no. 2. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Paul A. Irby , "The shepherd", published c1928 [voice and piano], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 1, London, Wellington Music Publ. Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob (1895 - 1984), "The shepherd", 1922, published 1926 [soprano and string trio], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 2, London : Oxford University Press [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by (John) Michael Jacques (b. 1944), "The shepherd", 1966 [soprano voices and piano with optional accompaniment for strings, 2 clarinets, and piano], from Six Songs of Innocence, no. 4. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Mabel Jennings , "The shepherd", published 1907 [voice and piano], from Five Songs of Innocence, no. 1, Oxford : Sydney Acott, Harris & Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Percy Charles Judd (1892 - ?), "The shepherd", published c1930 [unison chorus a cappella], London : Hawkes & Son [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by John Brodbin Kennedy , "The shepherd", published c1965 [TTB chorus a cappella], NY : Boosey & Hawkes [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Richard Bamford Lane (1933 - 2004), "The shepherd", 1974, first performed 1974 [SSA chorus and strings], from Some Songs of Innocence, no. 3. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by André Laporte (b. 1931), "The shepherd", 1979, published c1983 [SSSS chorus a cappella], from Songs of Innocence, no. 5, Kontich, Belgium : De notenboom [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Kerry Glenn Lewis (b. 1948), "How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot", 1973 [SSAA chorus a cappella], from Three William Blake Songs for Treble Voices, no. 3. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by (John) Rodney Lister (b. 1951), "The shepherd", 1974, first performed 1977. [unison children's chorus, recorders, percussion, and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Joan Littlejohn (b. 1937), "The shepherd", 1967-70, first performed 1971 [voice and piano], from Blakes Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Showing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul, Part I : Songs of Innocence, no. 3. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Bertram Luard-Selby (1853 - 1918), "The shepherd's sweet lot", published c1908 [2-part women's chorus with piano], London : Novello [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by James Lyon (1872 - 1949), "The shepherd", op. 68 no. 4, published c1920 [SSAA chorus a cappella], London : Stainer & Bell [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Edith MacDonald , "The shepherd", published 1879 [medium voice and piano], London : Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Charles T. Maclary , "The shepherd", published 1941 [unison or 2-part treble chorus a cappella], from Nine Happy Songs, from Songs of Innocence of William Blake, no. 4, Philadelphia : Elkan-Vogel Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by George Frederick McKay (1899 - 1970), "The shepherd", published 1963 [SSA chorus and piano], Delaware Water Gap, PA : Shawnee Press (Flammer) [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Olga Mills , "The shepherd", published c1927 [voice, piano, and flute or violin obbligato], London : Oxford University Press [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by John O'Kill , "The shepherd", published c1962 [unison chorus or voice and piano], London : Chappell [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Robin Orr (1909 - 2006), "The shepherd", 1929, first performed 1932 [voice and string quartet], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 3. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Donald Patriquin (b. 1938), "The shepherd", 1984 [SSAA chorus, harp, and flute], from Songs of Innocence, no. 3. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Malcolm Cameron Peyton (b. 1932), "The shepherd", 1962. [TB chorus, horns, and strings] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Mark Raphael (b. 1900), "The shepherd", 1945, published c1963 [voice and piano], London : Elkin ; NY : Galaxy Music Corp. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Ellen Raskin (1928 - 1984), "The shepherd", published 1966 [voice and piano or guitar], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2, Garden City, NY : Doubleday [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Louisa Raymond , "The shepherd", published 1961 [soprano and orchestra], from A Group of Songs for Seana, no. 9. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Hugh Stevenson Roberton, Sir (1874 - 1952), "The shepherd", published c1952 [chorus and piano], London : J. Curwen [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by (William Herbert) Mervyn Roberts (1906 - 1990), "The shepherd", 1940 [soprano and piano], from Four Songs of Innocence, no. 1. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Michael Edward Rose (b. 1934), "The shepherd", published c1968 [voices, recorders, and piano], from Three Country Songs, no. 2, London : Chappell & Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Alec Rowley (1892 - 1958), "The shepherd", published 1953 [mixed chorus and accompaniment], from Song in Maytime, no. 6, London : Novello [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Charles Shadle (b. 1960), "The shepherd", 1999 [vocal sextet a cappella], from Three Songs of Innocence and a Song of Experience, no. 2. [ sung text checked 1 time]
by Cecil Sharman (1894 - ?), "The shepherd", published c1927 [unison chorus], London : J. Williams [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Johannes Somary (b. 1935), "The shepherd", 1973, first performed 1974 [duet for soprano and baritone with piano], from Six Songs of Innocence, no. 3. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Masters van Someren-Godfery (d. 1947), "The shepherd", published c1952 [voice and piano], from Six Blake Songs, no. 3, London : Augener [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Arthur Somervell, Sir (1863 - 1937), "The shepherd", published 1889 [voice and piano], from Five Songs of Innocence (formerly Four Songs of Innocence), no. 1, London, Stanley Lucas & Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Ronald Stevenson (b. 1928), "The shepherd", 1948-50, rev. 1965 [voice and piano], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2, another version exists for voice, flute, and string quintet (composed 1966-71) [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Dorothy Wauchope Stewart , "The shepherd", published c1926 [unison and 2-part treble chorus], from Eight Songs of Innocence, no. 2, London : H. W. F. Deane & Sons, The Year Book Press [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Anthony Strilko (b. 1931), "The shepherd", 1960? [high voice and piano], from Songs of Innocence, no. 5. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by William Henry Swinburne , "The shepherd", published 1950 [female voices and piano or harp], from Five Miniatures for Female Voices and Piano (or Harp), no. 2, London : Boosey & Hawkes [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by John Austin Sykes (1909 - 1962), "The shepherd", 1935-6, first performed 1975 [voice and piano], from Songs of Innocence, no. 3. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Jean Taylor , "The shepherd", published c1926, from Three Songs of Innocence, NY : Elva W. Wilcox [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Eric Harding Thiman (1900 - 1975), "The shepherd", published c1926 [high voice and piano], London : Augener (Galliard) [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958), "The shepherd", 1957, published 1958 [voice and oboe], from Ten Blake Songs, no. 6. [ sung text checked 1 time]
by Ernest Walker (1870 - 1949), "The shepherd", op. 7 no. 1, published 1898 [SS chorus or SA chorus and piano], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1, London : J. Williams [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by William Wallace (1860 - 1940), "The shepherd", published c1911 [medium voice and piano], from Three Songs, no. 3, London : Stainer & Bell [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Rudolph T. Werther (1896 - 1986), "The shepherd" [voice and piano], from Book of Religious Songs, no. 7. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by John Ebenezer West (1863 - 1929), "The shepherd", published c1918 [vocal trio for three treble voices a cappella], partsong; in Junior Songs [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Robert Paul Wetzler (b. 1932), "The shepherd", published c1984 [SSAA chorus, harp (or piano), oboe, and violin], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 1, Minneapolis : AMSI, commissioned by Augsburg College Chorale, 1982 [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by John David White (b. 1931), "The shepherd", first performed 1957. [medium voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Philip George Wilkinson (b. 1929), "The shepherd", published c1955 [unison chorus and piano], London : Novello [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Patrick Williams (1905 - 1985), "The shepherd", published c1950 [vocal duet for 2 treble voices and piano], London : Bosworth & Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Julie Lofgren Wolford , "The shepherd", published c1975 [medium voice and piano], Delaware Water Gap, PA : H. Flammer ; the text also includes a paraphrase of Psalm 23 [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Amy Worth (1888 - 1967), "The shepherd", published c1926 [high voice or medium voice and piano], NY : G. Schirmer [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Ruth Shaw Wylie (b. 1916), "The shepherd", op. 13 no. 4 (1950, c1974), published 1977 [SATB chorus a cappella], from Five Madrigals to Poems by William Blake, from Songs of Innocence and Experience, no. 4, West Babylon, NY : Branch [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Researcher for this text: Ted Perry

Text added to the website: 2003-12-11 00:00:00
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:02:02
Line count: 8
Word count: 61