Sound the Flute!
Now [it's]1 mute.
Birds delight
Day and Night.
Nightingale
In the dale,
Lark in Sky, 2
Merrily, 
Merrily Merrily to welcome in the Year.

Little Boy,
Full of Joy;
Little Girl,
Sweet and small.
Cock does crow,
So do you.
Merry voice
Infant noise
Merrily Merrily to welcome in the Year.

Little Lamb
Here I am,
Come and [lick
My white neck]3.
Let me pull
Your soft Wool.
Let me kiss
Your soft face.
Merrily Merrily [we]4 welcome in the Year.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with William Blake, Songs of Innocence, 1789.

¹ MacNutt: "'tis"
² Dougherty adds: "Out of sight"
³ MacNutt: "play/ Hours away"
⁴ MacNutt: "to"

Text Authorship:

• by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Spring", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 15, 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 James R. Adler (b. 1950), "Spring", 1982 [ men's chorus and piano ], from Songs of Innocence and of Experience, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by R. Graham Anderson , "Sound the Flute", c1908 [ vocal duet ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Thomas) Athanasios Aronis (b. 1935), "Spring", from Blake Song Cycle, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ronald A. Beckett , "Spring", 2012 [ voice and piano ], from Eight Poems of William Blake, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Harold Blumenfeld (b. 1923), "Spring: Sound the Flute", 1972-3 [ double mixed chorus, with mezzo-soprano and tenor soli and orchestra ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Jacques (Jacob) Blumenthal (1829 - 1908), "Spring", published 1878 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
• by William Bolcom (b. 1938), "Spring", 1956-81 [ solo voices, chorus, orchestra ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Rutland Boughton (1878 - 1960), "Spring", op. 34a no. 3 (1912), published 1912 [ unison chorus and piano ], from Songs of Childhood, or Six Unison Songs, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Frederick Matthias Breydert (b. 1909), "Sound the flute", published c1950, from Four Rounds, no. 1, Boston, Boston Music Co. [sung text not yet checked]
• by (William) Havergal Brian (1876 - 1972), "Spring - Sound the Flute!", published c1922 [  SSA chorus and piano ], partson [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Sound the Flute!", op. 44 no. 11 (1949), published c1950 [ soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, mixed chorus, boys' chorus, and orchestra ], from Spring Symphony, no. 11, London : Hawkes & Sons [sung text not yet checked]
• by Christopher Roland Brown (b. 1943), "Sound the Flute", op. 29 no. 4 [ chorus ], from Four Madrigals for Unaccompanied Mixed Voices, no. 4, madrigal [sung text not yet checked]
• by Vincent Henry Palmer Caillard, Sir (1856 - 1930), "Spring", published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from The Songs of Innocence of William Blake, no. 15, London : Novello, Ewer & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
• by Edwin James Nairn Carr (b. 1926), "Sound the flute", 1952 [ 2-part children's chorus and small orchestra, harp, and piano ], from A Blake Cantata, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
• by John Charlton Crawford (b. 1931), "Spring", published 1965 [ soprano, piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
• by John Charlton Crawford (b. 1931), "Spring", first performed 1976 [ women's chorus, piano ], from Three Blake Songs, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by John Charlton Crawford (b. 1931), "Spring", published c1978 [ SSA chorus and piano ], from Two Blake Songs, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by William Crust , "Sound the flute", published c1964 [ children's chorus or women's chorus and piano ], unison song [sung text not yet checked]
• by Norman Curtis (b. 1933), "Spring", c1959 [ voice and piano ], from William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, no. 14 [sung text not yet checked]
• by James D'Angelo (b. 1939), "Spring", 1968, first performed 1975 [ mezzo-soprano and clarinet ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Harold Edwin Darke (1888 - 1977), "Spring", published c1911 [ medium voice and piano ], from Three Songs of Innocence, no. 3, London: Stainer & Bell [sung text not yet checked]
• by Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927), "A spring carol", 1960, published c1962 [ SATB chorus and piano ], NY : C. Fischer ; note: the words for this setting also include the Song of Solomon [sung text not yet checked]
• by John Henry Diercks (b. 1927), "Merrily", published c1962 [ voice and piano ], from About a Lamb : Four Poems by Blake, no. 4, Bryn Mawr : Tritone Press (Presser) [sung text not yet checked]
• by Quenten Doolittle (b. 1925), "Spring", c1979 [ soprano and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Celius Dougherty (1902 - 1986), "Sound the Flute!", published c1957 [ voice and piano ], NY : G. Schirmer [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Celius Dougherty (1902 - 1986), "Sound the flute!", 1957, first performed 1957 [ SATB chorus ], from The Happy Shepherd, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Thomas Frederick Dunhill (1877 - 1946), "A song of springtime", published 1932 [ 2-part chorus for treble voices and piano ], London : E. Arnold & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
• by Dilys Elwyn-Edwards, née Roberts (b. 1918), "Sound the flute", published 1955 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], London : E. Arnold, also set in Welsh (Cymraeg) [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Charles William) Eric Fogg (1903 - 1939), "Spring", published c1927 [ 2-part treble chorus and piano ], London : Elkin [sung text not yet checked]
• by Derek Foster , "Spring ", 1973-5, first performed 1975 [ contralto, clarinet, and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Johan Franco (1908 - 1988), "Little boy, full of joy", published 1966 [ men's chorus or women's chorus and piano ], from Seven Songlets, no. 2, Cincinnati World Library Publications; note: the sung text begins with stanza 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Bernard Sidney Garte (1923 - 1953), "Spring ", c1946 [ voice and piano ], from Eight Songs of William Blake, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ole Carsten Green (b. 1922), "Spring", op. 27b no. 14 (1973) [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 14 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ole Carsten Green (b. 1922), "Spring", op. 28 (1973), first performed 1974 [ three-part school chorus and school orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Geoffrey Gwyther , "Spring", published 1917 [ medium voice and piano ], from Seven Poems from Blake's "Songs of Innocence", no. 4, London, The Poetry Bookshop [sung text not yet checked]
• by Alfred Matthew Hale (1875 - 1960), "Spring ", op. 16 no. 5, published 1910 [ voice and piano ], from Twelve Songs, no. 5, London : A. Lengnick [sung text not yet checked]
• by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "Spring", op. 13 (Seven songs) no. 5 (1913) [ voice and piano ], first setting [sung text not yet checked]
• by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "Spring", op. 158 (A Set of Five Songs) no. 2 (1945) [ voice and piano ], second setting [sung text not yet checked]
• by Eugene Hartzell (1932 - 2000), "Spring song", 1969 [ medium voice and orchestra ], from Spring and Three Flowers, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Christian Victor Hely-Hutchinson (1901 - 1947), "Spring ", published c1928 [ SA chorus and piano? ], from Five Songs of Innocence, no. 4, London : Oxford University Press [sung text not yet checked]
• by Arthur Hinton (1869 - 1941), "Spring ", op. 19 no. 1, published 1903? [ medium voice and piano ], from Four Songs from William Blake, no. 1, London : Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
• by Joseph Holbrooke (1878 - 1958), "Spring ", op. 130 no. 8 (1934), published 1934 [ SSA chorus ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 8, London : Modern Music Library [sung text not yet checked]
• by Chester Edward Ide (1878 - 1944), "Spring ", c1928 [ vocal duet for treble voices a cappella ], from Songs of Innocence -- Eight Poems by William Blake, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Wilfred Josephs (b. 1927), "Renaissance", op. 62 no. 1, published 1969 [ soli, adult and children's choruses, and orchestra ], from Mortales, no. 1, London : J. & W. Chester [sung text not yet checked]
• by Mary Margaret Kelly (b. 1957), "Spring ", 1984-5 [ unison chorus and piano ], from Six Songs for School Chorus, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by John Brodbin Kennedy , "Spring ", published c1964 [ three-part treble chorus a cappella ], from A Spring Festival, no. 2, NY : Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
• by Theron Kirk (1919 - 1999), "Spring song", published c1974 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Four William Blake Songs, no. 4, Park Ridge, IL : Pallma Music Co. (Kjos) [sung text not yet checked]
• by Peter Kirtley , "Spring ; Song of Innocence", published c1976, Panache Music, Ltd. [sung text not yet checked]
• by Dorothy Hill Klotzman , "To welcome in the Year", published c1967 [ 2-part chorus a cappella ], from Poetical Sketches, no. 5, NY : Mercury Music Corp. [sung text not yet checked]
• by Karl Richard Korte (b. 1928), "Spring ", published 1966 [ SSA chorus and piano ], from Four Blake Songs, no. 4, Boston : E. C. Schirmer [sung text not yet checked]
• by David Krane (b. 1953), "Spring ", c1972 [ soprano and piano ], from Songs of Innocence and of Experience, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by André Laporte (b. 1931), "Spring ", 1979, published c1983 [ SSSS chorus a cappella ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 7, Kontich, Belgium : De notenboom [sung text not yet checked]
• by Paul F. Liljestrand (b. 1931), "Sound the Flute", published c1977 [ SSAA chorus and flute ], from Songs for Spring, no. 3, Delaware Water Gap, PA : Shawnee Press [sung text not yet checked]
• by Bertram Luard-Selby (1853 - 1918), "Spring ", published 1885 [ SSA trio and piano ], London : Novello [sung text not yet checked]
• by Walter Louis MacNutt (1910 - 1996), "Spring", published 1934 [ high voice and piano ], from Two Songs of William Blake from "Songs of Innocence", no. 2, Toronto : Berandol Music (AMP) [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Charles T. Maclary , "Spring ", published 1941 [ unison or 2-part treble chorus a cappella ], from Nine Happy Songs, from Songs of Innocence of William Blake, no. 8, Philadelphia : Elkan-Vogel Co. [sung text not yet checked]
• by Douglas McGilvra (b. 1945), "Spring ", 1976-7, first performed 1978 [ soprano, three flutes, 2 pianos, and celesta ], from Blake Texts, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robin Humphrey Milford (1903 - 1959), "Spring: Reeds of Innocence", op. 40 no. 1, published c1936 [ voice and piano ], from Four Seasonable Songs, no. 1, London : Augener [sung text not yet checked]
• by Michael Richard Miller (b. 1932), "Sound the flute", 1965, first performed 1966 [ SSA chorus and piano ], from Blake's Garden, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robert Mueller-Hartmann (1884 - 1950), "Spring", published 1951 [ duet for soprano and contralto ], London : Hinricksen Edition, in Vocal Duets, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Havelock Nelson (1917 - 1996), "Spring ", 1957, first performed 1958 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from The Course of the Year, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Helmer Nørgaard (b. 1923), "Spring ", op. 20 no. 2 (1959) [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from 2 Sange, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Morfydd Llwyn Owen (1891 - 1918), "Spring ", published c1923 [ voice and piano ], London : Anglo-French Music Co. [sung text not yet checked]
• by Lloyd Alvin Pfautsch (b. 1921), "Spring", published 1956 [ SSAA chorus a cappella ], New York : M. Witmark & Sons [sung text not yet checked]
• by Daniel Rogers Pinkham (1923 - 2006), "Spring ", published c1960, first performed 1960 [ SA chorus a cappella ], from Five Canzonets, no. 5, New York : Associated Music Publishers [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ellen Raskin (1928 - 1984), "Spring", published 1966 [ voice and piano or guitar ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 15, Garden City, NY : Doubleday [sung text not yet checked]
• by Joseph Roff (1910 - 1993), "Sound the flute", published 1959 [ unison chorus or SA chorus and piano? ], part of the sung text is by Robert Browning; New York, Leeds Music Corp. [sung text not yet checked]
• by Landon Ronald, Sir (1873 - 1938), "Spring ", published c1916, 1944 [ voice and piano ], from Four Songs of Innocence, no. 4, London : Enoch & Sons; NY : G. Ricordi [sung text not yet checked]
• by Simon Sargon (b. 1938), "Sound the flute", 2003 [ soprano, flute, and piano ], from A River of Honey, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Francis George Scott (1880 - 1958), "Spring ", published c1934 [ unison chorus and piano ], London : Stainer & Bell [sung text not yet checked]
• by Charles Shadle (b. 1960), "Spring", 1999 [ vocal sextet a cappella ], from Three Songs of Innocence and a Song of Experience, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Elie Siegmeister (1909 - 1991), "Spring ", 1972, rev. 1985 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Walter Skolnik (b. 1934), "Sound the flute", published c1969 [ three-part women's chorus and flute ], Kansas City, MO : Wingert-Jones Music [sung text not yet checked]
• by Russell Smith (b. 1927), "Sound the flute", 1949 [ medium voice and piano ], from Six Songs of Innocence, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Johannes Somary (b. 1935), "Spring ", 1973, first performed 1974 [ duet for soprano and baritone with piano ], from Six Songs of Innocence, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Øistein Sommerfeldt (1919 - 1994), "Spring ", 1967, published c1970 [ SSAATB chorus a cappella ], from Three Songs from Wiliam Blake, no. 1, NY : Walton Music Corp. [sung text not yet checked]
• by Christopher Steel (b. 1939), "Spring ", published c1965 [ unison chorus and piano ], from Two Songs of William Blake, no. 1, London : Novello [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ronald Stevenson (b. 1928), "Spring", 1948-50, rev. 1965 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 15, another version exists for voice, flute, and string quintet (composed 1966-71) [sung text not yet checked]
• by John Austin Sykes (1909 - 1962), "Spring", 1935-6, first performed 1975 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 12 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Randall Thompson (1899 - 1984), "Spring ", 1920 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Felix Werder (b. 1922), "Spring ", 1961-2 [ soprano and piano ], from From the Blake Collection, op. 42 and op. 50, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Rudolph T. Werther (1896 - 1986), "Spring " [ voice and piano ], from Book of Religious Songs, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Herbert Dennis White (b. 1912), "Spring ", published 1959 [ voice or unison chorus and piano ], Waterloo, Ont. : Waterloo Music Co. [sung text not yet checked]
• by John David White (b. 1931), "Spring ", first performed 1957 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Maude Valérie White (1855 - 1937), "Sound the flute", published c1892 [ SA chorus (or solo voice, omitting second part) and piano ], from Twelve Songs for Children, no. 11, London : Boosey & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
• by Jonathan Peter Willcocks (b. 1953), "Spring ", published 1981 [ baritone, double SATB chorus, and orchestra ], from cantata Voices of Time, no. 1, London : Oxford University Press [sung text not yet checked]
• by Patrick Williams (1905 - 1985), "Spring ", published c1957 [ unison chorus ], London : Bosworth & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
• by James Walter Wilson (b. 1922), "Spring ", 1966, first performed 1967 [ duet for contralto and baritone with piano ], from Trefoil, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Charles Wood (1866 - 1926), "To welcome in the year", published c1924 [ SSA chorus a cappella ], London : H. F. W. Deane & Sons [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Hubert) Leslie Woodgate (1902 - 1961), "Sound the flute", published c1923 [ vocal duet for 2 treble voices ], partsong; London : Stainer & Bell [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ruth Shaw Wylie (b. 1916), "Spring ", op. 13 no. 1 (1950, c1974), published 1977 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Five Madrigals to Poems by William Blake, from Songs of Innocence and Experience, no. 1, West Babylon, NY : Branch [sung text not yet checked]

The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:

• by Sven-David Sandström (b. 1942), "Spring -- Introduction -- Earth's answer", 1978, published c1983, first performed 1983 [ double mixed chorus a cappella ], note : texts are intermixed ; Stockholm : Nordika Musikförlaget
  • View the full text. [sung text not yet checked]
    

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Bertram Kottmann , "Lenz", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission ; composed by Gary Bachlund.
  • Go to the text.
    
• Also set in Welsh (Cymraeg), a translation by William Evans (1883 - 1968) , copyright © ; composed by Dilys Elwyn-Edwards, née Roberts.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 27
Word count: 84