by John Frederick Freeman (1880 - 1929)
Music comes
Language: English
Music comes Sweetly from the trembling string When wizard fingers sweep Dreamily, half asleep; When through remembering reeds Ancient airs and murmurs creep, Oboe oboe following, Flute answering clear high flute, Voices, voices -- falling mute, And the jarring drums. At night I heard First a waking bird Out of the quiet darkness sing . . . Music comes Strangely to the brain asleep! And I heard Soft, wizard fingers sweep Music from the trembling string, And through remembering reeds Ancient airs and murmurs creep; Obe oboe following, Flute calling clear high flute, Voices faint, falling mute, And low jarring drums; Then all those airs Sweetly jangled -- newly strange, Rich with change . . . Was it the wind in the reeds? Did the wind range Over the trembling string; Into flute and oboe pouring Solemn music; sinking, soaring Low to high, Up and down the sky? Was it the wind jarring Drowsy far-off drums? Strangely to the brain asleep Music comes.
Text Authorship:
- by John Frederick Freeman (1880 - 1929), "Music comes", appears in Stone Trees, first published 1916 [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 Joseph Holbrooke (1878 - 1958), "Music comes", op. 76 (Three Songs) no. 1, published 1920 [ voice and piano and optional string quartet ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philip Napier Miles (1865 - 1935), "Music comes", published 1921 [ chorus and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-30
Line count: 38
Word count: 162