John Craton
Songs for Children (Books I, II & III). These song cycles are comprised of works written specifically for children, composed for sheer enjoyment and to appeal to the youthful ear. Suitable for medium to high voice, the songs utilize texts based on a number of traditional and established poems that have been enjoyed by young people for generations. Book III is dedicated to soprano María-Dolores Campos.

Book I Contents:
“The City Child” (Alfred, Lord Tennyson); “Three Jovial Huntsmen” (Traditional); “Red Roses” (Traditional); “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” (Sir Edward Lear); “How Doth the Little Crocodile” (Lewis Carroll); “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” (Traditional); “I See the Moon” (Traditional); “A Good-Night” (Francis Quarles).

Book II Contents:
“The Snow-Bird” (Anonymous); “The Piper” (William Blake); “A Grace for Children” (Robert Herrick); “The Jumblies” (Sir Edward Lear); “Lady Moon” (Lord Houghton); “A Cradle Song” (Thomas Dekker).

Book III Contents:
“Under the Window” (Kate Greenaway); “Which Is the Way to Somewhere Town?” (Kate Greenaway); “The Cat of Cats“ (William Brighty Rands); “A Baby-Sermon” (George MacDonald); “The Lobster Quadrille” (Lewis Carroll); “The Canary” (Elizabeth Turner); “My Shadow” (Robert Louis Stevenson); “Evening” (Thomas Miller).


Pages: Book I, 43 pp.; Book II, 44 pp.; Book III, 31 pp. 8½” x 11”
Level: Moderate
Performance Time: Individually, 40 secs. to 5½ mins.; Total Book I, 17 mins.; Book II, 22 min.  Book III, 14 mins.


MIDIs of these works can be found here


Click on score to see larger image


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