Spring | Sound the Flute!

Sound the Flute!

Language: English

Sound the Flute!
Now it's mute.
Birds delight
Day and Night.
Nightingale
In the dale,
Lark in Sky, 
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.
Let me pull
Your soft Wool.
Let me kiss
Your soft face.
Merrily Merrily we welcome in the Year.

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Confirmed with William Blake, Songs of Innocence, 1789.

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 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 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

Help us stay free of annoying ads