This edition was prepared by Charles West — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
A Poison Tree
Staff Notation • Secular, Ballades
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A Poison Tree by Charles West — Lyrics
I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
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About A Poison Tree
Charles West's setting of William Blake's A Poison Tree is a powerful secular ballade for TBB choir. The text, taken from Blake's Songs of Experience, explores the destructive nature of unexpressed anger, contrasting it with the release found in open communication. The poem vividly describes how suppressed rage festers and grows, eventually bearing a deadly fruit. West's music captures the dramatic arc of Blake's narrative, from simmering resentment to a chilling, fateful conclusion. This piece is well-suited for mature choirs looking to explore evocative storytelling through vocal performance, offering a compelling musical interpretation of a significant literary work.
