This edition was prepared by James Crawford — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Asleep
Staff Notation • Secular, Art songs
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Asleep by James Crawford — Lyrics
Under his helmet, up against his pack,
After so many days of work and waking,
Sleep took him by the brow and laid him back.
There, in the happy no time of his sleeping,
Death took him by the heart. There heaved a quaking
Of the aborted life within him leaping,
Then chest and sleepy arms once more fell slack.
And soon the slow, stray blood came creeping from
the intruding lead,like ants on track.
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About Asleep
James Crawford's Asleep for solo Soprano and Tenor is a poignant setting of a poem by an unknown author, exploring themes of life, death, and the transition into the unknown. The vocal lines are crafted with a delicate touch, often moving in close harmony, reflecting the intimacy and solemnity of the subject matter. The composer captures the gentle surrender of the soldier to sleep, which then gives way to the finality of death. The music conveys a sense of quiet reflection on mortality, with the vocal parts weaving together to create moments of both tenderness and profound stillness. It is a secular art song that invites contemplation of our existence and the mysteries that lie beyond.
