Bard of Eve

This traditional English folk song is arranged for SSAATB choir. The text tells a poignant story of a lover's attempt to serenade their beloved with a flute, hoping to outshine a bird's song. The lover describes hearing their beloved and taking their flute to a meadow, playing a 'masquerade' of golden notes. However, the beloved reacts with dismay, calling the music 'vixen-voiced' and fleeing. The singer is left 'woebegone', feeling crushed like a 'trodden woodland flower'. The arrangement in six parts offers rich harmonic possibilities to express the emotions of this narrative, from hopeful anticipation to crushing disappointment.