This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Come to me, gentle sleep
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Come to me, gentle sleep by Frederic Hymen Cowen — Lyrics
Come to me, gentle sleep!
I pine, I pine for thee;
Come with thy spells, the soft, the deep,
And set my spirit free!
Each lonely, burning thought,
In twilight languor steep–
Come to the full heart, long o’erwrought,
O gentle, gentle sleep!
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About Come to me, gentle sleep
Frederic Hymen Cowen’s setting of this poem is a beautiful example of English part-song writing. The SATB voices weave together to create a rich texture, reflecting the yearning for rest and release described in the text. The composer conjures a sense of deep longing, particularly in the phrases that call for sleep to bring oblivion from painful thoughts and to restore a weary spirit. The gently flowing melodic lines and the full harmonies evoke the tranquility and peace the poet seeks. This is a wonderfully expressive setting for a choir looking for a piece that is both textually sensitive and musically rewarding, capturing the essence of profound, dreamless sleep.
