This edition was prepared by Nikolaus Hold — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Der Liebesbote
Staff Notation • Secular, Folk songs
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Der Liebesbote by Friedrich Gernsheim — Lyrics
Es saß ein schneeweiß Vögelein
auf einem Dornenzweigelein,
in der Lenzenzeit,
auf einem Dornenzweigelein
tief im Wald.
„Sag, willst du wohl mein Bote sein?
„Jawohl, dein Bote will ich sein,
ja der will ich sein,
jawohl, dein Bote will ich sein,
will ich sein.“
Es nahm den Brief in seinen Mund,
flog fort, hin durch des Waldes Grund,
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About Der Liebesbote
Friedrich Gernsheim’s Der Liebesbote opens with a light, lilting melody passed between the voices. This German secular song, in a folk-song style, uses a familiar poetic device: a whitebird messenger carrying a love letter. The lyrics, however, take a poignant turn. The bird reaches its destination only to find the beloved has already been wed for a year, a long time from the perspective of the waiting lover. The SATB setting captures the narrative’s gentle unfolding and its bittersweet conclusion, making it a charming yet reflective addition to a choir’s repertoire.
