Cradle Song (2005) On a poem by William Blake
Eric Guinivan (b. 1984)
Duration: 6 Minutes
Cradle Song By William Blake (1757–1827) Sleep, sleep, beauty bright, Dreaming in the joys of night; Sleep, sleep; in thy sleep Little sorrows sit and weep. Sweet babe, in thy face Soft desires I can trace, Secret joys and secret smiles, Little pretty infant wiles. As thy softest limbs I feel Smiles as of the morning steal O'er thy cheek, and o'er thy breast Where thy little heart doth rest. O the cunning wiles that creep In thy little heart asleep! When thy little heart doth wake, Then the dreadful night shall break.
Cradle Song Instrumentation Soprano (with three crystal glasses) The singer is called upon to play three crystal glasses while singing. The crystal glasses are pitched Bb5, C#6, and E6 and are given the indication “CG� in the score. The glasses should be placed on a stand, tray, or small table in front of the singer during performance. The singer plays the glasses by dipping the finger into the water inside one of the glasses and gently circling the rim of the glass with the finger. Vibraphone One pair of medium-hard mallets and one bass bow are required for performance. The sustain pedal should be depressed for the duration of the piece. Piano The sustain pedal of the piano should be depressed for the duration of the piece.
Cradle Song Soprano
Vibraphone
Piano
Adagio, q = 60
Pedal depressed throughout
pp
p
p
Vib.
Vib.
to mallets
pp
mf
p
f
mf
mf pp
bright
Lit-tle sor - rows sit and weep
pp
beau -ty
p
Sleep
cresc.
CG
night
p S. 18
sleep
f
mf pp
sleep
Pno.
p sub.
p
mf pp
mf
p
mf p
mf p
f p
f
in thy sleep
p
f
f
p 3 3 3
3
mp
dream - ing
Medium Soft Mallets
f
poco cresc.
mp
mf
p
mf
Sleep
p
mf
mf
Pno.
in the joys of
mf
S. 10
p
mp
arco
Eric Guinivan Text: William Blake
dim. poco a poco
ppp
cresc. poco a poco
f
(sempre)
2
S. 25
CG
p
mf
Sweet
babe
p
Vib. fade in delicately...
Pno.
mp
p
( )
S.
p sub.
28
p
mf
p
Vib.
Pno.
in
thy
face
( )
S. CG 31
f
mf
p
Soft
de
p
-
sires
I
Vib.
Pno.
mf
mp
mp p ( ) poco
poco
3 S.
34
p
mp
Vib. can
Pno.
trace
Se - cret joys
and se
-
cret
mp
f
mp mf ( )
S. 38
p
mp
smiles
Lit - tle
pret
-
ty
Vib. p pp p
Pno.
( )
S. 41
CG
in
p sub.
f
-
fant
f
pp
p
wiles
p Vib. dim. poco a poco f mp dim. poco a poco f dim. poco a poco
Pno.
( )
4 S. CG 44
Vib.
Pno.
f
( )
Molto rit. S. CG 47
q = 60
( ) poco
Pno.
mf
feel
p
pp
mf
3
poco cresc.
mf
smiles of the morn -ing
mp
As thy soft - est limbs I
p
ppp
S. Vib.
poco
steal
p
f
f
p
mf
O'er thy cheek and o'er thy
f
p
3 3 3
ppp
51
fade out delicately...like a music box...
Vib.
Pno.
Rit. poco a poco
dim. poco a poco p mp
S. breast CG 56
Vib.
Pno.
fleeting
poco f
S.
6
mp
p
mp
where thy lit -tle heart doth rest
fleeting
f
p
p
CG
p
f
fade in delicately...
f
cresc. poco a poco
p
ppp
62
p sub.
p subito
5
(sempre)
mf
O
the
cun
-
ning
pp Vib. p mp
Pno.
( )
S.
p sub.
65
p
mf
p
Vib.
Pno.
( )
wiles
that
creep
6
S. 68
CG
p
mf
p
f
In
thy
lit
-
tle heart
Vib.
mp
mf
Pno.
poco
( )
S.
71
a
mp
poco
-
p
p
mp
sleep
When
thy
lit
-
tle heart
doth
Vib.
p
f
Pno.
( )
S. 75
wake
mf
p
p
p
Vib. p pp Pno. p pp ( ) Then
the
dread
-
ful
S.
f
78
p sub.
f
mf
p sub.
7
Vib. f f night
Pno.
( )
Vib.
Pno.
break
pp
dim. poco a poco
S. CG 85
p
Pno.
shall
mp
( )
Vib.
break
f
82
S.
shall
dim. poco a poco
f
mp
( )
mp
dim. poco a poco
dim. poco a poco
8
S. CG 88
Vib.
Pno.
( ) Rit. poco a poco
Molto rit.
Pno.
( )
ppp
fade into the distance...
fleeting...
pp
ppp
pppp
dim. poco a poco
p
91
pp
S. CG Vib.