Music
The virgin and the nightingale
5 songs for 6 solo voices and flute
The texts are translated from Latin by Fleur Adcock
The virgin and the nightingale was commissioned with funding from the Music Board of the Australia Council. The first complete performance was given in 1992 by The Song Company.
About the work
The songs are settings of 5 mediaeval poems about birds:
- Courtship
- The Swan
- The Thrush
- The Roasted Swan, and
- The Anti-nightingale song.
Scoring
Scored for soprano, mezzo, alto, tenor, baritone and bass. Some of the songs have been sung by choirs. Flute is used in 3 songs.
Score and recording
Buy or borrow the score from SOUNZ.
The virgin and the nightingale — SOUNZ
This work has been released on CD by the Song Company.