Christopher Lee Fraley

composer, publisher, choral tenor

Christopher Lee Fraley
Christopher Lee Fraley

Christopher Lee Fraley

composer, publisher, choral tenor

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PROJECT:ENCORE

India's Love Lyrics

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  • Famine Song

Famine Song

Choral / F. 164 / SATB (a cappella), Drum, Alto solo / 3'10" / 2013 / PDF file / MP3 file
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  • Famine Song (from Stories CD by Byrd Ensemble)
Fraley-FamineSong-Perusal

Overview

Written as a funeral dirge, Famine Song tells a story of disease, death, and love in late 19th century India. The lyrics are excepted from Adela Florence Nicolson’s poem of the same name from her book India’s Love Lyrics, and is a continuation of the cycle of choral pieces that includes Golden Stars (F. 150), Wistful Wind (F. 152), The Plains (F. 154), Lost Delight (F. 157), Famine Song (F. 164), and Reminiscence (F. 166).

The Poem

  • Lyric
  • Original Poem

Famine Song

Death and famine on every side
     and never a sign of rain—
The bones of those who have starved and died
     unburied upon the plain.
What care have I that the bone bleach white?
     Tomorrow they may be mine.
But I shall sleep in your arms tonight,
     and drink your lips like wine.

I hear the sound of a thousand tears,
     like softly pattering rain,
I see the fever, folly, and fears
     fulfilling man’s tale of pain.
What care have I that the bone bleach white?
     Tomorrow they may be mine.
But I shall sleep in your arms tonight,
     and drink your lips like wine.

So we work on, in the blazing sun,
     to bury what dead we may,
But glad, oh, glad, when the day is done
     and night fall round us grey.
Would those we covered away from sight
     had a rest as sweet as mine!
For I shall sleep in your arms tonight…

—excerpted from Famine Song by Adela Florence Nicolson (1865-1904)

Famine Song

Death and Famine on every side
     And never a sign of rain,
The bones of those who have starved and died
     Unburied upon the plain.
What care have I that the bones bleach white?
     To-morrow they may be mine,
But I shall sleep in your arms to-night
     And drink your lips like wine!

…

I hear the sound of a thousand tears,
     Like softly pattering rain,
I see the fever, folly, and fears
     Fulfilling man’s tale of pain.
But for the moment your star is bright,
     I revel beneath its shine,
For I shall sleep in your arms to-night
     And feel your lips on mine!

…

So on I work, in the blazing sun,
     To bury what dead we may,
But glad, oh, glad, when the day is done
     And the night falls round us grey.
Would those we covered away from sight
     Had a rest as sweet as mine!
For I shall sleep in your arms to-night
     And drink your lips like wine!

—excerpted from Famine Song by Adela Florence Nicolson (1865-1904)


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  • Famine Song (Digital Choir Demo)

Listen to Famine Song while viewing a perusal score:PDF file.

a cappella, Adela Florence Nicolson, Alto Solo, Drum, English, India's Love Lyrics, SATB

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