Wiegenlied

Cradle Song

There is no doubt that the German lyrics of the Cradle Song are a mouthful, -- but don't shy away from giving it to your beginning singers because of that. At some point they need to be introduced to German, and ALL German songs are difficult for non-German speakers! Let them learn verse 1 first, and later, when they are more comfortable singing in Deutsch, ask if they'd like verse 2 or 3.

This video, featuring Esther Ofarim of Israel, is interesting to listen to because of her intimacy with German pronunciation.

Here are some different English translations... the first 2 examples fit the notes best, but the 2 verses on the right side of the page are very cute:



Download English translations of "Schlafe, mein Prinzchen"

"Schlafe, mein Prinzchen" works nicely as a recital piece with one verse sung in German, then one verse in English. A young student of mine recently sang Wiegenlied at our spring concert, changing some of the words of several translations to suit herself!

"Sleep, little darling, now sleep
Mother her vigil doth keep
All now is quiet and still
Hushed are the vale and the hill
All now in slumber doth lie
Bright are the stars in the sky
Angels a guard o'er thee keep
Sleep, little darling, now sleep.
Oh, sleep, oh sleep,"

were her words.

Though this song was attributed to Mozart for years, the actual composer is unknown, though some affirm it was Bernard Flies. Here is what Malcolm Wilson says, prefacing this next video of the Cradle Song beautifully performed on handbells:

In this video we hear the song performed on solo handbells by Malcolm Wilson accompanied by Lysbeth Wilson in Dunblane Cathedral, Scotland.

You can purchase it here for $1.75 USD, in any of the four keys offered. It comes with permission to make up to 3 copies.

Why Buy From Me?

* It is available immediately as a digital download onto your computer.

* You don't have to download any new software into your computer in order to download this PDF. I don't know about you, but I detest clogging up my computer with yet another program I didn't know I needed. You just need a version of Adobe Acrobat or another PDF reader, which all computers come with. If you DON'T have Adobe Acrobat or a similar program, then you couldn't download any of my other PDFs either.

* You can print Wiegenlied on any kind of paper you want, and thus avoid the glare of shiny pages (so irritating for accompanists!). My shiny store-bought music always reflects my piano light, and I find myself ducking and weaving to play off of it.

*Write and make notes all over these copies, in red and other colors, without feeling you are spoiling your music for posterity. I hate messing up my music books, but learning the piece is always the first priority. These printouts will make great working copies.

* I give you permission to make up to three copies legally. Do I speak tongue-in-cheek? Not at all -- as music teachers, as music students, you know there are times when you need music RIGHT NOW and your only recourse is to make a copy of copyrighted music...or do without. (People do what they have to do, but there are consequences... Cheating...just a little...is hard on one's character. I believe this is one of the keys of political corruption, one little compromise after another. Not only that, but music teachers teach by example. What are your students learning from you about the value of the work of composers, arrangers, and publishers? Of the value of musicians in general?)

* Paypal, the payment system I use, is a secure and recognized payment system. You can pay by credit or debit card, or your bank account. E-Junkie delivers the PDF document, working as a partner with PayPal...your purchase is guaranteed.

Tip for Printing

Wiegenlied with full accompaniment in D, 3 copies for $1.75:

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