Stephen Foster is often referred to as “the father of American music” having written some of the most iconic parlour tunes from the United States’ Jacksonian era — “Oh! Susanna”, “Swanee River”, and “Genie with the Light Brown Hair” to name a few timeless classics. “Slumber My Darling” was written in the first years of the American Civil War, a period where Foster closed himself away from the public eye and turned to writing several songs with much darker themes, seemingly foreshadowing his own death in 1864. With a melody that evokes the image of a loving mother singing her child to sleep at night, I believe such a heartfelt tune might have served as a kind of musical respite for Foster in the final years of his life.One of my favourite sounds in the world is the hushed “speech range” of female singers. The first verse of this arrangement offers an opportunity for the soloist (preferably an alto, though it may also be a tenor) to explore the low modal voice — the same register a mother may use to softly comfort her little one. My reimagining of this beautiful lullaby endeavours to capture the intimacy and reassurance of that maternal connection while also infusing a touch of the murky dreamland through which a child may venture when sleep finally overtakes them. It is dedicated to my sister Mariah and her son (my nephew) Flynn on his first birthday.

Difficulty : Hard
Voicing : SSAATTBB
Accompaniment : Unaccompanied
Duration : 3 - 6 minutes
Genre : Secular
Catalogue Number : V8P1408

Much of the writing is in 8 parts, with some parts occasionally dividing further. This and the need to stagger breathing means that multiple voices are required on each part. The arrangement grows in harmonic complexity in the middle. Much care must be taken to ensure good balance of chords at all times.

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