Product Description This collection of lullabies and night songs celebrates the magical world of a happy, sleepy child. Intended both to lull a child to sleep, as well as celebrate the happiness of the day, this charming collection will please adults as well as children. This volume originally was released in the early 1960s. Featuring both traditional classics such as Go Tell Aunt Rhody and Rock-A-Bye, Baby and the original compositions of Alec Wilder such as Windy Nights and The Crocodile, charming new arrangements of these tunes have been contributed by Gil Goldstein. The American soprano Heidi Grant Murphy is one of the outstanding vocal talents of her generation. Since being named winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council, she has gone on to a stellar career now entering its 20th year. She has appeared with many of the world's finest opera companies and symphony orchestras, and has been privileged with most of the notable conductors. As a mother herself, this project is close to Heidi's heart. About the Artist Heidi Grant Murphy is one of the outstanding vocal talents of her generation. A native of Bellingham, Washington, she began vocal studies while attending Western Washington and Indiana Universities. Her graduate studies were interrupted when she was named a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and engaged by Maestro James Levine to participate in the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. As of the 2009-2010 season, Ms. Murphy will have been part of the Metropolitan Opera roster for twenty years. Ms. Murphy has appeared with many of the world's finest opera companies and symphony orchestras. She enjoys an active chamber music and recital career and has performed throughout the U.S. and in London and Salzburg as well as at the Ravinia, Tanglewood, Verbier and Edinburgh festivals. She has worked with such esteemed conductors as Roberto Abbado, Herbert Blomstedt, Christoph Eschenbach, Bernard Haitink, James Levine, Kurt Masur, Kent Nagano, and Sir Simon Rattle, to name but a few. Heidi Grant Murphy has been a featured guest on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, A&E's Breakfast with the Arts and BBC Radio 3. Ms. Murphy received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Western Washington University, where she pursued a bachelor's degree in music performance. Ms. Murphy resides in New York City with her husband and four children.
D**K
Lullabies & Night Songs--Maurice Sendak
Spent a lot of time trying to find this book( someone borrowed mine & never returned it) as it's a classic & I have a credit for lettering the lyrics in the book.So happy to get another copy.So many families have enjoyed the songs & pictures that it has become "must have" for many families.
K**B
Murphy's voice + Wilder's Lullabies & Night Songs illustrated by Sendak. Superb.
Lullabies and Night Songs is a superb collection of songs that became precious memories for my children and now my grandchildren. The songs, sung in the simple renditions of the book, are enhanced by the charming drawings that even pre-verbal children can enjoy.Singing with a child is a melding of language and heart. These songs tickle the interest of both children and the adults who love to sing with them. The lyrics and music are clever, charming, whimsical, and mysterious. This book so deserves to be reprinted. As another commenter suggested, it also is crying out for wonderful singers to make a recording of the book, cover to cover, as written. I would buy it!The two recordings that I own, DeGaetani's and Murphy's are both stunning vocal accomplishments, but not particularly child-friendly. DeGaetani and the accompanying musicians were friends of Alec Wilder at the Eastman School, and for them, the performance was especially meaningful. The current recordings are great for an adult learning the songs and for those who want to hear Wilder's full compositions. In their original, the songs remind me of the playful but demanding works of Poulenc's "La Courte Paille". Neither of the recordings is complete nor in book order. I do wish I could see Wilder's complete scores, but they are nowhere to be found.Again, this book, the simple version, must not be lost in obscurity. Where are some talented musicians to take the by-the-book version on as a project? You could create a special repertoire of delightful songs for families and a gift for yourself.
M**E
essential american music
Alec Wilder was one of the unsung geniuses of American music, a true original who was profoundly influenced by Bach and deeply knowledgeable about american song (as a matter of fact, he literally wrote the book on American Popular Song, as well as hosting a long running radio show of the same name.) Lullabies and Night Songs was published in the early 60s in a large format picture book with illustrations by Maurice Sendak, and is now only available through the rare book online It has brilliant settings of popular tunes and a few original songs with lyrics by Wilder's close friend and collaborator William Engvik (sp?) for piano and voice.Strangely, no one has done a straight up recording of the songs as they are written, and this recording is no exception. There was a frankly awful collection by one of the great operatic sopranos with strings etc. One of the singer songwriters of the past couple of decades did a number of the songs with guitar and orchestra accompaniment which was affecting but still far from the original. This recording is also arranged by Gil Goldstein with melodica parts and recasting/extensions of the songs (Rock A Bye). As far as I am concerned, these changes are all gilding the lily. The songs are beautiful and stark as they are written, and a good clean and informal reading of them has yet to be done. That said, this recording is well worth listening to if you love these deceptively simple songs, and if you want some lovely intelligent music that your kids might come to love.We had twins, and sang them "Minnie and Winnie slept in a shell, sleep little ladies, and they slept well." For some reason, that song is not on this collection, which is a personal disappointment. But you and your kids will love these.Eric
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