Songs For All Seasons

The second of our Hallowe'en-themed songs brings to life a delightful poem by John Kendrick Bangs. His enchanting Hallowe'en poem is a joyful celebration of the whimsical side of the holiday, filled with "raisins and nuts," glowing Jack-o'-lanterns, and the carefree mischief that dances through the night, inviting us to indulge without a second thought of reprisal, if only for this magical evening. John Kendrick Bangs (May 27, 1862 – January 21, 1922) was an American writer, humorist, editor, and satirist, who crafted a whole genre of writing in his name. "Bangsian fantasy" is a captivating genre that takes us into the afterlife, presenting a stage where its characters—often renowned historical or fictional figures—enact their tales and relationships. A contemporary embodiment of this genre can be seen in the TV show "The Good Place". Get the music for this song for free...

It is spooky season and I have written not one but two Hallowe'en songs, both called confusingly, "Hallowe'en"! The first is by Madison Julius Cawein, an American poet who was the son of a herbalist. His output numbered thirty-six books and 1,500 poems. His writing presented Kentucky scenes in a language echoing Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats. He soon earned the nickname the "Keats of Kentucky". This poem is a story of a lost love, returning as a ghostly revenant on Hallowe'en! Get the music for this song for free -  find out how here. 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 Hallowe’en By Madison Julius Cawein It was down in the woodland on last Hallowe'en, Where silence and darkness had built them a lair, That I felt the dim presence of her, the unseen, And heard her still step on the ghost-haunted air. It was last Hallowe'en in the glimmer an...

I don't have a Song of the Day for you today - although I do have two Hallowe'en songs coming up over the next couple of days, followed by songs for All Saints Day and All Souls Day.  So instead, today I am going to share a video from my choir's summer concert - this is The Lidun Singers with Fylde Sinfonia singing O Fortuna from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. I cannot wait for the day when I can actually share real actual choirs singing my music!! But until that day comes, this will have to suffice! 

Today is my birthday! 21 again, natch 😀 Mark this day, for in years (or decades, or centuries) to come, when I am dead and famous, people will say "In honour of Julie Cavanagh, who would have been however many years old today, we play her beloved setting of 'To My Daughter on her Birthday'!" Well, a girl can dream, can't she?? "To My Daughter on her Birthday" was written by Thomas Hood, an English poet, author and humorist, best known for poems such as "The Bridge of Sighs" and "The Song of the Shirt". Hood wrote regularly for The London Magazine, Athenaeum, and Punch. He later published a magazine largely consisting of his own works. Hood, never robust, had lapsed into invalidism by the age of 41 and died at the age of 45. He wrote this poem for his daughter Frances for her ninth birthday, in 1839. He was to die only 6 years later. I have annotated the score so that, with a little judicious jiggery-pokery...

We're feeling the love today at SFAS! With weddings as our theme, today's Song of the Day is a special tribute to my parents, who just celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary 11 days ago. We're showcasing a setting of the poem "To My Dear and Loving Husband" by Anne Bradstreet. While the poem is written from a wife's perspective, the second and third verses have a lovely universality to them. In my setting, the sopranos and altos take the lead on the first verse, then the tenors and basses represent the husband's response in the second verse, and finally, everyone comes together for the third verse, singing lovingly to each other. Anne Bradstreet was born in England in 1612 and married at just 16 before emigrating with her parents and young family to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. She became one of the most notable early English poets in North America and was the first writer from the North American colonies to be published. Get the music for this son...

Today's Song of the Day revolves around the theme of Graduation.  It is a simple setting of a poignant poem called The Graduate Leaving College by George Moses Horton. This would make a stunning choice for your university choir to perform on Graduation Day! Imagine the joy of starting a cherished tradition of singing it every year. Horton was an extraordinary man. Born into the harsh realities of slavery in North Carolina, he broke barriers as the first African American author to be published in the United States. Around 1817, at the tender age of about 19, Horton undertook the daunting 10-mile journey north to Chapel Hill to sell fruits and farm products for his master. During this time, Horton channelled his deep emotions into crafting love poems for the University of North Carolina students, selling them for 25 cents or more. Remarkably, he had not yet learned to write, instead composing them in his mind and reciting them to the students. He achieved his first publication in 182...

Oh dear dear dear. Now my personal hotmail address, the one I have had for at least a decade, has been locked!! This is causing me a lot of trouble as I'm having to change all my log ins for EVERYTHING. Who would have thought by sending a few emails out to a few choirs to try and drum up a bit of buzz about my little project they would think I was sending spam. I am very sad. So, again I am changing the contact email address on this site so you lovely people still have a way of getting in touch with me. It is now: juliereilly1972@gmail.com If you are curious about the difference in surname - Reilly is my married name but I will be using my maiden name of Cavanagh on my music, so I set this project up using Cavanagh from the start to avoid confusion.

Today's Song of the Day is a setting of a poem called "On Retirement" by Philip Freneau. I do still have a good few years to go yet before I reach retirement age but I find myself dreaming of finally being able to lose the shackles of the day job and spend my days chilling, writing music, eating chocolate and doing whatever I want. Freneau was an American poet, nationalist, polemicist, sea captain and early American newspaper editor sometimes called the "Poet of the American Revolution". He was active during the time of the American Revolution, rubbing shoulders with such historical figures as James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington. In fact, owing to his newspaper's frequent attacks on his administration and himself, Washington took a particular dislike to Freneau. However, whatever your politics, I think Freneau's words will strike a chord with many of us, and for those of you reading this who are already retired - I e...

Microsoft has thrown a hissy fit and has locked my songsforallseasons email address, which is very annoying as I have been sending it as a contact to all my prospective beta choirs!! Hopefully I should be able to unlock it soon - but in the meantime, if you have received an email or message from me and found your way here, please use this one for now: robsia@hotmail.co.uk I'm about to update it everywhere on the website as well.

As exciting as today is, being the launch of the Beta choir application window and everything - I am still sharing a Song of the Day for you. As it is a Sunday, today's Song of the Day is a sacred song - my simple setting of the words to the hymn "In Sweet Communion" in celebration of Confirmation. I couldn't find who wrote these words - my source simply said "unknown (from Psalm 73)". If anyone knows, I would be interested to find out. Get the music for this song for free -  find out how here. In Sweet Communion By: unknown (from Psalm 73) In sweet communion, Lord, with Thee I constantly abide; My hand Thou holdest in Thine own To keep me near Thy side Thy counsel through my earthly way Shall guide me and control, And then to glory afterward Thou wilt receive my soul. Whom have I, Lord, in heaven but Thee, To whom my thoughts aspire? And having Thee, on earth is naught That I can yet endure. Though flesh and heart should faint and fall, The Lord will ever b...

It's today, it's today, it's today!! The beta choirs application window is now open!! You can view all the information here to apply to become a beta choir - there is an "I'm interested" link to click, which will take you to the Beta Test Agreement. At the bottom of that is a link which will take you the Google Expression of Interest form. I am very excited and eager to welcome my beta choirs to join the project!

Tune : One Day More - Les Misérables (with huge apologies to Herbert Kretzmer) One more day before it starts The application window opens When our choirs begin to join Will you take your place with me The time is now The day is here One day more

Today's Song of the Day is another floating event - one that isn't linked to a specific time of year. It is under the theme of Birth/Babies so I dedicate it today to all new parents who have recently welcomed a new addition to their lives. It's a setting of the poem "Lullaby" by Horace Smith, a contemporary and friend of the perhaps more famous poet Percy Shelley.  Smith had a day job as a stockbroker and after making his fortune in business, went on to produce around twenty historical novels. Get the music for this song for free -  find out how here. Lullaby By Horace Smith Sleep, little baby, sleep, love, sleep! Evening is coming, and night is nigh; Under the lattice the little birds cheep, All will be sleeping by and by. Sleep, little baby, sleep. Sleep, little baby, sleep, love, sleep! Darkness is creeping along the sky; Stars at the casement glimmer and peep, Slo...

  🎵 Two more days to go! Two more days to go-oh Two more days till the application window opens Two more days to go-oh  🎶

I'd like to take a moment to introduce my lovely assistant, Jinx, without whose interest, curiosity and general interference, Songs for all Seasons would probably have been finished a lot sooner! Nevertheless, I wouldn't change a thing!

We're all getting very excited down here at SFAS HQ - just three more days until the Beta choir application window opens! I have my list of choirs all ready to email out invitations to. I just hope it's worded well enough that they don't just think it's spam and junk it, because that would be very sad. If you're reading this and you don't get contacted by me on Sunday, you can still apply! I compiled the list from a website called British Choirs on the Net . A lot of the choirs on there no longer exist as the links were dead. But there may be MANY more choirs who are suitable who are not on there. So if you are reading this and you run an SATB choir anywhere in the world who can sing at a reasonable standard, you are very welcome to submit your application on Sunday! The more the merrier! Just bookmark this page and check back on Sunday for all the details!

Todays' Song of the Day is in honour of all the girls out there who are turning 18. Becoming an adult is a tough, scary time. Yes, you're legally an adult and can do all sorts of things you couldn't do yesterday, but does it really feel that way? Don't you still need a more adultier adult to help and support at times? It's important to understand that it's OK to feel that way. No one expects you to suddenly have all the answers and be able to do everything. You'll probably find that that feeling will stay with you for a long time, and may never actually go away.  One of the most important things to learn about being an adult in this world is that we all still need each other. It's OK to ask for help, support and advice from people who you trust. And it always will be! Happy birthday! Today's Song of the Day is a setting of Lennox Amott's poem "Stanzas Addressed to a Lady Coming of Age." Lennox Amott was a musician as well as a poet. He ...

Four days to go till the Beta choir launch!  Join the fun - check out our Facebook event:  Songs for all Seasons Beta Choir launch

Beta choir applications will be opening on Sunday 20th October! The application window will run for four weeks and will close on Sunday 17th November at 9pm. Everything is in place, the invitation letter is written, the Agreement and Expression of Interest form are ready. I just have "day job" stuff to do, hence launching it at the weekend! So, it will be coming soon, watch your inboxes!

We are well into October and autumn has definitely settled in. The leaves are dropping, the cold winds are blowing, but today here in the North West I can see Mediterranean-blue skies outside my window with white fluffs of cloud sailing high above. Sadly, I don't have the accompanying Mediterranean temperatures; it is definitely heating-on time! I am sure a lot of us (at least those of us in the UK) remember that Primary School Assembly banger, Autumn Days. Although personally I don't think I have ever seen "jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled" - I think that line might have been a touch of bunkum! So, to celebrate autumn, today's Song of the Day is a setting of a poem also entitled "Autumn Days" by American poet Will Carleton. This poem beautifully illustrates the changeable nature of Autumn. Will Carleton died in 1912 but his influence on American literature was such that in 1919, the Michigan legislature required teachers to teach at least o...

It has been busy busy busy here at Songs for all Seasons Central HQ (aka, my front room!) The tutorial videos are all uploaded and I have started doing my Song of the Day feature which I am linking to from here and from Facebook.  I have also created an Instagram account and my teenager taught me how to do stories so I could link the story to the videos on Youtube. All of this social media activity is creating some video views, which is very exciting. But the next big step on the project plan is to start the Beta testing phase. This will involve me contacting a bunch of choirs and inviting them to be Beta testers, basically to learn one of my songs and send a video recording back to me along with some feedback.  I was strongly advised to put a Beta Test Agreement in place, which reads a little scary but is basically to protect my copyright and ensure the songs I send out are only used for the purposes I intend them to be used as and not resold or redistributed. So the Ts and C...

Today's Song of the Day is a setting of a poem entitled "The Christening" by Walter de la Mare, an award-winning  English poet, short story writer and novelist. I have chosen to share my setting of this poem with you today to honour National Baptism Day, which, like Michaelmas, was actually on 29th September, which was before I set up this site. Get the music for this song for free -  find out how here. The Christening By Walter De La Mare The bells chime clear, Soon will the sun behind the hills sink down; Come, little Ann, your baby brother dear Lies in his christening-gown. His godparents Are all across the fields stepped on before, And wait beneath the crumbling monuments, This side the old church door. Your mammie dear Leans frail and lovely on your daddie's arm; Watching her chick, 'twixt happiness and fear, Lest he should come to harm. All to be blest Full soon in the clear heavenly water, he Sleeps on unwitting of't, his little ...

Today's Song of the Day is a sacred anthem for Michaelmas, which is actually on 29th September. But as I didn't start this site until 2nd October, you get to see it today! This is a setting of Henry Constable's poem "To Saint Michael The ArchAngel". Henry Constable graduated from St John's College, Cambridge in 1580. A Catholic, he spent much of his adult life in exile in France, although returned to England surreptitiously, only to be caught and imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1604. He was subsequently placed under house arrest, and deprived of his inheritance. He was again imprisoned in the Fleet prison on 11 February 1608, and on 31 July 1610 he was granted licence to leave England. Constable died at Liège on 9 October 1613. NB: I have been unable to ascertain exactly when this poem was written.  Get the music for this song for free -  find out how here. To Saint Michael The Archangel By Henry Constable When as the prince of angels puffed with pride st...

Whilst compiling a list of appropriate Songs of the Day I discovered that today marks the beginning of National Baby Loss Awareness Week  (9th - 15th October). I have been lucky enough not to have experienced the tragic loss of a baby, but I have friends who have not been so fortunate. Music can be a powerful tool for people who are grieving, helping them to process their emotions, move forward, and feel comforted. Music can help to:  Release bottled-up feelings: Sad music can help to push emotions to the surface, especially if you've been trying to hide them.  Trigger dopamine responses: Engaging with music can create feelings of pleasure.  Connect on a deep emotional level: Music can bring out feelings you didn't even know you had.  Regulate negative emotions: Sad music can help to regulate or purge negative emotions.  Retrieve memories: Sad music can help to retrieve memories of important past events.  So I would like to share my setting of Nor...

I thought I might do a regular "Song of the Day" feature. It won't be every day as that would necessitate writing 365 songs, and an extra Leap Year one! But, yesterday, 6th October 2024, was the official celebration of Harvest Festival in the UK. So to celebrate this day, today's Song of the Day is The Corn-Song by John Greenleaf Whittier. Get the music for this song for free -  find out how here. The Corn-Song By John Greenleaf Whittier Heap high the farmer’s wintry hoard! Heap high the golden corn! No richer gift has Autumn poured From out her lavish horn! Let other lands, exulting, glean The apple from the pine, The orange from its glossy green, The cluster from the vine; We better love the hardy gift Our rugged vales bestow, To cheer us when the storm shall drift Our harvest-fields with snow. Through vales of grass and meads of flowers Our ploughs their furrows made, While on the hills the sun and showers Of changeful April played. We dropped the seed o’er hill an...

I finally have music on my music project page! All tutorial videos have been uploaded and links are on the "Tutorial Videos" page - https://songsforallseasons2024.blogspot.com/p/tutorial-videos.html You can also see them all on my Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@SongsforallSeasons2024 Be kind - please like and subscribe. Next stage in the project plan is to create a Google form for beta choirs to complete to indicate interest in taking part. Watch this space!

I thought I should say something about this site and its purpose. Many of you have found your way here because I created a Facebook page for my music project and I got a bit excited and shared it before it was really ready which probably left you wondering what the heck was going on when you found a virtually empty website. So, what is this “Songs for All Seasons” project about? About two years ago I had a sudden inspiration and it was this: There must be an awful lot of public domain poetry just lying around doing nothing when it could be set to music and given a new lease of life. So after some consideration, I thought I would see if I could find poems to cover the events of an entire year, from New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve. Then I reflected further and thought “What about all the significant events in people’s lives that aren’t tied to a specific day, such as weddings, birthdays etc.?” I included those in my list as well. It took some time to find a selection of poems that I w...