Composer

:

Benjamin Britten

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

ca. 1961

Average_duration

:

3:09

"Early one morning" is a song composed by Benjamin Britten in 1956. It was premiered on 14th June 1956 at the Aldeburgh Festival, with Peter Pears as the tenor soloist and Britten himself at the piano. The song is part of Britten's collection of folk song arrangements, which he composed between 1943 and 1976. The song is a setting of a traditional English folk song, which tells the story of a young woman who wakes up early one morning to find her lover has left her. The song is in the key of G major and is written in a simple, strophic form. The piano accompaniment is sparse and delicate, with gentle arpeggios and occasional flourishes. The song is divided into three verses, each with a slightly different melody. The first verse is sung in a gentle, mournful tone, with the singer expressing their sadness at being left alone. The second verse is more upbeat, with the singer imagining their lover returning and the two of them being reunited. The final verse returns to the mournful tone of the first, with the singer resigned to the fact that their lover is gone for good. One of the most striking characteristics of Britten's arrangement is the way he uses dissonance to create tension and emotion. In the first verse, for example, the melody clashes with the accompaniment in a way that creates a sense of unease and sadness. Britten also uses subtle changes in dynamics and tempo to convey the emotional content of the song. Overall, "Early one morning" is a beautiful and haunting piece of music that showcases Britten's skill as a composer and arranger. Its simple melody and sparse accompaniment allow the emotional content of the lyrics to shine through, making it a powerful and moving work.

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