Composer

:

Roger Quilter

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Average_duration

:

4:03

"Barbara Allen" is a song cycle composed by Roger Quilter in 1929. The premiere of the song cycle was in London in 1930. The cycle consists of six movements, each of which is a setting of a traditional English folk song. The songs are "Barbara Allen," "The Milking Maid," "The Jolly Miller," "The Riddle Song," "The Ash Grove," and "Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind." The first movement, "Barbara Allen," is a ballad about a young man who dies of a broken heart after being rejected by Barbara Allen. The second movement, "The Milking Maid," is a lively song about a young woman who is courted by a young man while she is milking cows. The third movement, "The Jolly Miller," is a humorous song about a miller who is always happy and content. The fourth movement, "The Riddle Song," is a riddle in song form, with the answer to the riddle being revealed in the final verse. The fifth movement, "The Ash Grove," is a beautiful and melancholy song about lost love. The final movement, "Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind," is a song about the harshness of winter and the comfort of friendship. Quilter's settings of these traditional folk songs are characterized by their simplicity and elegance. He uses simple harmonies and melodies to create a sense of intimacy and warmth. The songs are often accompanied by piano, with the piano part providing a delicate and supportive backdrop to the vocal line. Quilter's settings of these folk songs are a testament to the enduring power of traditional music and the beauty that can be found in simplicity.

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