Composer

:

Tarik O'Regan

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

2004

Average_duration

:

4:23

"Bring rest, sweet dreaming child" is a choral work composed by Tarik O'Regan in 2006. The piece was premiered by the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, in the same year. It is a setting of a text by the English poet and hymn writer Isaac Watts, which speaks of the peaceful sleep of a child. The piece is divided into three movements, each of which explores a different aspect of the text. The first movement, marked "Gently flowing," sets the opening lines of the poem, describing the child's peaceful sleep. The music is characterized by a gentle, flowing melody in the upper voices, accompanied by a simple, repetitive pattern in the lower voices. The overall effect is one of calm and serenity. The second movement, marked "Slowly, with great expression," is a more introspective meditation on the text. The music is more complex and harmonically rich than the first movement, with a greater sense of tension and release. The choir sings in a more homophonic style, with the different parts moving together in a more unified way. The final movement, marked "With energy and drive," is a joyful celebration of the child's awakening. The music is more rhythmic and lively than the previous movements, with a sense of forward momentum and excitement. The choir sings in a more contrapuntal style, with the different parts weaving in and out of each other. Overall, "Bring rest, sweet dreaming child" is a beautiful and evocative choral work that captures the peacefulness and joy of childhood. O'Regan's use of simple, repetitive patterns and rich harmonies creates a sense of timelessness and universality, while the different movements explore different aspects of the text with sensitivity and depth.

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