Composer

:

Julius Harrison

Genre

:

Vocal

Average_duration

:

2:34

"I Know a Bank" is a choral work composed by Julius Harrison, a British composer, conductor, and teacher. The piece was composed in 1923 and premiered in the same year. It is a part of a larger work called "Four Shakespeare Songs," which includes other pieces such as "Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind" and "When Daffodils Begin to Peer." "I Know a Bank" is a setting of a text from Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The text describes a magical and dreamlike setting in which fairies dance and sing. The piece is written for a four-part choir, with the soprano and alto parts often singing in unison and the tenor and bass parts providing a harmonic foundation. The piece is characterized by its lush harmonies and flowing melodies. The opening chords set a dreamlike atmosphere, with the choir singing a gentle melody that rises and falls in a wave-like motion. The middle section of the piece features a solo soprano line, which is then echoed by the rest of the choir. This section is particularly beautiful, with the soprano line soaring above the other voices. The final section of the piece returns to the opening material, with the choir singing the opening melody once again. The piece ends with a gentle fade-out, as the choir sings the final words of the text: "And I serve the Fairy Queen, to dew her orbs upon the green." Overall, "I Know a Bank" is a beautiful and evocative choral work that captures the magical and dreamlike quality of Shakespeare's text. Its lush harmonies and flowing melodies make it a joy to sing and listen to, and it remains a popular choice for choirs today.

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