MS Mus. 426

MS Mus. 426. Alan Bush Collection. Vol. ci. Songs for voice and piano; [1958-61, 1974-77].

ff. 99. 367 x 274mm.

1. ff. 1-32. ‘Life’s Span’ (words, Nancy Bush and Cecil Day Lewis), four songs for mezzo-soprano and piano, op.77 [listed as op.79]; [1958, 1961, 1974]. The first two songs were originally written as op.48. No.2 published (in F sharp major) with words in English and Russian in Piesni (Moscow: Sovietskii Kompozitor, 1963).

i. ff. 1-7. ‘A Child Asleep’ (words, Nancy Bush). Score, in ink.

ii. ff. 8-17. ‘Learning to Talk’ (words, C. Day Lewis). Two scores, in F sharp major and E major, both in ink.

iii. ff. 18-29. ‘The Long Noonday’ (words, Nancy Bush). Draft score, in pencil. With a typewritten copy of the words, dated Dec. 1972 (f. 19). An earlier title, ‘Most Constant Grown’, is deleted from the title page.

iii. ff. 30-32. ‘Beauty’s End is in Sight’ (words, C. Day Lewis). Score, in ink.

2. ff. 33-72. ‘De Plenos Poderes’ (words, Pablo Neruda), song cycle for baritone and piano, op.86; [1976-77]. Spanish. Score, in ink. The first two songs were originally written as ‘Two songs for baritone and piano’, op.80.

i. ff. 34-43. ‘Nada Más’. With a draft score in pencil (ff. 35-9).

ii. ff. 44-7. ‘El Perezoso’.

iii. ff. 48-72. ‘El Pueblo’. Two scores.

3. ff. 73-91. ‘Woman’s Life’ (words, Nancy Bush), song cycle for soprano and piano, op.87; [1977]. Commissioned by Woking Music Club.

i. ff. 73-8. ‘Prologue’.

ii. ff. 79-83. ‘Weaving Song’.

iii. ff. 83v-85. ‘Factory Day’.

iv. ff. 86-91. ‘Epilogue’.

includes:

• ff. 1-7, 18-29, 73-91 Nancy Rachel Bush, wife of Alan Bush, composer: Libretti, poems and translations, set to music by A. D. Bush: circa 1943-1986.
• ff. 33-72 Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basualto, alias 'Pablo Neruda': 'De Plenos Poderes', song cycle by A. D. Bush , to words by P. Neruda: [1976-77]: Span.
• ff. 73-91 Woking Music Club: 'Woman's Life', song cycle by A. D. Bush , commissioned by Woking Music Club: [1977].