Serenade

Sergei Taneyev (1856–1915) was a great Russian master of counterpoint and a great musical poet of Romantic sentiment. In this early miniature, written when he was only 21 years old, he already demonstrates his mastery of the composer’s craft, fashioning a gentle, but evocative lullaby in which a mother lovingly hushes her infant to sleep through beautiful images of nature. Simple and effective, this piece is eminently accessible to choirs of all levels. (Interestingly, though secular, it was included in Volume III of the Hearts of Space CD anthology Sacred Treasures.)