The Lake Isle of Innisfree

The Lake Isle of Innisfree
William Butler Yeats
PETER BIRD
Moderato e = 120
PIANO
        
 




                           


   






14
T.
 



Pno.
Pno.

mf
 














 


        
 



 

3
  
  


     

 
     
mp
and a small ca - bin build there,
     



  

 



 

 

  
      



  
 have there, a hive for the hon - ey
       

    



   
   
                                

 
  
 mp
  
















   
   

  


A
Solo:
mf
Adagio q=72 (e = e)
  

          










A
I
will a - rise
and go
now, and go to In - nis - free,
Adagio
q=72
(e
=
e)
  
          
  




 

 
 
27
T.

Allegro e = 144

Pno.



  
 
21
T.

accel.
7
Pno.
p

- bee,
of clay and wat - tles
made;
Nine
in the
bee - loud
bean rows will I
  

    
 



3 




 
          
 
and live a - lone
 
       
   
    




glade.
3





   
  

3
Copyright © 2007 by George Peter Bird. This edition may be freely distributed, duplicated, performed, and recorded.
2
B
32
S.
 

  
mf

I

A.
3
   

 
will a - rise,
mf


and go
now,
  

rise,
3
I
     

T.
B.


I
Pno.

39
S.
A.


 


     
will a - rise,
B.

   


  
 
 go
to
   
 
Pno.
-

   
  
  


a -

rise,
now,
  

and
a small ca - bin build there,

3


   

 
 
  

nis - free.
 

In - nis - free.

   
   
  
 

there,

  
 

and
small ca - bin build
there,




and

 
go
to
    

 

 
  
made;

Nine
of clay and wat - tles made;

In - nis - free,
     
      
     




nis -
          
 
 
  
a
-
now,
 
of clay and wat - tles
and a small ca - bin build

In
     
and
        


nis - free.
go

now,
-
and go to
and
 


In


    

     
       

 
 
In
and go
  

 




 
mf
free.
T.
    

and go
B 
   


3


will
and go to
 
mf


a -
 
 

I

will
mf
Tutti:
   





 
Nine

In - nis - free.
       
 
of clay and wat - tles





made;
    


 

   
3
3
    

                   

   
    

46
S.
bean rows will I
A.
 


      
bean rows will I
T.
B.
Pno.
have there,
   

have there, a

   
 

To
In
hive for the hon - ey - bee, and live a - lone

   

 
hive for the hon - ey bee,
 

In - nis
- free.
- nis
      

       


      



C
h = 48 (bar = bar)
 Largo


 
 

 
52
S.
a
-
free.



a
in the
 
 

- lone
in the
  
A - lone


  
A - lone in the
         




     
 



bee
 
 
bee- loud
-
-


 
loud
bee - loud



 


 


loud
A.

Solo:S

B.

Solo:
   
 glade.
 
  
glade.
Pno.

mp
For
glade.
T.


 
glade.
   








in the
bee


mp

And

I

shall
  

have some peace
there,


for








C


 
  










 




pp



 
  
     


 

 




Largo

 h = 48 (bar = bar)
4
 

57
S.
 

peace comes drop
A.

 
-

 

  
morn
  
Pno.

-
   
drop
-

           
to where the

ing
 


 
to where

 
the
crick - et

a

 

mer,
 

  

 
 
a
glow,
 




    
the

   
 




a-
  
There mid - night's all
a-
   


 
   


     
 

 
 
and eve - ning
 
of
the
There mid - night's all
  



of
veils
 

sings;
sings;

from the
and eve - ning
  
pur - ple




veils
   
 
drop - ping

pur - ple glow,
 

 


-
et

 
 
  
 
and noon
-

   


  

crick

  
ping from the
  

    


ing
 

  
glim
Pno.


slow,
  

-
ing
 
  
glim - mer,
A.
slow,

67
S.
-
   


morn
A.

 

 




62
S.
ping

   
   
peace comes drop
Pno.
 

 


full
of
   

 
full

 

of
5
72
S.
 

  
lin
A.


lin
T.
B.
Pno.


-

-
D
 

nets'
wings.
Tutti:

Tutti:


 





 

    


 
 
B.
  
slow,
   
 ping slow,

 
ping
D

slow,
mp
  
 
shall
peace

I
 





  
I
shall
have some peace
shall
there,
 

there,
  
I shall
have some peace
for


drop -
 
peace comes drop -

for
 
peace comes drop -








ping from
   


the
drop - ping from the
veils
of the
 


veils
of

the
ping from the
veils
of the
   
veils
of the

  

morn - ing

the morn - ing
    

  
drop - ping, drop - ping from
  



            

 

  
  
for peace comes drop -
there,
there,
 
for peace comes drop -
  

have some peace
  
drop -
       

have some
legato
And
 

I
legato



slow,
    

ing
T.

And

  
legato
And
mp

legato



ping
A.

nets' wings. And
Tutti:
mp
78
S.
Tutti:
mp
   
morn - ing


morn - ing
to where the

 
to where

the
   
to where the
  

to where the
6
  

84
S.
 

crick - et
A.
  
T.
B.
 
 crick
sings;

- et

  
  
sings;

crick - et


crick - et
There mid - night's all

  

  
sings; There
  
sings; There
A.
 
  
and eve - ning
T.
B.

      
 eve - ning
 
  

eve

Pno.


-
ning


full



  

  


full
of
-
 
mer,
a
 
    
and noon a pur - ple
mid - night's all a - glim - mer, and
noon a pur - ple

  
 

lin
-
 
glow,

of

lin
of
-
lin
glow,
nets'
  
glow,



      









wings.
3
nets' wings.
  

lin
wings.
nets'

f

and
  
      

 

-
and
nets' wings.
 
-
 

3


glim

   
   
full


and noon a pur - ple glow,
 
of
   
full
  
mid - night's all a - glim - mer,
 
     

 

and eve - ning
     
a - glim - mer,
There mid - night's all a -
90
S.
   



 
  
3
3
 







         
3

           
 
3
3
7
E
  Moderato q=120 (bar = bar)

 
96
S.
A.
T.

 
  






f
(in strict tempo)

 
(e = e)

I
will
a


mf


I
will

f

 
I
will
A.

  
rise,
T.
B.
Pno.
   

  



and
go




and
go

 
 

for
all
now,



and
go
 
will


for
all

and
now,
go

rise,
 
a - rise,
 

  

 
 



 
ways
now,

   

-
pp
-
-

(e 
= e) 
  
 
now,
a


S.
 
a
mf
 








E
I
Moderato q=120 (bar = bar) (in stricttempo)
         
      
 


 

     
mf
Pno.


   


 





   




101
rise,

B.
 
  
-
 
night and


 
-
ways
night and



     
      
  



    
     
         


       


    


8
105
S.
 
 

day
 
A.


All
 
 day
T.
B.
Pno.

-

 

for
all
-


I
hear
    
lake wa - ter
 
night and

ways


I
hear
 
lap - ping

day
    
lake wa - ter

 
ways
night and
 mf
 
  
 with

low
sounds,
lap - ing
hear


 
  

day
I

hear



    

   

    
with




low
sounds,
with
lap - ping
 

    

with
     

lake wa - ter
Pno.

   
 
mf
B.
I

lake wa - ter
T.

                                       

          
          


 
 
 

with
A.

lap - ping
109
S.



with
low sounds by
low sounds by
low sounds by
the
the
the
 
  
low sounds by
the
shore;
shore;


shore;

shore;

 


  
                       

                        
   
 



F
 

 

 
I stand
on
the road
 
 

 
 
 While
 
113
S.
While
A.
While
T.
B.
 
 
While
Pno.

 
 
ments
T.
B.
 
 ments

 
ments
Pno.
on
the road

-
 
I stand
on
the road
 

 
I stand
on
the road
-
way,

way,

way,

-
way,

 
or
on
the pave
 

or
on
 
the pave
 

 
or
on
the pave
 


or
on
the pave
-
-
-

-

ments
A.
I stand
-

 
F


                                       







117
S.
9


gray,


gray,


I
hear


I

gray,
   
 










I
gray,



hear


(freely)

it







hear
it
it


I
hear

       
 
(tacet)



it



10
120
S.
 
 

in
A.
   

in
T.
B.
the
 
 in
the
  
the
 


 

in
the


deep


deep





heart's


heart's





core.









core.
heart's
deep


heart's
deep





core.

core.
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
from The Rose [1893]
by William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee;
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.
________________________________________________
Program notes: As Yeats wrote in Four Years, he had seriously contemplated the idea of
imitating Thoreau and living alone on this island. His sudden recall of the island while
standing in a city street led to this poem, which was one of the first in which he loosened
his meter and began to find his own voice. For many readers, it also works as a metaphor
for the hope of finding some “island” of peace and contentment in this life, before leaving
it. I hope this choral setting, with several soloists rather than one, will heighten that
universality. Each of the 3 stanzas has its own mood, which is why I change the time
signature from 3/4 to 2/2 to 5/4, and transform the melody and harmony in each.
Performance suggestion: Sing without vibrato.
P.B. 2007
PIANO
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
William Butler Yeats
PETER BIRD
   










 
             
Moderato e = 120

   


p

 
 
  

 


 
  
 
 


accel.
6


 

 

 

                  
       
  
 mp















   
 


A
Adagio q=72 (e = e)

       














  
  
   
     

mp
mf



           
     




 
 



Allegro e = 144
12

  
 

     





 
 
 
   
   
 









19


  

 








 

   







   
  

  



 




25

Copyright © 2007 by George Peter Bird. This edition may be freely distributed, duplicated, performed, and recorded.
V.S.
2
PIANO
3
  






       
3
mf
     
 

31
B
3


      
 

 
  
 


38

        


   
 
 





   


 
      

     

 
         
 


         
    









   
   
         

 

      

  

45

C




 
52

Largo h = 48 (bar = bar)

   


pp








   


 
 
 

   

     



      

 
 


  
   
  




  
                 








   

  
  
    
  
  
    





56

PIANO
3

  








 
 
     




  


 
        









66






  
   

  
    
   






61


70




  
 
 





 
73

D
 


 
              












4
PIANO
83







f

E
     

 
96

3



         
  
  
      


    
  
   
3
3
3
3
   (in strict tempo)
     

    
     



 









Moderato q=120 (bar = bar)
mf
    






N.B. Conductor and chorus continue in 5/4.
(e = e)












  
pp
 

  
  
   
  
  






 
100
  


103
                              
 

 
 
 
  




 
 








106
                             

   
 
 
 

 

 



 
 




PIANO
5
 





  
              
109
 



 

  

 
112
          

   

 
F

 



 


   
     


N.B. All are now together in 5/4.

                              

114






117
                   





(tacet)
