Šūpļa dziesma (Lullaby)

Conductor Notes:

SSAA a cappella with incidental soprano and alto solos.

I discovered this charming piece on a YouTube posting by the Milwaukee Choral Artists and Dr. Sharon Hansen.

Supla Dziesma is an a cappella lullaby by Maija Einfelde (b. 1939), another composer who was a new discovery for me. She is a Latvian composer and music educator and has received wide international recognition for her chamber music and choral works. She studied in Jānis Ivanovs’ composition class at the Latvian State Conservatory, graduating in 1966. In 1997, she was awarded the Latvian Great Music
Award. In 1999, she was awarded the Culture Award of the Republic of Latvia, and in 2000, the Copyrights’ Infinity Award. In 2002, the composer became an honorary member of the Academy of Science.

References:

This lists any discs, concerts or collections where this piece is included.

Collections:

Concerts:

Latvian Folksong

Thanks to Laura Adlers for the translation of this charming, traditional text.

English Translation:
Little mouse rides his squeaky wagonload of “sleep”
Little mouse, ride into this home with your wagonload of “sleep” Sleep has been teasing this child, squatting on the threshold Mamma, take a birch rod and chase the sleep into the cradle Little mouse rides his squeaky wagonload of “sleep”