Musical Scores from Edward Lear’s Poems

Worthington Bliss, Mrs J. (Miss Lindsay). Song for Children. No. 5. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. London: Lamborn Cock, 1870s.
[Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music].

Pryce, Mostyn. Musical Nonsense Rhymes. London: Weekes & Co., 1876.

Apthorp, William Foster. The Owl and the Pussy Cat. Song. Sheet Music Collection; V. 97, No. 41. Boston: Carl Prüfer, 1878.

Troup, E. J., and Caroline Paterson. The Daddy Longlegs and the Fly. Nonsense Songs by Edward Lear No. 3. London: Stanley Lucas Weber & Co., 1885.

Ingraham, George. The Owl and the Pussy Cat. New York: G. Schirmer, 1886.
[Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music].

Ingraham, George. Nonsense Songs. New York: Schirmer, 1891.
Includes: The Owl and the Pussycat; The Duck and the Kangaroo; The Daddy Long Legs and the Fly; The Jumblies; The Nutcrackers and the Sugartongs; Calico Pie; Mr. and Mrs. Spikky Sparrow; The Broom the Shovel, the Poker and the Tongs; The Table and the Chair.

Cardew, H.W. Lear’s Nonsense Songs. Vol. 1. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat and Other Songs. London: The Vincent Music Company Ltd., 1901.

Cardew, H.W. Lear’s Nonsense Songs. Vol. 2. The Quangle Wangle’s Hat and Other Songs. London: The Vincent Music Company Ltd., 1901.

Lang, Margaret Ruthven. Nonsense Rhymes and Pictures: Op. 42. Leipzig, Boston: A.P. Schmidt, 1905.

Lang, Margaret Ruthven. More Nonsense Rhymes and Pictures: Op. 43. Leipzig, Boston: A.P. Schmidt, 1907.

Foote, Arthur. The Jumblies. [Part Song for Mixed Voices] Op. 68, No.4. Boston: Arthur P. Schmidt, 1908.

Backer-Lunde, Johan. The Owl and the Pussycat. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1914.

Bullard, Carrie. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. The Beacon Series – Octavo Music for Schools. Boston, New York, Chicago: Silver Burdett & Company, 1916.

De Koven, Reginald. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. G. Schirmer’s Secular Choruses: Men’s Voices; Humorous Quartets and Choruses. New York: G. Schirmer, 1917.

Harris, George. The Table and the Chair: A Tale. New York: G. Schirmer, 1925.

Farwell, Arthur. Calico Pie. 1927. 1 ms. score (2 p.) at the Library of Congress. Gift of Mrs. Arthur Farwell, Jan. 11, 1957.

Hely-Hutchinson, Victor. Three Nonsense Songs. London: Paterson’s, 1927.

Glass, Dudley. Nonsense Songs. London, New York: F. Warne, 1933.

James, Dorothy. The Jumblies: Cantata for Children’s Voices. Chicago, Ill.: H.T. Fitzsimons Co., 1935.

De Cevée, Alice. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat: Medium Voice. New York: C. Fischer, 1940.

Toye, Francis B. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. 1940s. 1 ms. score (6 p.) at Cornell University Library.

Hely-Hutchinson, Victor. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat: Unison. The Lyric Collection of Choral Music: Secular.  Ed. By J. Michael Diack, No. 1753. London: Paterson’s Publications, 1949.

Birch, Robert Fairfax. The Owl and the Pussy Cat: Op. 31, No. 4. New York: Joseph Patelson Music House, 1953.

MacMahon, Desmond. Four Nonsense Songs with Optional Mime. London: Paxton, 1953.
[The owl and the pussycat — Calico Pie — The duck and the kangaroo — The pelican chorus. Set to music by Desmond Macmahon; lyrics by Edward Lear].Petrassi, Goffredo. Nonsense: per coro a cappella da “The Book of Nonsense” di Edward Lear. Milano: Suvini Zerboni, 1953.

Searle, Humphrey. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat: For Speaker, Flute, Cello, and Guitar. London, New York: Oxford University Press, 1953.

Hageman, Richard. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. New York: Galaxy Music Corp., 1955.

Seiber, Mátyás. Three Nonsense Songs. Borough Green, Sevenoaks, Kent: Novello, 1956.
[I. There once was an old lady of France. — II. There was an old person of Cromer. — III. There was an old man in a tree. For S.A.T.B. unaccompanied].

Seiber, Mátyás. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat: For High Voice, Violin and Guitar. 1956. London: Schott, 1958.

Seiber, Mátyás. More Nonsense for Medium Voice and Four Instruments. 1958.
[See web page].

Stanford, Charles Villiers (under the pseudonym of Karel Drofnatski). Nonsense Rhymes. Words by Edward Lear. Voice and piano. London: Stainer & Bell, 1960.

Jones, Kelsey. The Table and the Chair. Toronto: Leeds, 1961.

Jones, Kelsey. Five Limericks. Toronto: Leeds, 1961.

Koch, John. Calico Pie. New York: General Music Pub. Co., 1965.

Petrassi, Goffredo. Sixth Nonsense, for Mixed Chorus (Ssattbb) a Cappella. From “The Book of Nonsense”. Milano: Edizioni Suvini Zerboni, 1966.

Elliott, Clinton. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. New York: MCA Music, 1967.

Stravinsky, Igor. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat: For Voice and Piano. London, New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1967.

Skolnik, Walter. Three Nonsense Songs of Edward Lear: For Four-Part Mixed Chorus (S.A.T.B.), a Cappella. Philadelphia: Elkan-Vogel, 1968.
[The pelican chorus — The Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò — The Ahkond of Swat].

Westergaard, Peter. Mr. & Mrs. Discobbolos: Chamber Opera after the Poem by Edward Lear. 1966. New York: Broude, 1968.

Westergaard, Peter. Divertimento on Discobbolic Fragments. 1967.
[This item and the previous one are performed in Audio CD CRI 696, 1995].

Bush, Geoffrey. Seven Limericks, for Two Part Choir & Small Orchestra. London: Novello, 1970.

Dale, Mervin. Eight Nonsense Songs. London: Ashdown, 1971.
[The Duck and the Kangaroo — The Table and the Chair — The Jumblies — Calico Pie — The Quangle Wangle’s Hat, The Daddy Long-Legs and the Fly — The Owl and the Pussy Cat — The Pobble Who Has No Toes.]

Pehkonen, Elis. Three Limericks: For Voices, Instruments and Piano. London: A. Lengnick, 1971.

Leighton, Kenneth. “Scherzo ‘Calico Pie’.” Laudes animantium (Opus 61). 1971. [Unpublished. Premiere: London, Purcell Room, June 12, 1973. Elizabethan Singers conducted by Herrick Bunney.]

Orr, Buxton. The Ballad of Mr. And Mrs. Discobbolos (Edward Lear): For Tenor and Piano (1970). London: B.V.F. Anglo-Continental Music Co., 1973.

Roxburgh, Edwin. How Pleasant to Know Mr. Lear, for Narrator and Orchestra. London: United Music Publishers, 1973.

Rutter, John. Five Childhood Lyrics: For Unaccompanied Mixed Voices. Oxford Choral Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1974.
[The Owl and the Pussy-Cat].

Horovitz, Joseph. The Dong with a Luminous Nose: For Brass Band and 4 Percussions. London: Novello & Co Ltd, 1975.

Gerhard, Roberto. The Akond of Swat: For Voice and Percussion. London: Oxford University Press, 1975.

Sims, Ezra. The Owl and the Pussycat: For Bass, Harmonica, Electric Guitar. Composers Facsimile Edition. New York: American Composers Alliance, 1975.
[See web page].

Thomson, Virgil. Selections from Cantata on Poems of Edward Lear. New York: G. Schirmer, 1975.
[V.1. The Jumblies (SATB with soprano solo) — V.2. Half an alphabet (canons for chorus) — The Akond of Swat (SATB, with baritone solo)].

Thomson, Virgil. Cantata on Poems of Edward Lear: For Four-Part Chorus of Mixed Voices with Soprano and Baritone Solos and Piano Accompaniment. New York: G. Schirmer, 1976.
[The owl and the pussycat.–The jumblies.–The pelican chorus.–Half an alphabet.–The akond of swat].

Thomson, Virgil. The Courtship of the Yongly Bongly Bo: For Voice and Piano. New York: G. Schirmer, 1977.

Maw, Nicholas. Calico Pie & Other Nonsense Rhymes: Songs and Rounds for Children. London, New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1978.

Kavasch, Deborah H. The Owl and the Pussycat: For Voices and One Narrator. Stockholm: Reimers, 1980.

Newberry, Sara. The Quangle Wangle’s Hat: From a Book of Nonsense, by Edward Lear. London, New York: Schott, 1984.

Kirkwood, Antoinette. The Akond of Swat: For Soprano, Tenor & Piano. London: Curlew Pub. Co., 1986.

Wagemans, Peter-Jan, and Wim Tigges. De Dong Met De Lumi-Neus: Opus 25: Voor Sopraan En Klarinetkwartet. Amsterdam: Donemus, 1986.

Lister, Rodney. The Owl and the Pussycat: 1982. Newton Centre, MA: GunMar Music, 1987.

Kirkwood, Antoinette. The Cummerbund: An Indian Poem: For Soprano, Tenor, Piano (or Guitar). London: Curlew Pub. Co., 1988.

Thomas, Richard Pearson. A Little Nonsense: Songs to Poems of Edward Lear: For High Voice. s.i.: Portage Press, 1988.
[The pobble who has no toes — Calico pie — The owl and the pussycat].

Somers, Harry. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat: For Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor and Piano. London, Ont.: Jaymar, 1991.

Mathias, William. Learsongs: Settings of Edward Lear for Soprano and Alto Chorus and Piano Duet. Oxford Music for Upper Voices. Oxford, New York: Music Dept., 1992.
[Calico pie — The owl and the pussycat — The duck and the kangaroo — Uncle Arly — The pelican chorus].

Williams, Felicity. The Quangle Wangle’s Hat. Chapel Hill, NC: Treble Clef Music Press, 1992.

Bush, Geoffrey. Seven Limericks: Mainly About Musicians. London: Novello, 1997.

Bennett, Richard Rodney. Calico Pie: Five Poems of Edward Lear for Chorus a Cappella. London: Novello, 1998.
[Calico pie — The Jumblies — The Cummerbund — The Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò — The Akond of Swat].

Campbell, Debbie. The Owl and the Pussycat: An Imaginative and Humorous Look at the Well-Known Story by Edward Lear, with Nine New Songs. Can be performed as a musical or a concert piece. Teacher’s book: production notes and vocal score with chord symbols. Edited by Alison Hedger. London: Golden Apple, 1998.

Lang, Margaret Ruthven. The Jumblies: Op. 5: Composed by Male Chorus, Baritone Solo and Two Pianofortes. Library of Congress Choral Series. Includes notes by Robert Saladini and foreword by James H. Billington. Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Walton Music, 1998.

Lang, Margaret Ruthven. The Old Man of Dumbree; the Old Lady of France; and, the Person of Filey: S.S.A.A. And Piano. Library of Congress Choral Series;. Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Walton Music, 1998.

Kilpatrick, John. The Jumblies, for unaccompanied singers. John Kilpatrick, 1998.

Lang, Margaret Ruthven. Nonsense Rhymes and Pictures. Introduction by Martha Furman Schleifer. Bryn Mawr, Pa.: Hildegard Pub. Co., 1998.

Kilpatrick, John. The Jumblies, for unaccompanied singers. John Kilpatrick, 1998. [PDF]

Sarhan, François. Such Is Life for Satbar. 2000.
[PDF available online. Performed by VOX Quartet in Such is Life, Footprint Records, Audio CD, 2004].

Kilpatrick, John. The Dong, for unaccompanied singers. John Kilpatrick, 2003. [PDF]

Forsyth, Malcolm. The Dong with a Luminous Nose for Mezzo-Soprano, Viola and Piano. Markham, Ont.: Counterpoint Musical Service, 2004.

Yanov-Yanovsky, Dmitri. Five Limericks by Edward Lear for Voice, Violin, Cello, Piano. 2005.

Ellson, Jonathan. Sailing Away. A Setting of Poems by Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll and Eugene Field. For Two-Part Children’s Voices and Piano. London: Ellson Music Services, 2006.
[The Jumblies — Jabberwocky — Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.]

White, Nicholas. The Ahkond of Swat. A mini-Cantata setting of the Edward Lear nonsense poem. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. [Sample]
SATB/Soloists/Piano [White’s Web Site]

White, Nicholas. The Jumblies. A mini-Cantata setting of the Edward Lear nonsense poem. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. [Sample]
SATB/Soloists/Piano [Also Treble version, SSA/Soloists/Piano, Sample]

White, Nicholas. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. [Sample, Audio]
SATB divisi/Piano [Also Solo Voice/Piano, Sample]

Robertson, Thomas. “Variations on Poems by Edward Lear.” Self-published, 2011. [PDF]
SB Chorus and Piano

Santore, Jonathan. The Owl and the Pussycat for SATB and Piano (or Guitar). Los Angeles: Yelton Rhode Music, 2011. Web Page.

Griffin, Steven, The Courtship of the Yonghy Bonghy Bo, for children’s choir with optional soloists, piano and optional string quartet. GriffMusic, 2011. Score and mp3 file.