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SOPRANO AND HARP MUSIC

MUSIC FOR SOPRANO AND HARP

This page presents contemporary soprano and harp compositions. The repertoire highlights modern soprano harp duets and soprano and harp chamber music, featuring a collection of unique vocal works and innovative scores for this instrumentation.

A'L MISHKAVI BALEYLOT
(Upon my Bed by Night)

for soprano and harp

SOPRANO AND HARP MUSIC

Duration:
5 minutes

Instrumentation:
soprano and harp
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Year Composed:
1992
 
Text:
Canticles III 1-4
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Language:
Hebrew
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Written For:
Shira Green
 
Premiere Performance:
7 July, 1996
Jerusalem, Israel
Shira Green, soprano
Gittit Boasson, harp

About A’l Mishkavi Baleylot (Upon My Bed by Night)

A’l Mishkavi Baleylot is a 5‑minute work for soprano and harp, setting verses from Canticles III 1–4 in Hebrew. The text describes a woman searching through the night for the beloved she longs for, sensing his nearness yet not finding him until the moment of discovery. The music follows this arc of yearning and anticipation, shaped by the intimate dialogue between voice and harp. Its atmosphere reflects the quiet tension of night, the movement of searching, and the gentle arrival of hope when the beloved is found.
 

For the Performers

Level: Suitable for professional sopranos and advanced conservatory‑level performers.
 

Programming: Well suited for Hebrew‑language recitals, sacred or biblical‑text programs, contemporary soprano‑harp repertoire, or concerts exploring themes of love and longing.
 

Style: Lyrical, intimate writing; clear Hebrew text setting; harp and voice woven into a single expressive line.

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Program Notes

A'l Mishkavi Baleylot (translated from Hebrew as "Upon my bed by night") draws from Canticles III 1-4. It recounts the tale of a woman in search of her destined beloved, feeling his presence drawing near, seeking him through the night until she discovers him.

"A'l Mishkavi Baleylot" for soprano and harp

Selected Vocal Works for Soprano and Harp

  • Benjamin Britten – A Birthday Hansel, Op. 92 (1975)

  • George Crumb – Federico’s Little Songs for Children (1986–87)

  • Sophie Gail – N’est-ce pas d’elle (early 19th century)

  • Adolphus Hailstork – Lollipops (full song cycle) (1959)

  • Deborah Henson-Conant – The Nightingale (N/A)

  • Hideki Kozakura – Miau (2008)

  • Lior Navok – A’l Mishkavi Baleylot (1992)

  • Antonina Rostovskaya – Seven Romances (on verses by Pushkin) (2019)

  • Marcel Tournier – La Lettre du Jardinier (ca. 1912)

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