William Blake’s Songs Of Innocence and Of Experience dwells in the realm of nuance, with multiple, even conflicting interpretations. This ambiguity is what attracted me to his poem, The Angel. In the beginning an idealistic young girl, in the glow of wonderment, dreams of being a “maiden queen.” As the poem unfolds, her music moves from chaste pop song simplicity to complexity. Was her Angel over-protective, even misleading? Did the Angel abandon her in her time of need? Did she mislead her Angel? The question whether she needlessly sacrificed her youth and desires leads her to doubt, then anger, but also independence. Aware, and armed with gray-haired wisdom, she has no need of an Angel. After an intense instrumental interlude, the opening simple drum groove returns and then is embedded in the pitched instruments, creating a faint funereal echo. The song’s rueful weariness is disrupted by a last rush of unresolved sound, which hangs questioning in the air. I’m proud to take part in this joint student-faculty composition project designed by Dr. Stephen Gorbos. I’d also like thank my performers Balance Campaign, and mezzo-soprano Carolyn Shaffer. You can hear, or see the premiere performance (4/24/24) above.

The Angel

I dreamt a dream! What can it mean?
And that I was a maiden Queen
Guarded by an Angel mild:
Witless woe was ne’er beguiled!

And I wept both night and day,
And he wiped my tears away;
And I wept both day and night,
And hid from him my heart’s delight.

So he took his wings, and fled;
Then the morn blushed rosy red.
I dried my tears, and armed my fears
With ten-thousand shields and spears.

Soon my Angel came again;
I was armed, he came in vain;
For the time of youth was fled,
And grey hairs were on my head.

The Angel is also available for mezzo-soprano and piano