‘Robin Red-Breast’

‘Robin Red-Breast’

Goodbye, goodbye to Summer!

For Summer's nearly done;

The garden smiling faintly,

Cool breezes in the sun;

Our Thrushes now are silent,

Our Swallows flown away-

But Robin's here, in coat of brown,

With ruddy breast-knot gay.

Robin, Robin Redbreast,

O Robin dear!

Robing singing sweetly

In the falling of the year.

Bright yellow, red, and orange,

The leaves come down in hosts;

The trees are Indian Princes,

But soon they'll turn to Ghosts;

The leathery pears and apples

Hang russet on the bough,

It's Autumn, Autumn, Autumn late,

"Twill soon be winter now.

Robin, Robin Redbreast,

O Robin dear!

And what will this poor Robin do?

For pinching days are near.

The fireside for the Cricket,

The wheatsack for the Mouse,

When trembling night-winds whistle

And moan all round the house;

The frosty ways like iron,

The branches plumed with snow-

Alas! in Winter, dead, and dark,

Where can poor Robin go?

Robin, Robin Redbreast,

O Robin dear!

And a crumb of bread for Robin,

His little heart to cheer.

1. Score [flipbook version]
2. Score [download as zip file]

Anna has gained a reputation as a versatile soprano specialising predominantly in the interpretation of early and contemporary repertoire.

Anna is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and New England Conservatory (Boston) and furthered her studies in the Britten-Pears Young Artist Program featuring as a soloist at the Aldeburgh Festival (UK) under the direction of Richard Egarr and the late Antony Rolfe-Johnson.

As a core ensemble member of the Song Company for over a decade, Anna has had the pleasure of performing in a myriad of traditional and exploratory programming expertly demonstrating the versatility and virtuosity of a cappella singing. Equally at home as a dramatist on the stage presenting opera and historically informed chamber music, Anna is a strong exponent in music education, particularly with Moorambilla Voices and Gondwana Choirs.

Anna performs extensively with a number of Sydney's professional ensembles including Pinchgut Opera (since 2004 with notable roles in L'Orfeo, Dardanus, L’Ormindo, Castor et Pollux) and Cantillation; Sydney Chamber Opera (Dusapin’s Passion, Finsterer’s Biographica); Sydney Philharmonia Choirs; Sydney Symphony Orchestra; Ironwood; The Acacia Quartet, Ensemble Offspring; Halcyon; Taikoz; Bach Akadamie Australia, Australian Haydn Ensemble, Salut! Baroque, Sydney Consort and Thoroughbass. Anna has collaborated with international ensembles such as period specialists The Wallfisch Band (Bach Unwrapped cantata programmes at Kings Place, London) and the New Zealand String Quartet (Adam Chamber Music Festival, NZ; Canberra International Music Festival).

Luke is a Sydney-based composer, musical director and pianist. Recent commissions include Capricorn and Desert Sea for Sydney Philharmonia, Storm Bird, Buruwan Elegy and Birinyi for Gondwana Indigenous Children's Choir with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Where Sails Once Flew for Adelaide Chamber Singers. Luke arranged the national anthems for the 2015 Netball World Cup and in 2012 was composer-in-residence for Sydney Children's Choir.

In 2018, Luke's musical Between the Sea and Sky was selected for the New York Musical Festival where it won awards including Best Musical and Outstanding Music.

Luke is also a musical director in theatre, and in 2018 was the musical director for Sydney Theatre Company's The Harp in the South. Other credits include Muriel's Wedding and Chimerica (Sydney Theatre Company), The Events for Sydney Festival/Belvoir/Malthouse, Hamlet (Belvoir), The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (Belvoir/Sydney Festival) Big Fish (Hayes Theatre), and The World's Wife (Melbourne Theatre Company).

We can’t find a recording of this actual song but here is more inspiration:

• Robin - Royal Society for the Protection of Birds UK
• Robin Redbreast: Kids’ Songs for Christmas
• Little Robin Redbreast - Nursery Rhymes from Caitie's Classroom
• Little Robin Redbreast – The Wiggles
• Little Robin Redbreast – English folk rhyme