F. Delius. Manuscript score of "Two Songs for Children", in the hand of Jelka Delius, 1913 or later

Frederick Delius

Manuscript score of Two Songs for Children, in the hand of Jelka Delius, NOT RECORDED IN THRELFALL OR DCW

a fair-copy manuscript, notated in black ink on either three four-stave systems ("Little Birdie") or two six-stave systems ("The Streamlet's Slumber Song") per page, with a few pencil markings

3 pages, oblong 4to (26.8 x 35cm), 16-stave paper, no place or date, light dust-staining to first page, browning to edges, crease to upper outer corner of first leaf

Delius's charming Two Songs for Children ("Little Birdie" and "The Streamlet's Slumber Song") date from 1913 and were published by OUP in 1924.

The present manuscript in the hand of Delius's wife Jelka is not recorded in the online Delius Catalogue of Works (DCW), which lists as other sources for the work some autograph sketches and manuscript fair-copies of both songs in Jelka's hand (all in British Library: MS Mus. 1745/1/39 and 1745/4/3). The latter fair-copies were written out by Jelka in 1923 in connection with the publication in the Oxford Choral Song Series.

LITERATURE

Threlfall V/29; DCW 113