Into the Woods My Master Went
Grade 3-6 Children’s Choir (or ANY age choir) for unison or two-part treble voices, oboe (or flute), violin and piano (or harp)
Text: Sidney Lanier (1842-1881)
Vocal Range: e to d’ (2nd part – B to d’)
Key: e minor
Meter: 6/8
Description: Into the Woods My Master Went offers the Sidney Lanier text set to a folk-like melody with flowing sixteenth note accompaniment. Appropriate for Ash Wednesday or any time during Lent, choristers will readily learn this anthem’s melody line, yet will be challenged to work on the tuning of the intervals between the two voice parts.
Teaching Guide
- Teach the choristers to sing the melody and harmony in bars 33-36, followed by the melody and harmony of the rest of the second stanza.
- Teach each phrase with text and melody together, emphasizing intonation and breath support.
- Work on diction and dynamics.
Into the woods my Master went,
Clean for spent, for spent.
Into the woods my Master came,
For spent with love and shame.
But the olives, they were not blind to Him,
The little gray leaves they were kind to Him,
The thorn tree had a mind to Him,
When into the woods He came.
Out of the woods my Master went,
And He was well content.
Out of the woods my Master came,
Content with death and shame.
When death and shame would woo Him last,
From under the trees they drew Him last,
‘Twas on a tree they slew Him last,
When out of the woods He came.