Nacht und Träume

SATB and piano

The first time I heard this Schubert lied was transfixing. The ostinato in the piano makes the work move at a glacial, almost imperceptible speed as the dreams in the poetry drift out over sleeping humanity, and the singer has to work mightily to make the dynamic and the pace sound easy.  I love pretty much every song Schubert wrote, but it’s not a stretch to say that “Nacht und Träume” is probably my favorite, and I’ve always wanted to arrange it for choir because I could hear sparkly, twenty-first-century harmonies in Schubert’s simple-yet-incredibly-moving music that, for me, brings the “Heil’ge Nacht” in the poetry to life even more.  The COVID-19 lockdowns gave me a reason to sit down and flesh out what I had been hearing (which I hope you’ll like).

This arrangement is dedicated with love and admiration to my very good friend, the incredibly talented Kurt Kruckeberg, Esq., who was the person who sat me down as a 21-year-old and said, “You’ve got to listen to this Schubert song.”

The Text

By Matthäus von Collin (1779-1824)

Heil’ge Nacht, du sinkest nieder;
Nieder wallen auch die Träume
Wie dein Mondlicht durch die Räume,
Durch der Menschen stille Brust.
Die belauschen sie mit Lust;
Rufen, wenn der Tag erwacht:
Kehre wieder, heil’ge Nacht!
Holde Träume, kehret wieder!

Holy night, you sink down;
Dreams, too, tumble down
Like your moonlight through space,
Through the quiet hearts of all;
They listen with delight
Calling when day awakens:
Return, holy night!
Sweet dreams, return again!