Some lullabies convey a wistful feeling, a holdover from times when disease made children’s lives much more precarious than they are today. Some lullabies address and gently soothe away children’s fears. Another function of lullabies is to focus our attention, as children and adults, on our most important beliefs.
Besides the calming effect, listening to lullabies gives us great insight into our past, as this music is past from one generation to the next. Today, the wealth of recorded music allows us to experience a huge range of lullabies from many cultures. Here are a few selections to start your child’s trip to dreamland around the world:
Lullaby: a Collection Music for Little People This cd collection begins in Sweden and travels to Canada, Spain, Africa, Japan, England, Native America, and the South Pacific. Bobby McFerrin ties it all together with "Common Thread."
Sweet Dreams CBS Records, Inc. The world of classical music contains many of the most beautiful musical lines ever written. This delightful sampling includes works by Gershwin, Brahms, Schumann, Mozart, Bach, Debussy, Ravel, Chopin, Humperdink, Mendelssohn and more. An almost exclusively instrumental album, the only human voice heard belongs to the lovely Frederica Von Stade in "Brezairola" from Chants d'Auvergne.
Lullabies: An Illustrated Songbook The Metropolitan Museum of Art This book is a wonderful blend of music and art from the museum's collection. Both lyrics and musical scores are included for classics like "All the Pretty Little Horses," and "Brahms' Lullaby." An interesting feature is the inclusion of several dialectical songs from the British Isles. Featured artists include Vincent van Gogh and Mary Cassatt.
Online Lullaby Sampler The following are links to sites offering lullaby cds for sale. Each has free samples to download.
http://www.flutesongs.com/ Traditional Japanese instrument selections featuring bamboo flute. Samples available in Quicktime or MP3 formats.
http://www.batkol.com/ Hanna Yaffe's Lullabies from Jerusalem offers a broad range of quiet children's songs from each of the historic cultures found in Jerusalem. Samples in English, Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, Russian, Yiddish, Iranian and Armenian in Real Audio format available.
http://www.rivannamusic.com/ Rivanna Music cds offer a unique format: side one features traditional songs for baby, side two contains original music just for Mom.
http://store.yahoo.com/melody/lullabies1... Music For Little People has lullaby albums of all types including Broadway, Classical and Global music. A favorite is Lullaby Berceuse, sung in English and French.
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