Hansel and Gretel - Sandman and Evening Prayer

From the Bel Canto Opera production of Hansel and Gretel, the frightened children have lost their way and must spend the night in the depths of the Black Forest. They are put to sleep by the Sandman (Sue Black).

GRETEL: i am frightened. I am frightened.
I wish we were home
It's in this forest where the witches roam.
HANSEL: Gretelchen, it's all right, don't be glum
Hold on to me tight - no harm will come.
GRETEL: The ghosts are coming out to catch us
Look! They are moving up close to snatch us!
They're coming! They're coming...to take us away.
Mother...Father...Ah!
HANSEL: Look there! A pixie. Who is he?
No little gnome can frighten me!
SANDMAN:I am the Sandman...hello
I'm quite a friendly fellow
So sorry I alarmed you
I'd die before I harmed you
I've brought along a grand surprise...
Magic sand to sprinkle in your eyes
If the magic's real...you'll feel a yawn
then your eye-lids droop and soon you'll be gone
to slumberland to dream the night away
Then, in the arms of Morpheus once again,
he will count the hours, and tell you when
you should wake to greet the break
of one more day.
Now, sleep, and do your dreaming while the angels keep their watch on high
Now they're standing by,
so you must try
to sleep.
HANSEL: I'm nearly there.
GRETEL: Not till we've said our evening prayer.
BOTH: Now I lay me down to sleep
Pray the Lord my soul to keep.
Fourteen angels guide me
Two by two beside me.
On each side are seven,
from the gates of Heaven...
shielding me from cares,
Listening to my prayers.
If I die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

words © Tom Boyd

Category:

Music

Tags:

• bel
• canto
• opera
• hansel
• and
• gretel
• engelbert
• humperdinck
• boyd
• erin
• johnson
• catherine
• benson
• sandman
• sue
• black
• prayer

[whaaaat91892]

This is great! Do you have Gretel's Aria like "Where am I" through the "tirelireli" bit?

[hughdrover]

Yes, you can find Gretel's "where am I?" scene at the Hughdrover channel.

[LillaAlskling]

I swear the prayer is a version of the Naval Hymn. Listen to both and see what you think.

[hughdrover]

I imagine you mean the Navy Hymn

"Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave",

with words by William Whiting of Winchester, England, in 1860, which is a hymn used by both the British Royal Navy and the United States Navy. It is sung to the hymn tune Lodsworth, which doesn't sound anything like the Evening Prayer by Humperdinck. I don't understand what the connection could be.

[MDalto1]

That's different...the version I sang for jury said "When at night I go to sleep 14 angels watch do keep. Two my head are guarding. Two my feet are guiding. Two are on my right hand, 2 are on my left hand. Two who warmly cover, two who o'er me hover. Two to whom 'tis given to guide my steps to Heaven."

[ChrissiChrisp]

i have to sing the sandman xDDD

[themagicfreak4]

english

[mc06capt]

amazing, my old singing teacher plays gretel in this production!

[hildegarthUNDdetlef]

Ich hab Sandmann schon einmal gesungen .....

schönes Stück

[singingmuse]

This version is much more understandable (for me) than the German version. Thanks for posting it.

[horndiapason]

If you're referring to the tune by John B. Dykes, it is named "Melita", at least in the States. As LillaAlskling noted, the melodic contour is quite similar, as are the modulations. I also dearly love both tunes!

[mueckel92]

what´s the language??

[EquineRider4Life]

oh tis is the part right after the solo voices ah lol. I was one of them, do you have the children scene or did they not have children in this production?