No. 1: Watchful’s Song (Nocturne) From Pilgrim Progress by R. Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

“Watchful’s Song“ and “The Bird Song“ are both from an opera called Pilgrim’s Progress. It is based on the book Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. This book served as an inspiration to Vaughan Williams throughout his life, but the theater piece did not take its complete shape until 1949. The story follows a pilgrim who is on a spiritual journey to heaven. “Watchful’s Song“ forms an “intermezzo“ between acts I and II and is sung by a fellow pilgrim. AMANDA KOOPMAN - mezzo soprano and THOMAS ZEMAN - pianist