The Five Songs of Laurence Hope by H.T. Burleigh
A History and Analysis Through the Pedagogical Lens
Tae Woodward
British and American Song; MUS 5572
September 28, 2026
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
H.T. Burleigh’s significance as an artistic composer is due to much more than his spiritual arrangements. In this paper I will examine the Five Songs of Laurence Hope song cycle by H.T. Burleigh and its history and pedagogic value. Through secondary scholarship, archival research, and score analysis I will assert that the Hope songs are not only proof of H.T. Burleigh’s significance in the American musical canon but also a valuable pedagogical tool for the advanced singer to hone their technical and artistic abilities.
Erotic. Intimate. Breathtaking. Beautiful. These are all words I would use to describe H.T. Burleigh’s Five Songs of Laurence Hope song cycle. Burleigh is well known for his spiritual song output but not often considered for his secular art songs. I believe it is important that we look at Burleigh as more than just a composer of spirituals, but as a composer in his own right. Burleigh himself wanted to be known for more than his spirituals and was intensely proud of his art song composition. He was widely considered a very humble and modest man. He did not consider himself to be a composer, rather he saw himself as a singer because that was how he “earned his daily bread”1 But when asked what he would do with is time if he didn’t have to sing to make money, he replied that he would rather compose.
Ellsworth Janifer, Roland Lewis Allison, Jean E. Snyder, and Gregory Zavracky, among other scholars, have begun this discussion of H.T. Burleigh’s non-spiritual art songs and their importance to the American musical style. Through Janifer’s research, he outlines Burleigh’s compositional output and analysis of his compositional style. Zavracky’s research is heavily referenced through this article, as he is the leading scholar in research on this song cycle so far, and by far the most recent in my research. Though, Allison and Snyder are highly knowledgeable as well. Their synthesis and chronology of Burleigh’s compositional output was extremely useful in my analysis of this song cycle. I intend to continue the discussion through my analysis of secondary scholarship, archival research of newspapers and magazines, and analysis of Burleigh’s scores. In this paper I will be exploring H.T. Burleigh’s Five Songs of Laurence Hope song cycle as well as H.T. Burleigh himself. I will examine the text, history, musical forces, and pedagogical application of the Five Songs of Laurence Hope cycle as well as biographical information of Harry Thacker Burleigh.
Biographical Information – H.T. Burleigh
H.T Burleigh was born in Erie, Pennsylvania on December 2nd, 1866, approximately one year after the American Civil War ended. In his childhood Burleigh studied piano, voice, guitar, and upright bass. He loved music so much that when he was a child he stood for hours in the snow to listen to pianist, Rafael Joseffy. In 1892, at the age of 26, he received a scholarship to study at the National Conservatory of Music in New York under Victor Herbert and Antonin Dvorak. While Burleigh was at the National Conservatory of Music, Dvorak composed his symphony “From the New World” and in fact, Burleigh was directly influencing Dvorak’s view of American musical style and what it should be. In an interview with James Creelman Dvorak says:
“I am now satisfied that the future music in this country must be founded upon what are called negro melodies. This must be the real foundation of any serious and original school of composition to be developed in the United States.”2
This comment was not received well by American composers, even though spirituals and plantation songs are a huge part of American musical history. Dvorak also took inspiration from Burleigh’s singing while he was working as a janitor at NCM to pay his tuition. Burleigh wrote;
“I gave him what I know of Negro songs...and he wrote some of my tunes into the New World Symphony.”3
Burleigh also says in an interview for Musical America that he
“used to play and sing [the tunes of the negro, songs and spirituals] for [Dvorak] and he was keenly interested in them, finding their beauty distinct and individual.”4
While at NCM in 1895, Burleigh is also reported to have participated in a series of sit-ins at various diners in New York City. This was directly following a bill passed promising “equal accommodation” in NYC.5 This meant that African American citizens were given equal access to restaurants, theatres and public transportation. This should not be confused with the end of segregation, simply the beginning of change.
H.T. Burleigh lived in a time of radical change. The American Civil War ended in 1865 followed by the assassination of Presidentt Lincoln and the introduction of the 13th amendment which bans slavery (except for those persons who have been convicted of a crime). In 1868 the 14th amendment grants citizenship to African Americans. The first transcontinental railroad is constructed in 1869. In 1870 the 15th amendment gives African American men the right to vote. In 1877 reconstruction ends, and U.S troops leave the south, and the lightbulb, phonograph and telephone are invented. In 1890, The Sherman Anti-Trust act is passed to limit and control monopolies. The Spanish-American war begins in 1898. The Philippine-American war begins in 1899. Airplanes and cars are invented in 1903. Schoenberg explores atonality in 1909. Stravinsky’s rite of spring is written in 1913. The first world war begins, and Charlie Chaplin makes his first silent movie in 1914. Albert Einstein publishes the General Theory of Relativity, and H.T. Burleigh’s hope songs are premiered in 1916. The first world war ends in 1918. Mussolini seizes power in 1922. Penicillin is discovered, Bessie Smith records the first blues songs, and Mickey Mouse is born in 1928. Hitler happens and now alcohol is legal in 1933. World War II ends in 1945. And one year after Burleigh’s death, the US joins the Korean war.
In his early career, he worked as a soloist at St. George’s Protestant Episcopal Church and at Temple Emanu-El. He also did tours and sang in London for King Edward VII. He was the first African American chosen as a soloist at Temple Emanu-El. In 1914, Burleigh became one of two African American charter members of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and in 1941 he became the first African American appointed on the ASCAP board of directors. One year after the Five Songs of Laurence Hope were premiered, Burleigh was awarded the Spingarn medal by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – an award specifically for outstanding achievements made by black Americans. Burleigh was the third person to hold this award after Ernest Just for his biology research and Charles Young for his military service in Liberia. After being awarded the Spingarn Medal, Burleigh was given an honorary doctorate from Harvard University in 1920.
His compositional output includes ninety songs (including thirty-one uncategorized), two song sets, one set of plantation melodies, and forty-nine spiritual arrangements. Choral spiritual arrangements including twenty-four SATB choral spirituals, two SSA choral spirituals, four TTBB choral spirituals, and one SSAA choral spiritual. Burleigh also composed three SATB sacred part songs and eleven TTBB, four SATB, and one SSAA secular part songs. He composed six choral responses, six plantation melodies for violin and piano, and an old songs hymnal.6 Burleigh’s work has been organized into three periods by Roland Lewis Allison: The early period (1898 to 1904), the middle period (1904 to 1912), and the late period (1913 to 1917).7 The Five Songs of Laurence Hope song cycle falls in Burleigh’s “late period”. This, according to Allison, is Burleigh’s most dramatic and difficult period.8 Burleigh continued to compose after 1917 but it is Allison’s assertion that thse four years (1913-1917) demonstrate a peak in Burleigh’s compositional growth and style.9
Biographical Information – Laurence Hope
Laurence Hope, or Adela Florence Nicols, was born on April 9th, 1865, and committed suicide on October 4th, 1904. She grew up in England and went to a boarding school near London until she turned sixteen when she and her sisters moved to Lahore, India to be with their father and help him edit the Sind Gazette. She, as a woman, enjoyed very little fame in her lifetime and published her poetry under the male pseudonym, Laurence Hope. Her poems were seen as “exotic” and “oriental” due to their erotic nature and perceived “Eastern” attributes. The poems weren’t actually published until about three years before her death. When publishing her first book of poetry Garden of Kama in 1901 she marketed the book as a translation of Indian poetry to try and “legitimize” her writing.10
The Five Songs of Laurence Hope – Premier and History
The Five Songs of Laurence Hope premiered on March 19th, 1916. A year before Burleigh’s Spingarn Medal was awarded, and shortly after World War I began, The Five Songs for Laurence Hope were premiered by tenor, John McCormack. According to Zavracky, “The enthusiastic response from the audience required the last of the Hope songs, “Till I Wake” to be repeated.”11 And it’s no wonder. Most of Burleigh’s compositions were well received by audiences of the time. He is called a “composer by divine right”12 in an article published in the Musical America newspaper by Kramer in 1916 following the Hope Songs premiere.
At the time of the Hope songs publication Burleigh was already an established composer who was working as an editor for G. Ricordi, and he was a charter member of the ASCAP. Burleigh’s compositional style was well established, and audiences loved it. Many performers included Burleigh’s compositions on their programs during this time, and it’s no surprise that the Hope songs had a great reception at their premier. Even today, Burleigh’s music is celebrated by musicians and critics. In a blog post on her website, Sarah Riskind praises “Among the Fuchsias” from Burleigh’s Five Songs of Laurence Hope for its “gorgeous romantic melodies and ... Dynamic contrast”.13
The Five Songs of Laurence Hope – Analysis and Personal Reflection
The edition of the Five Songs for Laurence Hope that I will be using for this analysis was published by G. Ricordi at the time that Burleigh was an editor there. I will assume that all articulation and dynamic markings were intended by H.T. Burleigh.14
In the first song of the cycle, “Worth While” taken from Adela Florence Nicolson’s Stars of the Desert published in 1903, the text speaks of a person whose lover is dead or gone in some way. The singer finds comfort in their memories of times with their lost love.
Burleigh begins the piece with a slow, solo piano line. The piece proceeds, and the singer echoes the tune, relying rhythmically on the text. The metric feeling of swaying portrayed through syncopation throughout reminds me of a heartbeat driving the piece forward. The singer and piano both cut out in m. 7 and pause for several beats as the singer contemplates their place in the world without their lover. The piano comes in more tranquil and smooth as the singer asks themselves if they would rather never have met their lover than have loved and lost them. The piano becomes agitated again in m. 20 with the answer. The piece ends with the piano alone again, settling into a D major chord. The piece until this point is in the relative minor, B minor, with many non-diatonic chords and tones. This gives the impression that the singer has found peace with their thoughts by the end of the song. I believe that it sets the mood for the second piece perfectly as the singer reminisces on specific memories in “The Jungle Flower”.
In the second song, “The Jungle Flower” from Last Poems, is a richly erotic text which speaks of two different kinds of love. A love enjoyed and savored, and a love far too brief. The contrast in this text is very interesting as the first stanza evokes a wild and passionate love, lived in and enjoyed. The second stanza reads as quieter and more somber, brief and soft.
Again, the piano begins alone, this time with a bassline reminiscent of Asian string instruments. Burleigh utilizes other “exoticist” techniques like parallel fourths and fifths. The piece mostly goes between F melodic and natural minor. Like the first song in the cycle, Burleigh uses long, dramatic pauses that give the impression that the singer is thinking, engaging in an inner dialogue that the listener can only guess at. To show the contrast in the text, the piano line corresponding to wild and free love in mm. 26-29 is marked rubato and is pushed into an accelerando in mm. 30-33. The tempo continues to push and pull through the next section of the piece (mm. 34-52). Then in the second portion, the more somber and soft love, the tempo slows to a Largo gradually slowing to the end. This gives the impression that the singer is attempting to prolong their memory as they wish they could have in life. The piece, again, ends in a Major tonality.
In the third song, “Kashmiri Song” from India’s Love Lyrics, the singer reminisces on a love lost. It is a painful text, one of heartbreak and loss at the hands of another.
This song again begins with a solo piano tune repeated by the singer. Dissonant grace notes again give the impression of Eastern instruments along with parallel fourths and fifths creating a sparse texture. Every time the singer has the text “farewell” (in mm. 18-19, 38-40, 62-63), the music is drawn out and dynamically diminished towards the end of the phrase. This gives the impression that the singer is feeling hurt or sadness as they sing these lines. Conversely, the music builds dramatically in mm 13-15, 49-54. The first instance of this dramatic building happens under the words “Whom do you lead on Rapture’s roadway far” and lends itself to a feeling of jealousy and desperation. The later instance of this technique happens under the text “I would have rather felt you ‘round my throat” giving a sense of desperation and sorrow. The piece begins in b minor but ends on a B major chord.
In the fourth song, “Among the Fuchsias” from Stars of the Desert, the singer is being tempted into a secret affair. It also reflects on parenthood and implies that having children “links” us to an “unseen” chain. In the full text, the speaker goes on to beg their lover not to tempt them anymore, that they are not strong enough to resist.
The piano begins alone with a tune that the voice picks up and expands upon. The use of parallel fourths and fifths as well as utilizing an “Arabic” or double harmonic major scale. Burleigh uses tempo changes and harmonic structure to portray a conflicted mood. In mm 15- 20 he builds the temp as the singer speaks of having children with his lover, then slows down in mm 21-24 where the singer mentions the “last link none may see”. This happens again in mm. 32-40 and slows down in mm. 42-end. As the text “why is a thing so sweet so wrong” is repeated in mm. 45-46 and 47-49, Burleigh emphasizes the word “Why” in m. 45 with a forte marking the crest of a crescendo. He also emphasizes “Sweet” in m. 48 with a marcato accent and the same with “wrong” in m. 49. This piece also ends on a major chord.
In the final song, “Till I Wake” from India’s Love Lyrics, is a beautiful text where the singer is dying and begs their lover to kiss them one last time so that, if there is an afterlife, they can feel their lover’s kiss forever.
The piano plays the tune first with the vocalist following. This piece does not have many exoticist elements. Burleigh uses the dramatic pause again in m. 44. The use of marcato accents is again employed on the word “lips” in mm. 70, 72, and 74. Followed by a fermata on the same word in m. 78. The piece also ends on a major chord.
These songs are unified in compositional style through Burleigh’s use of beginning piano motives and vocal imitation of those motives, the final major chords in pieces with minor tonalities, and exoticist elements. He uses tempo and dynamic fluctuations well to assist in his musicality and artistry as well as utilizing articulation markings to further emphasize words and phrases throughout the music. Burleigh also uses a half diminished seventh chord on the raised sixth scale degree frequently through the cycle. Zavracky calls this the “Burleigh chord”15
I feel that the overarching story of these songs is one of love and regret. Having lost a lover, the singer embarks on a nostalgic journey, remembering the good and bad times of their relationship. The singer finishes this journey in “Till I Wake” with a heart wrenching cry for their lover’s kiss and touch one last time so they may feel them for all eternity in the afterlife. It is a beautiful story, one that must have captivated audiences in a time when broody and erotic stories and art were so loved and admired.
As for why he chose this text, Burleigh was adamant that the text must inform the music. Burleigh says:
“The text determines the character of a song. The kind of music one writes is governed by this solely, I believe. If the American composer will only remember that when he chooses, he is to look for poems in which the spiritual forces of mercy, justice, truth play a part, he will be adding to the literature things that have a big meaning. For me a poem must have more than just an ordinary sentimental reference before I can set it, or rather before it makes an impression on me.”16
I believe that he chose the Laurence Hope songs because of their rich, erotic text and (at the time) Eastern influence, finding them emotional and deep enough to be worthy of his composition. Burleigh did, like many of his contemporaries, have a fascination with Eastern culture and used exoticist techniques in several compositions.17 This shows itself heavily in the Five Songs of Laurence Hope cycle as well as his art song” Thy Heart”.18
The Five Songs of Laurence Hope – Application and Pedagogical Thoughts
This song cycle was written for the tenor voice with its high tessitura and lofty peaks. I would argue that it would also be fitting for soprano voices given the range and tessitura of the pieces. I agree with Zavracky in his position that the songs would also be appropriate for a soprano voice since the poet, although posing as a man, was a woman.19 Zavrackey also states that the cycle could be suitable for a baritone or mezzo if treated properly and, while I am inclined to agree simply because I personally know a few mezzos and baritones who are capable, I would say that the piano high Bb in “Till I Wake” would be a very challenging obstacle for those voice types. I also would argue that this cycle is best for lyric voices. The emotionality calls for a warmer tone, and the music is written in a high tessitura.
This cycle is not for the novice singer. The challenging harmonic structure, non-diatonic notes, difficult rhythms, and intense emotional artistry as well as the erotic content would give me pause if assigning this to any singer who was not at least a collegiate singer in their third or fourth year of training. Exceptional cases may exist, but I think that even these singers may find these pieces too tricky. Among the technical challenges in this song cycle, a singer must be able to “float” high notes to produce quiet tones in the higher register, be wary of over singing forte high notes, navigate tempo and dynamic fluctuations, have an excellent grasp on the differences in articulation through the cycle, be able to sing large intervals easily, and sing consistently in and around their passaggio points. (D4-E4, G4-A4 for tenors and E4-F4, E5-F5 for soprano) Within that skill level, I believe assigning this cycle would be a great way to teach stamina across an entire cycle and to coach artistry and acting choices. It’s a very emotional cycle with music that lends itself to emotional interpretation.
This cycle is also difficult from the pianist’s perspective with its chromaticism, tempo and dynamic fluctuations, large leaps, and artistic timing. Both performers would have to be incredibly skilled and well-practiced to perform these pieces. Singers may also find trouble performing with a pianist without extensive rehearsal as there are many places where tempos change and the long, dramatic pauses could be tricky to navigate.
Overall, I feel that the Five Songs of Laurence Hope song cycle is an incredible work of art with many different qualities that show its worth and merit in the histories of H.T. Burleigh. His compositional genius shines brightly in this work through his attention to detail, emotional artistry, and vocal/piano techniques.
Bibliography
ALLISON, ROLAND LEWIS. "CLASSIFICATION OF THE VOCAL WORKS OF HARRY T. BURLEIGH (1866-1949) AND SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THEIR USE IN TEACHING DICTION IN SINGING INDIANA).)." Order No. 6614791, Indiana University, 1966. In PROQUESTMS ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/classification-vocal-works-harry-t-burleigh-1866/docview/302205458/se-2.
Burleigh, Harry T. Five Songs of Laurence Hope. Lyrics by Laurence Hope, ed. G. Ricordi & Co. (1915)
Creelman, James. “Real Value of Negro Melodies,” New York Herald, May 21, 1893. Accessed through Oberlin College Library. https://scalar.oberlincollegelibrary.org/decolonizing-ethnomusicology/media/image-may-1893-article-from-the-new-york-herald-on-dvoks-new-world-symphony
Janifer, Ellsworth. “H. T. Burleigh Ten Years Later” Phylon vol. 21 No. 2. (2nd Qtr., 1960):144-154. https://doi.org/10.20307/274339
Kramer, A. Walter. “H.T. Burleigh: Composer by Divine Right and the “American Coleridge-Taylor"” Musical America. April 29, 1916. Accessed through Musical America Worldwide (100 years later)
Meyer, Montie. “A New World of Friendship: Dvorak and Burleigh,” (blog) Feb 6, 2023. https://www.bostoncecilia.org/beyond-the-score/2023/2/6/a-new-world-friendship-dvok-and-burleigh
Riskind, Sarah. “Among the Fuchsias by Harry T. Burleigh, arr. Marques L. A. Garrett” (blog) July 28, 2025. https://sarahriskind.com/blog/among-the-fuschias/
Snyder, Jean E. Harry T. Burleigh: From the Spiritual to the Harlem Renaissance 1st ed. (University of Illinois Press. 2016)
Zavrackey, Gregory. “Beyond the Spirituals: Harry T. Burleigh’s Five Songs of Laurence Hope” Journal of Singing vol. 78 No. 5 (May/June 2022): 559-568. https://doi.org/10.53830/NHHB5331 Accessed through the National Association of Teachers of Singing.