Memorably used by The Beatles on their Abbey Road LP, ‘Golden Slumbers’ is a lullaby from Thomas Dekker’s 1603 play Patient Grissel. This is one of the most soothing short Renaissance poems, and perhaps the best-known Renaissance lullaby, or ‘cradle song,’ out there. The play is based on the story of ‘patient Griselda,’ a tale told in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Click on the score cover to listen to the instrumental version of the song. This is also available for high-melody instruments such as Flute, Bb Clarinet and Alto Sax.
