The Jabberwock

Scoring: SATB divisi (a cappella)
Written: Worcester, UK - February 2008
Duration: 2'30
Publisher: Edition Peters
Cost: £1.50

'Jabberwocky' has been one of Jim's favourite poems for many years; Carroll's use of language evokes vivid imagery, despite the fact that many of the words, and their definitions, come straight from his imagination (though some have now made their way into dictionaries). Jim was challenged to set it to music by his elder sister, and this is the result.
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Jabberwocky - Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought -
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.