When I Have Sung My Songs To You

About the lyricist, Ernest Charles...

Ernest Grosskopf was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 21, 1895. He attended California State University and later moved to New York City, where he changed his name to Ernest Charles. He became a Broadway and vaudeville singer, as well as a composer of many memorable songs. Ernest Charles moved to Hollywood in 1953 and remained there until he died at age ninety.

Written in 1934, “When I Have Sung My Songs” is arguably Charles' most famous solo song and, to this day, often closes vocal recitals. (He wrote both the music and the lyrics to the solo version.) His style of writing bridged the gap between Cole Porter and the more classical art song of the day. Audiences have long enjoyed his expressive melodies (with ample rubato), and his “cross-over” style of popular and classical.

Z. Randall Stroope set the lyrics of Charles' work to a new melody in an unaccompanied mixed chorus medium. Great effort was made to maintain the natural simplicity and innate expressive character of Charles' lyrics.

About the composer
Please refer to the “composer” tab at the top of this page or go to www.zrstroope.com
for a complete biography and list of works.