A selection from the verses of John B. Tabb, made by Alice Meynell

This carefully chosen collection of verse moves with remarkable ease from the playful world of childhood into the deeper regions of memory, love, loss, and faith. Brief poems capture fleeting scenes—a flower brought indoors, a moonlit reaper, a child’s conversation with Joy, or the quiet influence of a passing wind—with language that is delicate, musical, and rich in suggestion.

Nature is everywhere: birdsong, frost, lakes, marshes, autumn fields, winter trees, and the changing light of day become mirrors for human feeling. Alongside these intimate lyrics are poems of sorrow and spiritual reflection, considering innocence, silence, death, redemption, and the consolations of hope.

Listeners will also find dramatic and literary pieces inspired by biblical figures, saints, artists, poets, and legendary characters. The collection’s short forms invite attentive listening, each poem offering a concentrated image or thought that lingers beyond its final line.