10 loveliest lullabies - a definitive list

A lullaby (‘berceuse’ in French, ‘wiegenlied’ in German) is traditionally a soothing song for infants, especially to help them to sleep. It is one of the loveliest of musical forms, with an emphasis on simple, gentle melodies and equally simple harmony. There are many traditional lullabies, but the form has also been widely adopted by classical composers, where it has sometimes been greatly expanded in scope, whilst not losing contact with its musical roots.

Here are some of the loveliest lullabies ever to have been written, complete with links to the sheet music.

1. Brahms—Wiegenlied, Op.49, No.4

Brahms’s Wiegenlied, Op.49, No 4, published in 1868, was written on the occasion of the birth of a friend’s son. It has become one of Brahms’s most famous pieces and perhaps the most universally familiar lullaby.

2. Suo Gân

Suo Gân is a hauntingly beautiful folk lullaby from Wales to the lyrics 'Una blentyn ar fy mynwes' ('Sleep child upon my bosom'). It was famously used in Steven Spielberg’s film Empire of the Sun, coming to represent a child’s loss of innocence during war.

3. Chopin—Berceuse, Op. 57

Chopin’s Berceuse Op.57 starts with a haunting melody over an ostinato bass. There then follow 16 variations, of increasing, but always delicate complexity in the right hand. The left hand stays the same almost throughout, helping to maintain a dream-like, impressionistic, atmosphere.

4. A la Nanita Nana

A la Nanita Nana is a ‘traditional' lullaby, but one for whom we know the name of the composer, namely José Ramón Gomis from Alicante, Spain. It is now popular throughout the Spanish speaking world. The lullaby is particularly associated with the infant Jesus, being most commonly sung as a Christmas Carol.

5&6. Gabriel Faure—Berceuse Op.16 and Berceuse from Dolly Suite, Op. 56, No.1

Faure gets a double entry for two unmissable lullabies, both characterised by his undeniable gift for writing a great tune. The first, his Berceuse, Op. 16, was written for violin but later also arranged for orchestra:

The second is the charming first movement Berceuse from his Dolly Suite for piano duet:

7. James Royce Shannon—Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That’s an Irish Lullaby)

Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That’s an Irish Lullaby) is not a traditional Irish folk song, but was written by U.S. composer James Royce Shannon in 1913 in the style of one. It is intended to appeal to Irish-American immigrants and their descendants, the lyrics invoking the memory of a mother singing to her child in Ireland. It was popularised by Bing Crosby’s 1944 recording in the film Going My Way.

8. Alexander Ilyinsky—Berceuse from Noure et Anitra Op.13, No.7

Russian composer Alexander Alexandrovich Ilyinsky (1859–1920) may not be a household name today, but his melodic gift is self-evident in this exquisite Berceuse, the seventh movement from from his orchestral suite Noure et Anita.

9. All the Pretty Horses

All the Pretty Horses is a traditional U.S. lullaby. It may have African-American roots, starting life as a song sung by an African American slave who could not take care of her baby because she was too busy taking care of her master's child. In a minor key, it has a distinctly melancholic flavour.

10. Benjamin Godard—Berceuse from Jocelyn

Written in 1888, Benjamin Godard’s Berceuse from Jocelyn is one of the most exquisite and enduring Romantic-era lullabies. Though it comes from a largely forgotten opera, the Berceuse has outlived its source to become a firm standalone favourite.