"The Spider"
The Spider (1880) was written by John Saffery and music by T. Crampton. It is a song to remind singers of the life and value of the simpe spider: "the world is surely large enough for you and me today"—and to let them live: “the impulse of a moment would deprive thee of thy life" and "monster hands too swiftly crush thy frame with beauty rife” (v1). Instead, the singers sing: "go spin thy web of gosamer" with your "magic warp and fragile woof."
Two Bands of Mercy in Richmond, both 2020 and 2025, sang this, as sung within those two productions (2020, 2025) of Charlotte's Web as Charlotte spins her web four times in the play, to write "Some Pig", "Terrific", "Radiant", and "Humble." Our first director, Jessica Raposo (2020), suggested singing the melody transposed in the minor key in order to give those moments more seriousness and mystery.
Score: Band of Mercy, Volume 22, October 1880
Choirs: 2020 Band of Mercy, full choir;
and 2025 Band of Mercy, "Spider Choir" (heard above): Greta Royer, Lily Royer, Havyn Martin, Elsie Bickel, Charleigh Kamps, Alexa Aguilar, Jaylynn Wallace, Grace Parshall
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- Part 3: Animal Welfare (Bands of Mercy) Songs Alisa Clapp-Itnyre