From: The Battle Cry / A Tragedy
Category: Vocal Music / Art Song
Instrumentation: high voice, piano
Voice Type: soprano or tenor
Duration: 3 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate to upper intermediate
Text / Source: Poem by Thomas Hardy

A Wife in London is a heartbreaking song for high voice and piano. The poem tells of a young bride who receives a letter reporting that her husband has been killed in battle, only to receive, the next day, a letter from him expressing how much he looks forward to returning home to her.

The piano introduction recalls the atmosphere of The Battle, linking the private grief of the wife to the larger violence of war. Baxter’s setting brings out the cruel timing of the two letters and the devastating emotional contrast between official news and personal hope.

This song calls for clear narrative pacing and deep emotional restraint. The singer should allow the tragedy to unfold through the text, while the pianist sustains the connection to the darker sound world of the larger cantata.