ABSTRACT
Some of the songs are occasional pieces, not suitable for a general recital, and some of them are really too difficult for children. A lok is a sung or chanted call, usually in falsetto, to the farm animals to bring them to feed, or to come in at night. The children for whom the songs were written would have been familiar with the various calling songs used around their farms. The lines are short and rhyme mainly in pairs; all the animals important to a child are mentioned. The musical realization is quite sophisticated for a children’s song. The melody and harmonic progressions are somewhat unpredictable, and the last verse is tricky, as Grieg subtly alters the familiar melody and introduces unexpected tonalities. The main melodic motif is lyrical – a gently rising and falling line, step-wise except for the interval of a third at the top of the line.
