Four songs is a collection of short songs. They are a firm favourite with singers and are amongst the most widely performed of John Bartlett's songs.

Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream is comfortably suited to either male or female voice. Compass is D4 to E5. It is a beautifully lyrical setting of I know a bank where the wild thyme blows.

The shortest of the songs is I Could Not Keep Love Down, a setting of words from a translation of The Thousand Nights and One Night. It is suitable for soprano and is just within the tenor voice range. Compass is C4 to G5. I could not keep love down. He rose and pinned my sleepy eyes awake are evocative words set to a dreamlike harmony.

The remaining two songs are settings from Walter De La Mare's collection of poetry from 1918 entitled Motley. The Vacant Day (compass C4 to C5) and Unregarding (compass C4 to E5) are suited for either male or female voice (mezzo or soprano).  The Vacant Day is also suited to a unison choir.