Dirge In Woods-1973
(soprano voice, harp, percussion [orchestra bells, vibraphone, marimba])
-song
Music by: Andrew Thomas
Poem by: George Meredith
Published by: JW Pepper at www.jwpepper.com
Recording: Opus one No. 28, Jeanne Ommerle, Alyssa Hess, & Joseph Passaro
PoemDirge in Woods
A wind sways the pines,
And below
Not a breath of wild air;
Still as the mosses that glow
On the flooring and over the lines
Of the roots here and there.
The pine-tree drops its dead;
They are quiet, as under the sea.
Overhead, overhead
Rushes life in a race,
As the clouds the clouds chase;
And we go,
And we drop like the fruits of the tree,
Even we,
Even so
George Meredith, OM (February 12, 1828 – May 18, 1909)
Program Notes:
Harp harmonics are notated where they are played; they sound an octave higher. Harmonics at the twelfth are also used in this work and are so notated.
The glockenspiel part is notated an octave lower than sounded.
-in memory of Hall Overton (1920-1972)