I was drawn to this poem because it addresses life, death and renewal on a number of levels. It is both personal and universal. It is both hopeful and heedful. I wanted the music to reflect all of these elements. The piece begins with a slow unfolding of the very first line of text. For the middle of the piece, I chose to use “take heart” as a call to also “take heed.” At the end of the piece, the sopranos sing “take heart” in the form of a question. These two words became an anchor for the entire piece.

Commissioned by the Dale Warland Singers (New Choral Music Reading Program)
Premiered (reading) June 1996 by the Dale Warland Singers, Minneapolis, MN

Type: Choral
Voicing or Instrumentation: SSAATTBB a cappella