Alchemy - Chorus America

28 Pages·2015·1.62 MB·English

YR2414
Alchemy
SATB
1. Living Gold
2. Cups of Fire
3. Jewelled Blaze
4. O Beauty
Texts by
Sara Teasdale
Music by
Donald M. Skirvin
Poems by Sara Teasdale (1884–1933)
I. Living Gold (lyrics from the poem, Alchemy) Down the hill I went, and then
I forgot the ways of men,
I lift my heart as spring lifts up
For nightscents, heady, and damp and cool
A yellow daisy to the rain;
Wakened ecstasy in me
My heart will be a lovely cup
On the brink of a shining pool.
Altho’ it holds but pain.

For  I  shall  learn  from  (cid:976)lower  and  leaf O Beauty, out of many a cup
That color every drop they hold, You have made me drunk and wild
To change the lifeless wine of grief Ever since I was a child,
To living gold. But when have I been sure as now
That no bitterness can bend
II. Cups of Fire (In a Cuban Garden) And no sorrow wholly bow
One who loves you to the end?
Hibiscus  (cid:976)lowers  are  cups  of  (cid:976)ire,
And though I must give my breath
(Love me, my lover, life will not stay)
And my laughter all to death,
The bright poinsettia shakes in the wind,
And my eyes through which joy came,
A scarlet leaf is blowing away.

A lizard lifts his head and listens—
And  my  heart,  a  wavering  (cid:976)lame;
Kiss me before the noon goes by,
If all must leave me and go back
Here in the shade of the ceiba hide me
Along a blind and fearful track
From the great black vulture circling the sky.
So that you can make anew,
Fusing  with  intenser  (cid:976)ire,
III. Jewelled Blaze  (Dri(cid:332)wood)  
Something nearer your desire;
My forefathers gave me
My  spirit’s  shaken  (cid:976)lame,   If my soul must go alone
The shape of hands, the beat of heart, Through  a  cold  in(cid:976)inity,
The letters of my name. Or even if it vanish, too,
But it was my lovers, Beauty, I have worshipped you.
And not my sleeping sires,
Who  gave  the  (cid:976)lame  its  changeful   Let this single hour atone
And  iridescent  (cid:976)ires;   For the theft of all of me.
As the driftwood burning
Learned its jewelled blaze
Program notes
From the sea’s blue splendor
Of colored nights and days. Just as the ancient practice of alchemy endeavored to
turn dross into gold, this setting of Sara Teasdale poems
IV. O Beauty  (August  Moonrise)
traces through its four movements a series of poetic and
musical transformations along life’s journey: grief turns
The sun was gone, and the moon was coming
into gold; impermanence and the fear of loss are trans-
Over the blue Connecticut hills;
formed by love; a sheen of iridescence is conveyed to us
The  west  was  rosy,  the  east  was  (cid:976)lushed,
by  our  lovers;  and  (cid:976)inally,  the  ultimate  transformation  
And over my head the swallows rushed
occurs when we pursue the path that beauty unfolds for
This way and that, with changeful wills.
us.
.(Note: The following lines in the original poem are not
used in this setting:
This piece contains many instances of jazz-based and
“I heard them twitter and watched them dart
extended chordal structures, which result in a colorful
Now together and now apart
harmonic palette. One architectural detail: notice that
Like dark petals blown from a tree;”)
the end of each movement sets up the beginning of the
The maples stamped against the west
next by using the same or a related tonal center, though
Were black and stately and full of rest,
the movement then migrates quickly to a new tonality:

more transformations!
And the hazy orange moon grew up
And slowly changed to yellow gold The  (cid:976)irst  poem,  “Alchemy,”  is  from  her  work,  Rivers to the
While the hills were darkened, fold on fold Sea. The other three poems are from her work, Flame
To  a  deeper  blue  than  a  (cid:976)lower  could  hold. and Shadow. All poems are in the public domain.

- Donald Skirvin
YR2414
Alchemy
Words by Music by
Sara Teasdale (Alchemy) I. Living Gold Donald M. Skirvin
Wqa =r m46, rich, slow chorale
rit.
! 3 p 3
Soprano & c œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ 43 œ œ œ. ‰
I lift my heart as spring lifts up A yel-low dai-sy to the rain, the rain;
rit.
! p
Alto 3
& c œ œ3 œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ3 œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ.
I lift my heart as spring lifts up A yel-low dai-sy to the rain, the rain;
3 3 rit.
! p
Tenor V c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ 43 œ œ #œ. ‰
I lift my heart as spring lifts up A yel-low dai-sy to the rain;
rit.
! p
Bass ? c œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ #œ œ œ 43 œ œ œ. ‰
3 3
I lift my heart as spring lifts up A yel-low dai-sy to the rain;
Composer's note: these pieces are designed so that they can be performed
with a slight pause between movements, without giving a pitch. It is permissible
to strike opening pitches between movements if the director feels this is necessary.
4 q p=iu 5 m2osso qpi u= m60osso
P
3 F
S & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 42 œ. ‰ 43 œ œ œ œ œ œ b˙ Œ c
My heart will be a love - ly cup Al - tho' it holds but pain.
piu mosso piu mosso
P
F
A 2 3
& œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ 4 œ. ‰ 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ b˙ Œ c
3
My heart will be a love - ly cup Al - tho' it holds but pain.
piu mosso
P piu mosso
3 F
T œ œ œ œ œ œ 2 œ. ‰ 3 œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Œ c
V œ 4 4 œ
My heart will be a love - ly cup Al - tho' it holds but pain.
piu mosso
piu mosso
P F
B ? œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 42 œ. ‰ 43 œ œ #œ œ œ œ N˙ Œ c
3
My heart will be a love - ly cup Al - tho' it holds but pain.
© 2004 Barton Rhodes Press (ASCAP), Los Angeles.
Yelton Rhodes Music sole-selling agent. wwwyrmusic.com
Alchemy
- 2 -
Living Gold
q = 46
a tempo primo rit.
8
3
! 3 p 3
S & c œbœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ 43 œ œ œ. ‰ c
For I shall learn from flow-er and leaf That col-or ever - y drop they hold, drop they hold,
rit.
a tempo primo
! p
A & c bœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 43 œ œ œ. c
3 3
3
For I shall learn from flow-er and leaf That col-or ever - y drop they hold, drop they hold,
rit.
a tempo primo
! 3 3 p 3
T V c œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ 43 bœ œ œ. ‰ c
For I shall learn from flow-er and leaf That col-or ever-y drop they hold,
a tempo primo rit.
! p
B ? c œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ bœ œ œ 3 œ bœ œ. ‰ c
4
3 3 3
For I shall learn from flow-er and leaf That col-or ever-y drop they hold,
q = 52 q = 46
piu mosso a tempo primo
11
P 3 f ! "
S & c œ bœ œ œ bœ bœ œ œ œ 45 bœ œ ˙. Œ 43 œ. œ œ.œ cbbww
-
2
To change the life-less wine of grief To liv - ing gold, liv - ing gold.
piu mosso a tempo primo
P f ! "
A 5 3
& c bœ œ3 œ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ 4 œ œ œ bœ ˙. Œ 4 bœœ.. œœ.. c bww
-
To change the life-less wine of grief To liv - ing gold, liv - ing gold.
piu mosso a tempo primo
P 3 f ! "
T V c bœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ 45 œ bœ ˙. Œ 43 bœœ.. œœ bœœ c bww-
2
To change the life-less wine of grief To liv - ing gold, liv - ing gold.
a tempo primo
piu mosso
P f ! "
B ? c œ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ 45 bœ œ ˙. Œ 43 œ. bœ. c bww-
3
To change the life-less wine of grief To liv - ing gold, liv - ing gold.
Alchemy
- 3 -
II. Cups of Fire
Words by Music by
Sara Teasdale (In a Cuban Garden) Donald M. Skirvin
Passionate and tender
q = 72 F 3 3 j
Soprano c ! bœ bœ œ œ bœ œ œœ.. œ
& œ
Hi - bis - cus flow-ers are cups of
F
j
Alto
& c ! bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ. bœ
3 3 bœ. œ
Hi - bis - cus flow-ers are cups of
3
3
F
Tenor V c bœœ bbœœ œœ œœ Aœ œ bœœ.. œœ bbœœ Œ Ó
J
Hi - bis - cus flow-ers are cups of fire,
3 3
F
Bass ? c bœœ bœœ œœ œ œœ bœœ œœ.. œœ bbœœ Œ Ó
J
Hi - bis - cus flow-ers are cups of fire,
3 3
f
> > > >
S & ##˙˙ ‰ œ œ #œœ #œœ œœ ‰ œœ #œœ œœ ##˙˙.. Œ 46
J
fire, (Love me, my lov - er, life will not stay)
3
f
A j 6
& ˙˙ ‰ #œœ œœ œœ ##œœ #œœ ‰ œœ œœ œœ #˙˙.. Œ 4
> > > >
fire, (Love me, my lov - er, life will not stay)
3
f 3
> > > >
T Œ #œ œ #œ œœ œœ.. Ó #œ œ #œ #˙˙.. Œ 6
V 4
J
(Love me, my lov - er, life will not stay)
3
3
f
> > >
B ? Œ #œ #œ œ œœ œœ.. Ó #œ #œ œ ##˙˙.. Œ 46
J
>
(Love me, my lov - er, life will not stay)
Alchemy
- 4 -
Cups of Fire
6
3 3 3
3
p
S 6 2
& 4 #œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Œ c œ #œ œœ œœ œœ œœ #œœ œœ œœ ˙˙.. 4
(Love me, my lo-ver) The bright poin-set-ti - a shakes in the wind,
3 3 3 3
p
A 6 2
Πc
& 4 #œ œ œ nœ œ ˙ 4
œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ nœ œ #˙˙..
(Love me, my lo-ver) The bright poin-set-ti - a shakes in the wind,
p " 3
j
T V 46 Ó Œ ‰Nœœ #œœ œœ œœ c ˙˙ Ó Ó œ #œœ œœ 42
life will not stay) A scar-let
p " 3
B ? 46 Ó Œ ‰ œ œ œ Nœœ c ˙˙ Ó Ó œ œ œ 42
J
life will not stay) A scar-let
9
# #
S 2 ! # # c ! ! !
& 4
p 3 #
# #
A 2 ! # # c Ó Ó
& 4 œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
A liz-ard lifts his head and lis-tens–
3
# #
T V 42 œ œ œ #œ œ # # c œœ Œ Ó ! !
leaf is blow-ing a - way.
3
B ? 42 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ #### c œ Œ Ó ! !
œ
leaf is blow-ing a - way.
Alchemy
- 5 -
Cups of Fire
13
p 3
P
# #
S & # # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ 42 œ œ 43
Kiss me be-fore the noon goes by, Kiss me be-fore the noon goes
P
# #
A & # # ! ! ‰ œ œ œ œ œ 42 œ œ œ œ 43
Kiss me be-fore the noon goes
P
T V #### ! Ó ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ 42 ˙ 43
Kiss me be-fore the noon goes by,
P
B ? #### ! Ó ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ œ 42 ˙ 43
Kiss me be-fore the noon goes by,
17
"
# #
S & # # 43 ˙. c Œ œ œ œ 43 œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. c
by, Here in the shade of the cei - ba hide
"
# #
A # # 3 c Π3 c
& 4 ˙. œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙.
by, Here in the shade of the cei - ba hide
"
# #
T V # # 43 ˙. c Œ œ œ œ 43 œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ c
Here in the shade of the cei - ba hide
"
B ? #### 43 ˙. c Œ œ œ œ 43 œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. c
Here in the shade of the cei - ba hide
Alchemy
- 6 -
Cups of Fire
mq e=n o6 0mosso
22
"
# #
S & # # c ˙. Œ 43 ! Ó œ œ œ œ
me Here in the
meno mosso
" 3
# #
A # # c Π3
& ˙. 4 œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ
me From the great black vul-ture circl-ing the sky. in the
meno mosso
"
# #
T V # # c ˙. Œ 43 ! Ó œ œ œ œ
me Here in the
meno mosso
"
B ? # # 3 œ œ
# # c œ œ ˙ Œ 4 ! Ó œ œ
hide me Here in the
26
# #
S & # # œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. c ˙. Œ 43 ! c
shade of the cei ba hide me
# #
A # # c Π3 ! c
& œ œ œ œ ˙. ˙. 4
œ œ
shade of the cei ba hide me
# #
T V # # œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ c ˙. Œ 43 ! c
shade of the cei ba hide me
aq t =em 7p2o primo
3
B ? #### œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. c œ ˙ Œ 43 œ œ œ nœ œ c
shade of the cei ba hide hide me A scar-let leaf is
Alchemy
- 7 -
Cups of Fire
31
3
F
# #
S & # # c ! 46 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ 45
Kiss me be - fore the noon goes by,
P 3 F 3
# #
A & # # c Ó. œ œ œ 46 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ 45
Kiss me be - fore the noon noon goes by,
p 3 F f
T V #### c Ó œ œ œ œ 46 w ‰ œj œ œ 45
blow-ing a - way. Kiss me be -
3 F 3 f
B ? #### c œ œ œ ˙. 46 œ œ œ ˙ ‰ Jœ œ œ 45
blow-ing a-way. blow-ing a - way. Kiss me be -
qm e=n 6o 0mosso
33 3
f #
# # n n
S & # # 45 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. Ó 43 œ œ œ n n c
Kiss me be-fore the noon goes by, (Love me, my
meno mosso
3 #
# # f n n
A & # # 45 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. Ó 43 œ œ œ n n c
Kiss me be-fore the noon goes by, (Love me, my

meno mosso
#
# # n n
T V # # 45 œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙. Ó 43 œ œ œ n n c
fore the noon goes by, (Love me, my
meno mosso
#
B ? #### 45 œ œ œ œ ˙ œ. œ. Ó 43 œ œ œ nnnn c
fore the noon goes by, kiss me (Love me, my
Alchemy
- 8 -
Cups of Fire
a tempo primo allora rit.
36
q = 72
S & c œ œ ˙. Œ œ œ œ w
lov - er, life will not stay)
a tempo primo allora rit.
A
& c #œ œ ˙. Œ œ œœ œœ ww
lov - er, life will not stay)
a tempo primo allora rit.
T V c œ œœ ˙˙.. Œ œœ œœ œœ ww
lov - er, life will not stay)
a tempo primo allora rit.
B ? c œ œœ ˙˙.. Œ œœ œœ œœ ww
œ œ œ w
lov - er, life will not stay)
Low notes optional, sing on [Mm]