The Road Back (2015) by bobcohenmusic

for

Chorus&Piano

TheRoadBack

SATB

Music

byRobertS.Cohen

Poem

byMadisonJuliusCawein

TheRoadBack

Come,walkwith me and Memory; Andletusseewhatwe shall see: A wild green laneofstones andweeds Thattoawilderwoodland leads. Anoldboard gate,the lichenscrust, Whoseancienthingescroakwith rust. A vale;acreek;andabridge ofplanks, Andthewild sunflowersthatwallitsbanks: A path thatwindsthroughshine andshade Toafernedandwildflowered forestglade; Where,outofagrotto, avoicereplies Withafainthollotoyourvoicethatcries: Andeverywindthatpassesseems A footthatfollows fromLandso'Dreams. A voice,a foot, and ashadow,too, Thatwhispersofthingsyour childhoodknew: A girlthatwaited,a boythatcame, Andanoldbeechtree wherehe carved hername; Wherestill he seesher, whomstillhehears Biddinghimcome through the long-gone years.... Howoftshebeckonsyourheartandmine Fromthe farmhouse windowtraileddeepwithvine, Andporched withroses! where allmustknow She usedtolivein the long-ago. The farmhousethere atthe endo' thelane, Withthesunsettwinklingitswindowpane; Whereshe smilesasshesmiledinthe Long-ago, The farmer'sdaughteryouusedtoknow, Who hasnotchanged toyourheartforyears, Thoughherfaceyouoften see throughtears: Who wearsheryouth,asshedidofold, Asa princesswearethacrownofgold. The little sweetheart, you knowfortruth, Who livesforaye in theLandofYouth; Who neverdies;whoisalwaysfair, Witheyesofmischiefand tomboyhair: Whomyourheartstillfollowsandworships, itseems, Foreverandayeinthe Land o' Dreams.

TheRoadBack

                        Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Keyboard                   Tempogiusto  sempre legato Tempogiusto                                               Come,     Come,                                             S A T B Kybrd. 5           walkwithmeandMemory;And         walkwithmeandMemory;And                         letusseewhatweshallsee:A         letusseewhatweshallsee:A                         wildgreenlaneofstonesandweeds        wildgreenlaneofstonesandweeds                1

                                    S A T B Kybrd. 8       That    That               toawilderwoodland        toawilderwoodland                leads.   leads.               A A     An     An                                S A T B Kybrd. 12         oldboardgate,thelichenscrust,Whose         oldboardgate,thelichenscrust,Whose                             ancienthingescroakwithrust.A         ancienthingescroakwithrust.A                     2

            S A T B Kybrd. 14           vale;acreek;andabridgeofplanks,Andthe           vale;acreek;andabridgeofplanks,Andthe                              wildsunflowersthatwallitsbanks:Come,          wildsunflowersthatwallitsbanks:Come,     A     A                                 S A T B Kybrd.    walkCome,     walk          paththatwindsthroughshineandshadeToa          paththatwindsthroughshineandshadeToa                    B B      walkCome,     walk          fernedandwildfloweredforestglade;Where,          fernedandwildfloweredforestglade;Where,                  3

            S A T B Kybrd. 18    walkCome,     walk            outofagrotto,avoicerepliesWitha            outofagrotto,avoicerepliesWitha                        walkAnd       walkAnd          fainthollotoyourvoicethatcries:And          fainthollotoyourvoicethatcries:And                               S A T B Kybrd. 20          everywindthatpassesseemsA          everywindthatpassesseemsA       everywindpassesseems       everywindpassesseems                                  footthatfollowsfromLandso'      footfollowsfromLandso'      footfollowsLandso'      footfollowsLandso'                        molto rit. molto rit. ---4

            S A T B Kybrd.   Dreams.   Dreams.   Dreams.  Dreams.               a tempo a tempo C C                                dumdumdumdum                      A          dumdumdumdum                             S A T B Kybrd. 26     That           voice,afoot,andashadow,too,          dumdumdumdum                              3 whispersofthingsyourchildhoodknew:     A          dumdumdumdum                   5

            S A T B Kybrd. 28     Andan           girlthatwaited,aboythatcame,          dumdumdumdum                            oldbeechtreewherehecarvedhername;      Where         dumdumdumdum                              S A T B Kybrd. 30             dumdumdumdum            dumdumdumdum           stillheseesher,whomstillhehears                                  dumdumdumdum            dumdumdumdum     How            3 Biddinghimcomethroughthelonggoneyears.                    6

            S A T B Kybrd. 32       Ahh         Ahh           oftshebeckonsyourheartandmine     Fromthe                          Ahh         Ahh     And          farmhousewindowtraileddeepwithvine,                              S A T B Kybrd.    walkCome,          Andporchedwithroses!whereallmust          porchedwithroses!whereallmustknowShe         dumdumdumdum                       D D    walkCome,          knowSheusedtoliveinthelonga          usedtoliveinthelongago.The         dumdumdumdum                   7

            S A T B Kybrd. 36    walkCome,           go.Thefarmhousethereattheendo'the            farmhousethereattheendo'thelane,Withthe         dumdumdumdum                      walkCome,          lane,Withthetwinklingwindowpane;          sunsettwinklingitswindowpane;          dumdumdumWhereshe                               S A T B Kybrd.  walk    Come,     The            smilesasshesmiledintheLongago,                      sub. sub.  E E cresc. poco a poco cresc. poco a poco cresc. poco a poco sub.    walkCome,           farmer'sdaughteryouusedtoknow,     Who                   cresc. poco a poco cresc. poco a poco 8

            S A T B Kybrd. 40  walk   walkCome,     Thoughher           hasnotchangedtoyourheartforyears,                         Who     walkWho          faceyouoftenseethroughtears:                                     S A T B Kybrd.           wearsheryouth,asshedidofold,Asa           wearsheryouth,asshedidofold,Asa           wearsheryouth,didofold,           wearsheryouth,didofold,                                     F F            princesswearethacrownofgold.           princesswearethacrownofgold.            princesswearcrownofgold.The           princesswearcrownofgold.The                                  -                9

            S A T B Kybrd. 44     Who     Who           littlesweetheart,youknowfortruth,           littlesweetheart,youknowfortruth,                                              livesforayeintheLandofYouth;Who            livesforayeintheLandofYouth;Who     Who     Who                                                                S A T B Kybrd. 46          neverdies;whoisalwaysfair,With           neverdies;whoisalwaysfair,With          neverdies;whoisalwaysfair,With          neverdies;whoisalwaysfair,With                                      eyesofmischiefandtomboyhair:Whomyour           eyesofmischieftomboyhair:Whomyour          eyesofmischieftomboyhair:         eyesofmischieftomboyhair:                          rit. rit. 10

            S A T B Kybrd.           heartstillfollowsandworships,itseems,For           heartstillfollowsworships,itseems,For           heartstillfollowsworships,itseems,For         heartstillfollowsworships,seems,For                          G G Menomosso,broadly Menomosso,broadly            everandayeintheLando'        everayeintheLando'        everayetheLando'       everayetheLando'                       poco rit. poco rit.                        S A T B Kybrd.   Dreams.   Dreams.   Dreams.  Dreams.               Tempoprimo Tempoprimo H H                             intheLando'Dreams.    Mmm                      (ethereal) (ethereal)   (ethereal) 11

                                    S A T B Kybrd. 53        intheLando'Dreams.    Mmm                        (ethereal)    Mmm    Mmm            intheLandintheLand                      (ethereal)           o'Dreams.                                                   S A T B Kybrd. 56    Ahh       intheLando'Dreams.    Ahh                             intheLando'Dreams.    Ahh     Ahh                        Mmm   Mmm           intheLandintheLand                      12

                                                            S A T B Kybrd. 59          o'Dreams.                   Mmm   Mmm           intheLandintheLand                                    o'Dreams.                                                   S A T B Kybrd. 62           intheLandintheLand    Mmm    Mmm  Mmm                          rit. poco a poco rit. poco a poco      intheLando'   Lando'     LandLando'   Lando'                  Dreams.  Dreams.  Dreams.  Dreams.          13