Four Meditations for Soprano and Organ

1

FOUR MEDITATIONS FOR SOPRANO AND ORGAN

B R AXTO N BL AK E

BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC

2

BRAXTON BLAKE

F O U R M E D I TAT I O N S FOR SOPRANO AND ORGAN

Th e Mo rning St a rs Yeh u d a Hal e vi ( c. 1 0 7 5­– 1 1 41 ) L e t Ma n Re m e m b e r Moshe Ib n Ez r a ( c. 1 0 5 5 –­ af te r 1 1 3 8 ) Pris o n Moshe Natan ( mi d - f our te e nth ce ntur y) Th re e Th ing s S chelomo Ib n Gab i ro l ( 1 0 2 1 / 2 2 – c. 1 0 5 7 / 5 8 )

From The Dream of the Poem: Hebrew Poetr y from Muslim and Christian Spain, 950-1492 © 2007 by Princeton University Press Poems translated by Peter Cole Used with the permission of the publisher

The hairp in dynamic markings in the organ par t indicate phrasing, character, timbre, as well as dynamic l evel. They are to be played ad libitum.

BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC

email: braxtonblakemusic@gmail.com

3

PHOTOCOPYING

F O U R M E D I TAT I O N S

PROHIBITED

THE M OR N I N G S TA R S Y E H U D A H A LEVI

BRA XTON B L A K E

=60

=60

rit.

Soprano

The 3

3

3

Organ

poco accel.

=72

=60 poco rit.

5

morn

9

=66

ing

sing

out

to

you,

10

freely

for

stars

their

glo

5

2023.V.3 Cop y ri ght © 2013 Bra xton Bla ke

5

ry

4

13

and

17

rit.

rive

splen

3

6

dor

de

a tempo

3

from

yours;

3

3

20 3

and the

an

gels

of

3

24

accel.

=72 rit.

=60

God 3

stand 3

3

3

5

27

=72

30

rit.

guard

a

bove

=52

them,

3

31

accel.

=72 rit.

=66 rit.

3

3

34

37

=66 accel.

=72 rit.

=56

=60

40

accel.

5

for

ev er

ex

alt

3

ing

the

6

accel.

=72

=56

poco rit.

41

name

of their

Lord.

5

accel.

3

And

=78

rit.

the

44

6

ho

47

=72

3

3

ly as sem

bly

3

rit.

=56

turn,

6

6

fol

50

poco accel.

ris

accel.

=72

=60 rit.

51

reach

your

house

at

3

lows in

dawn.

ing to

7

LET M A N R E M E M B E R MO S H E IB N EZR A

=46–52 Soprano

Organ

6

10

11

Let

man

8

20

16

(man) re

mem

ber

through out

his

life

21

(life)

3

he’s

on

his

way

toward

3 3

3

24

death: leggiero

each

day

9

27

(day)

he

tra

30

vels

3

on

ly

a

lit

33

tle

so

3

thinks

he’s

al

ways

at

rest—

10

36

3

like

some

one

più legato

39

40

3

(one)

sit

ting

at

3

ease

on

a

ship

42

3

while

the

wind

3

più staccato

sweeps

3

3

it

11

46

o

ver

3 3

3

3

3

3

3

50

49

(–ver)

3

the

depths.

3 3

3

più staccato

53

rit.

3

12

P R I S ON MO S H E N ATAN

=60–63 Soprano

8’+4’+2’

Organ

8’

ossia: pedal tacet until m. 5 with 16’ pedal to manual coupler until m. 5

5

Dig

a

grave

in

your heart

for

your

se

8’

4’ colla voce

10

9

cret.

3

Tel

lers

3

of

se

crets

don’t

13

=64–66 subito più mosso

12

know

what

they

do.

Your

16

se

cret’s

your

hos

tage

3

3 3

3

20

so

long

3

3

3 3

as

it’s

14

22

accel. kept—

=140

26

=60–63 Tempo I

but once

you

8’+4’+2’

8’

ossia: simile, as in measures 1–4

30

pri

soner

is

you.

re

veal

it,

the

15

THREE THINGS SC H E LO M O I BN G ABI RO L

=60–63 Soprano

Organ

5

10

Three

things

meet

in

my

eyes

16

14

and

keep

the

17

thought

of

you

20

(you)

al

17

23

(al)

be

ways

fore

me:

think

of

30 28

The

skies,

32

which

make

me

your

18

36

40

(your)

41

Name,

accel.

=88

as

they

bear

faith

ful

wit

ness

for

46

me;

the

place

where

I

stand,

10

19

50

49

(stand)

which

brings

my

mind

back

to

the

5

rit.

51

land

you

ex

tend

be

5

55

rit.

neath

=60–63

me;

60

20

61

and

bless,

my

soul,

my

Lord

at

all

70

66

times

for

heart’s

re

flec

rit.

71

tion

with

rit.

in

me.