Four Pieces on Poems by William Carlos Williams

1

F OUR P I E C E S on poems by William Carlos Williams

for Chorus (S.A.T.B.)

BRAXTON BLAKE

BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC

2013.II.9

2

FOUR PIECES on poems by William Carlos Williams for Chorus (S.A.T.B.) SILENCE TO A POOR OLD LADY TO A MEXICAN PIG–BANK THE SADNESS OF THE SEA

Silence – by William Carlos Williams, from THE COLLECTED POEMS: VOLUME II, 1939-1962, copyright ©1953 by William Carlos Williams. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp.

To a Poor Old Woman – by William Carlos Williams, from THE COLLECTED POEMS: VOLUME I, 1909-1939, copyright ©1938 by New Directions Publishing Corp. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp.

To a Mexican Pig-Bank and The Sadness of the Sea – by William Carlos Williams, from THE COLLECTED POEMS: VOLUME I, 1909-1939, copyright ©1938 by New Directions Publishing Corp.. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp.

FOUR PIECES on poems by William Carlos Williams was composed in the spring of 2001 and premiered on May 4, 2001 by the German-American Chorus of Frankfurt, James Schar, conductor.

BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC 1508 Longshore Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1632 Tel/Fax (734) 332-9277 www.braxtonblake.com

3 for Anita and Leslie...

PHOTOCOPYING

FOUR PIECES

PROHIBITED

WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS

Freely

BRAXTON BLAKE

S IL E N C E

=52–62

Sopranos 3

Un

3

der a

low

sky

this

qui et mor ning

3

Altos

Un der a

low

sky

low

sky

low

sky

3

Tenors Un der a 3

Basses Freely

Un der a

=52–62

3

for rehearsal only

3 3

3

4

3

3

3

3

this qui et mor

ning

of

3

of

red

and yel

low

leaves

low

leaves

3

red

and yel

ning

red

and

ning

red

and

3

this qui et mor

yel

low

leaves

3

this qui et mor

yel 3

3 3

3

2013.II.9

3

Copyright © 2013 by Braxton Blake

low 3

leaves 3

a

4 8

10

3

a

bird

3

dis

turbs

3

3

no

more than one

twig

3

a

bird

3

dis

turbs

no more than

3

bird

3 no more than

dis turbs 3

a

bird

dis

3 no more than

turbs

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

molto rit.

13

3

of

the

green

leaved

peach

tree

3 3

one

twig

of

the green

leaved

peach

tree

the green

leaved

peach

tree

the green

leaved

peach

tree

3

one3

twig

of 3

one3

twig

of

molto rit.

3

3

3 3

3

5

T O A PO O R O L D L A DY =68

munch ing

a

plum

on

the

street

munch ing

a

plum

on

the

street

munch ing

a

plum

on

the

street

munch ing

a

plum

on

the

street

=68

10 6

=60 accel.

=68

rit.

=52

3

a

pa per bag of them

in

her

hand

They taste

hand

They taste

hand

They taste

hand

They taste

3

a

pa per bag of them

in

3

a

pa per bag of them

a

pa per bag of them

her

in

her

3 =60 accel.

3

=68

in rit.

3

her

=52

6 11

poco accel.

=60

=56

good to

her

They taste good to

her

They taste

good to

her

You can

good to

her

They taste good to

her

They taste

good to

her

You can

good to

her

They taste good to

her

They taste

good to

her

You can

good to

her

They taste good to

her

They taste

good to

her

You can

poco accel.

=60

=56

20

16

see it

by her

way

she

gives

her

self

to

the

one half

sucked

out

see it

by her

way

she

gives

her

self

to

the

one half

sucked

out

see it

by her

way

she

gives

her

self

to

the

one half

sucked

out

see it

by her

way

she

gives

her

self

to

the

one half

sucked

out

7 22

rit.

a tempo

in

her

hand

Com fort ed

a

so

lace of

ripe

in

her

hand

Com fort ed

a

so

lace of

ripe

in

her

hand

Com fort ed

a

so lace of

in

her

hand

Com fort ed

a

so lace of

rit.

a tempo

rit.

30

28

plums

seem

ing to

fill

the

air

They

taste

good

to

her

plums

seem

ing to

fill

the

air

They

taste

good

to

her

ripe plums

seem

ing to

fill

the

air

They

taste

good

to

her

ripe plums

seem

ing to

fill

the

air

They

taste

good

to

her

rit.

8

T O A M E X IC A N P IG – B A N K =108–120

and a small

and

a small flock

of

and a small

and

a small

flock

flock

clay

of

clay

sheep

of clay

clay

of

clay

sheep

of clay

flock

of

=108–120

accel.

10

8

a

shep

herd

be hind them

sheep

a

sheep

shep

herd

be hind them

The

pig

The

pig

is

The

pig

The

pig

is

The

pig

The

pig

is

The

pig

The

pig

is

accel.

9 accel.

a tempo

molto rit.

=58

14

paint

ed

yel

low

with

green

ears

paint

ed

yel

low

with

green

ears

paint

ed

yel

low

with

green

ears

paint

ed

yel

low

with

green

ears

accel.

19

a tempo

molto rit.

=58

20 a tempo

=108–120

at the top

There’s

There’s

a

a tempo

a =108–120

slot

slot at the top

slot

at the top

There’s

There’s a

There’s a

slot at

Hair

pin

Hair

pin

the top

10 24

turn

Hair

pin

hold

ing a

way

pin

ing a

way turn

up the sheep

turn

Hair

turn

hold

ing a

way

turn ing

up the sheep

30

29

= ing a

way cant.

a

red

leggiero

a

way turn ing a

way

a

of

a

be-

The

paint-

leggiero

and =

small flock

clay sheep

shep herd

-hind them

pig is

-ed

11 cant.

33

a

red

a

-low

yel-

ears

slot

with green There’s

a

top

at

the

wires

Hair

pin

red

the

hold up

-ing

sheep

37

turn-

The

a

way

shep-

40

blank et

a

red blank et

wears

-herd

a

blank-

a

red

his

-et

on

a

red

blan

ket

on

red

blank

et

on

his

-der

left shoul-

small

and

a

flock

clay

of

sheep

shep-

a

-herd

-hind

be-

them

12 41

his

left

shoul

left

shoul

pig

der

-ted

The

is

der

paint-

44

with

yel

low

There’s

green

ears

at

a

Hair-

slot

the

top

poco rit.

on

shoul

his left

hold

wires

sheep

up

the

turn-

der

a-

-ing poco rit.

shep-

-way The

a

-herd wears

-et

red blank-

left

on

his

should er

-pin

13

T H E SAD N E S S O F TH E S E A .=44

poco rit.

This is

the

sad

ness

of

the

sea–

This is

the

sad

ness

of

the

sea–

.=44

8

rit.

a tempo

poco rit.

a tempo 10

poco rit.

waves

like

words, all

bro

waves

like

words, all

bro

a tempo

poco rit.

poco rit.

a tempo

poco rit.

a tempo

a

same

ness

of

lift

ing

lift

ing

a

a

same

ness

of

lift

ing

lift

ing

a

ken–

a

same ness of

lift

ing

a

ken–

a

same ness of

lift

ing

a

rit.

a tempo

poco rit.

a tempo

poco rit.

a tempo

14 20

16

same ness of

lift

ing and

fall

ing

mood.

same ness of

lift

ing and

fall

ing

mood.

same ness of

lift

ing and

fall

ing

mood.

same ness of

lift

ing and

fall

ing

mood.

rit.

I

lean

I

I

lean

lean

I

lean rit.

24

a tempo

watch ing

the

de

tail

of

brit

tle

crest,

watch ing

the

de

tail

of

brit

tle

crest,

watch ing

the

de

tail

of

brit

tle

crest,

watch ing

the

de

tail

of

brit

tle

crest,

a tempo

the

de

li

the

cate

de

im

the

de

li

cate

li

cate

im

im

15 30

meno mosso

rit.

weed

per

fect

foam,

yel

im

per fect

foam,

yel

low

per

fect

foam,

yel

low

foam,

yel

per

fect

low

low

meno mosso

38

40

accel.

accel.

one

piece like a

weed

one

piece like a

weed

one

piece like a

one

piece like a

weed rit.

= circa 92

accel.

Tempo I poco rit.

no

ther–

one

piece like a

no

ther–

no

ther–

one

piece like a

no

ther–

no

ther–

one

piece like a

no

ther–

no

ther–

one

piece like a

no

ther–

accel.

= circa 92

Tempo I

poco rit.

im

per fect foam

yel

low

weed

one

like

16

47

50

rit.

solo (soli)

poco meno mosso solo (or soli) There

S.

is

no

hope–

is

no

hope–

altri There is

no

hope–

solo (or soli) solo (soli) There

A. altri There is

no

hope–

There is

no

hope–

There is

no

hope–

T.

B. a

rit.

no

ther–

poco meno mosso

17

57

60

if

not

a

co

ral

is

land

slow

ly

foam

slow

ly

slow

ly

ing

if

not

a

co

ral

is

land

slow

ly

foam

ing

if

not

a

co

ral

is

land

slow

ly

foam

ing

if

not

a

co

ral

is

land

slow

ly

foam

ing

18

67

70

form

ing

to

form

wait

for

birds

to

to

wait

for

birds

to

to

wait

for

birds

to

drop

ing

to

wait

for

birds

to

drop

to

wait

for

birds

to

drop

to

wait

for

birds

to

drop

19

77

80 drop

The

the

seeds

will

make

it

ha

bi

ta

seed

will

make

it

ble

solo (or soli) drop

the seeds

the

seeds

will

make

it

ha

bi

ta

ble

the

seeds

will

make

it

ha

bi

ta

ble

the

seeds

will

make

it

ha

bi

ta

ble

20

90

87

solo (soli) S.

ha

bi

ta

ble

altri

solo (soli)

solo (or soli) the seeds

A.

will make

it

ha

bi

ta

ble

ta

ble

altri

solo (soli) will make

it

ha

bi

T. altri

solo (soli) B. altri

solo (or soli)

the

seeds will

make it

ha

bi

ta

ble