The silver swan

THE SILVER SWAN SATB (Orlando Gibbons)

DANIEL GILLIAM

The Silver Swan Performance Notes: The canon (mm. 18) is intended to sound free and improvisatory. One soprano begins the canon, and all other singers (except basses) enter the canon without being cued, and at any point they desire., but within quick succession of each other. There should be a “cascading” of sound. The canon melody is sung once per singer, and the final word “wise” should be sustained until cut-off from conductor.

Basses are cued and conducted, and enter after all singers are sustaining “wise,” i.e. all singers have the sung the canon.

Duration (depending on number of singers) ca. 3-5 minutes

The silver Swan, who, living, had no Note, when Death approached, unlocked her silent throat.

Leaning her breast upon the reedy shore, thus sang her first and last, and sang no more: "Farewell, all joys! O Death, come close mine eyes!

More Geese than Swans now live, more Fools than Wise."

Orlando Gibbons

© 2013 FICTIVE MUSIC (ASCAP) Please report performances to Daniel Gilliam danielgilliam@gmail.com www.danielgilliam.com

The Silver Swan Orlando Gibbons

Daniel Gilliam

Patiently q = 76

Soprano

° bb 4 Œ p & 4 œ œ œ ˙™ The sil - ver swan,

p mf

mp mf

œ ˙™

˙™ Œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ w who, liv - ing had no note,

œ œ

when death ap - proached un locked

mf

œ her

mp p

p mf

b4 & b 4 Œ œ œ œ ˙™

Alto

The sil - ver swan,

Œ œ

œ ˙™

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w

˙™

who, liv - ing had no note,

when death ap - proached un locked

œ her

p mf p mp mf

b4 &b 4 Œ œ œ œ ˙™ œ œ œ œ œ w ‹ The sil - ver swan, who, liv - ing had no note,

Tenor

Œ œ

œ œ

œ ˙™ ˙™ when death ap - proached un locked

œ her

mf p

p mp mf

? bb 4 Œ œ œ œ ˙™ 4

Bass

œ œ œ œ œ

¢

w The sil - ver swan,

œ ˙™ Œ œ

who, liv - ing had no note,

œ œ

when death ap - proached un locked

8

p

° bb & œ #œ ˙ si - lent

mf

˙™ Ó

œ

œ

œf œ ˙

œ ˙™

œ ˙ ˙

throat

lean - ing

her breast

u - pon the ree

-

dy shore,

f p

b &b œ œ ˙ si - lent

mf

Ó ˙™

˙ œ ˙

throat

lean - ing

p

b &b œ œ ˙ ‹ si - lent throat

˙

œ

œ ˙™

œ œ ˙

œ her breast

u - pon the ree f

-

dy shore,

mf

Ó œ ˙ lean - ing

œ

˙™

bœ bœ œ œ œ

her breast

u - pon the ree

-

œ ˙™ dy shore,

f p

? bb œ #œ ˙

mf

˙™ ˙ Ó

œ ˙

œ

œ œ ˙

œ ˙™

œ

¢ si - lent

throat

lean - ing

her breast

Copyright © 2013 FICTIVE MUSIC (ASCAP)

u - pon the ree

œ

˙™

-

dy shore,

her

Freely mf first

2

p f last,

poco rit.

14 tutti

° bb Œ p & œ- œ- nœ

solo

œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ Œ u Œ

thus sang her

Œ bœ ˙

and

last,

and

U œ œ ˙ sang no more:

first

p mf p

U œ

b &b Œ

Œ

Œ

Œ œ œ

˙

and

last,

U œ œ ˙

œ- œ- œthus sang her

first

and

sang no more:

p mf p

b Œ -œ -œ -œ U œ b & ‹ thus sang her first

Œ

Œ

œ

˙

and

last,

Œ œ and

œ œ U ˙ sang no more:

mf p p

? b Œ -œ -œ -œ ¢ b

U œ

thus sang her

first

Œ

œ

˙

and

last,

Œ

Œ œ and

U œ nœ ˙ sang no more:

Canon (see performance notes) a tempo 18

ppp

ff

, , Soprano Alto Tenor

b &b ˙ Fare

œ œ œ -

œ well, all

joys!

˙™

œ

close

mine

˙™ >

˙ O

Death,

come

˙™ eyes!

ppp

, ° bb &

œ

œ œ

-œ

-˙ ™

˙™

More geese than swans

œ now

live,

œ ˙ more fools

U w

U w

U w

than wise.

(cued) pp Bass div.

Bass

? bb

∑

∑

œ

˙

œ #w w

¢ more fools

than wise.