Absence (SATB a cappella)

ABSENCE

SATB a cappella

Duration 5 mins

music by Juhi Bansal, text by Abu Bakr al-Turtushi (1059 - 1127)

I walk, my eyes the sky, hoping to find the star you see.

I stop each traveler that passes, hoping one might have breathed your scent.

I turn my face to blowing winds, hoping they'll bring me news of you.

I wander roads, here and there, passing songs whisper your name.

I look at strangers' faces, I look away Hoping for a trace of you.

Original poem by Abu Bakr al-Turtushi (1059 - 1127) Translation into Spanish by Emilio García Gómez Translation/adaptation from Spanish to English by Juhi Bansal

Copyright ©2018 by Juhi Bansal Music All rights reserved

juhibansalcomposer@gmail.com www.juhibansal.com

   

Plaintive, haunted h = 58 - 66 p

SOPRANO



I

walk,

 p  

ALTO

TENOR

BASS





walk,

  p    I p     I



my



I

IV. Absence 

eyes



For rehearsal Piano only



5     5

S.



sky,





3







walk,

my

eyes

to

the

sky,







3







walk,

my

eyes

to

the

sky,



3















Pno.





    

  the







find

5    



the

    find 





the

find

B.





 

   



   3

hop - ing



  



hop - ing

hop - ing



 

 

 

f    





 



star

f    



f    



star

star

 

the

star

  







   see

 you

   



 

you

f



 

      see

you



see

you

see

   



        

 

     

 



     

f

to

3

3



to

 3 



hop - ing



to

 3 

 

to

3

3

 

   



the





T.



sky,

to

find

A.

3

the

eyes

 

p    

to





my

Plaintive, haunted h = 58 - 66

 p   

3





2

12

     

p

10

S.



A.







    

 

A.

   

T.

B.



 

 Pno.



   

16

S.





      

Pno.



 p

    

T.

B.







  

  

 

 

hop - ing 3

 

p

 12 

  

hop - ing



one



 

hop - ing

one

might

 3 





hop - ing

one

might

 

   3

17 

 



  

each



stop

each







I

stop

each

p







I

stop

each

 p 

   

 



          f

have





trav' - ler 3







3

trav' - ler



trav' - ler





3

trav' - ler

 

3

 







that

pass





that

pass





that

pass





that

pass

 

  



-

es



-

es

 -

es

 -

es

 

      breathed

    

f

  have



 



f

 



have

breathed

 

         

 

 

 



 

your

 

f

your

your



 your

   

scent.

p

breathed

 

p

 

f

have





breathed

 

might



3





3

3

might

  3

p

p





one

stop

I

p





I



17 3



 p

  

 

scent.

p

scent.

  p

scent.

  p

  

22    22

S.

A.

 T.



Pno.



 

22   

  











 



   

pp

27

   4





winds,

  

 











 



  

 

  

4



 

 I

 

    



 









4





  

 

 

 

winds



 I



blow - ing

 

 I

 



29  

pp

  





 

blow - ing

T.



 

 



to

turn

 



 

Pno.





  

  

A.

turn my face

I





B.

I pp



S.

    



   

B.

Bring out melody "I turn my face to blowing winds" in each part 4 pp 4

turn

4

 





my

face

to

turn

         

turn,

29      



I



winds,











4



4









 

 I

 

pp

 I

    

    

 

 

 

  



to



 

 



my face



 



blow - ing

 

  

turn,

26    







 





4

 

 

4



  





 

 



3

4

turn



  





 

turn

pp

 



 

I

  



I pp

 



4

26      

I



    

 

   

   

4

32      32

S.

turn

turn

   

A.

B.

       

S.

Pno.

my face

4

to

blow - ing



  

 



 

I

face

to

blow - ing

winds,



turn

I

 

my

 

     

   



turn,







 













 



 





 





 





4



  

 

I pp

 I

turn







 

turn,

38    

 



      

 



38      





turn

 4 

 



      

  

 

I

4





4

   





   

      

winds,

 



37



  

  

   

T.



4

  

A.

B.



turn,

32     

Pno.





         

T.

 

35  



4



 







 













to

 

  

 



 

4

blow - ing

winds,





 







  





  

4





 

4



 

    

 I

4

 

41  

4

my face

35   

 

turn



 



   

      pp

 I

 

pp



  

  



4

  

turn

41  





my face

to

 

 4







   42

S.

 



  

(unis) pp

 I

44  

turn

5

 

  

 



      

 



 

 

I

A.





 





 



       blow - ing winds,

T.

    

4







 





 

pp

  

pp

I

 



4 

turn

my

face

 to





4

blow - ing



 



 

 winds,



 I



 





B.





 Pno.





 

 4



  

 

 



 

 

44    



 

  



 



  

 

  



 

 I

turn,

 4





4





6

47        

 

47

S.

turn

A.

      





 

    

 



Alto



     turn

4

  

my face to

 4  blow - ing

winds,

50

(unis.)

I





pp

 I





 



turn

 4 

my face to

blow ing winds,

4

turn

 



  

I

  

  



pp

I



 

turn

 

 



 









turn

T.



      turn       



   



pp







 



 

    



I

B.

      

Pno.

47          





  4

 



 

4





 





pp I

pp



 



 



 





turn,

  





turn,

50   

4

   

    



4

  



 

 

 

 

53      52

S.

poco a poco cresc.

 



to

     to

B.



   

 S.

  

 

-

ing





4



4       blow - ing





winds,



4





4

     



 

-

ing



    4

-

 4

 4















4

-





-

 4

 

 



4

-





 







 4













blow

ing

winds,

 

 



4

ing

4









-

ing



winds,

blow

-





ing



-



  4   ing



winds,

    4





4



4

61  4  



-

ing

4

 



blow





   

 

-

 



4

ing

4



 

blow

-



 

   

winds,

 

  



winds,





blow





4

winds,





winds,



ing

 

ing

blow



winds,



winds,

blow

4 

ing



ing







 

winds,

4    



winds,

 

-

blow

blow



4





ing



  4    

winds,

 

ing





4

4



 







blow



4

-

blow

blow

   



-







poco a poco cresc.

   



winds,

53 Gaining momentum 4      

winds,

Pno.

ing

 

 

57    

-

4





poco a poco cresc.





4 



blow

blow

winds,

blow

B.



poco a poco cresc.

57 57    4   

T.

winds,

wind,

to

    

A.

ing







 

blow

    Pno.

-



poco a poco cresc.

(unis.)

(unis.)

4

 

to

T.



blow

  (unis.)   

A.

7

Gaining momentum



61





4



     4

 

 

8

   4    62

S.

winds,



  blow

T.

-

ing



winds,





ing

winds,

blow - ing



blow

  

-

ing

-

 

fff



winds,

blow

  4   fff       



 

fff

blow - ing,

   -

blow

      

 4  

blow



4





fff

  

winds,

   4     winds,

B.

      4

blow - ing



A.

65

blow - ing,

blow

-

winds,

   

 

wind,

 Pno.

  

 

4 4











4







  

4







 

 





4

4





 

 

65        

fff

    

   

ing

ing

winds,

     Bass ossia

 

 

ing

  -

     

    

 



        

  



winds,





      









S.



     67

69

(cut off still fff )

p





A.

T.

B.

(bass ossia)

Pno.

 S.

A.

T.

B.



  

       

    (bass ossia)      

Pno.

    





of

pp





of

  

Slow



 











pp (staggered breathing)

(long)

 

(long)

 

    

(long)

 

me

news

 

 

Freely, plaintive

  

you.



 

3



pp

 



 



you. (long)

news

 

p

   

me

 

69

(long)





pp







(staggered breathing) pp

   pp







Slow



hop - ing they'll bring

 



3



 

           

   



(Dramatic dim.)

  

72

p



   



hop - ing they'll bring

(Dramatic dim.)

     

3



(cut off still fff )

   

9

Freely, plaintive



74





A tempo p

 I

p

 I

  p

I

p  



   

I



74 A tempo

 

   p

  

  3

wan - der





    



     

roads 3

 

wan - der



roads,



  3



   

wan - der

roads

3

3 

wan - der



 





3



  

3



here and

there



3

here and



there,

 

roads

 

 

 3

 







3



   

10

   

78      

 3  

   

     

 3  

    

     

  3 

3              

 3  

77

S.

A.

T.

B.

I

I

I

here and there,

I

78                         

Pno.

3

wan - der

wan - der

wan - der



 

    





    

    



   

 

    

 roads

roads

here and there, 3

roads

here and there,



wan - der

3



3        

roads

3

     



   

here and there,

 



   3

   

3

3

                 

  

3



S.

82 82    

  

   

 3  

     I

  3 

wan - der

I

A.

I

T.

B.

Pno.

3

wan - der

wan - der

wan - der

     I

 3  

82    

     

    

3

    3







  

roads,

I





  



   

3

roads,

roads





  

here and there,

   3

   

3

3

 

roads,



roads

  

  3



I

wan - der

roads

 3      

3 



here and there,

 

wan - der



wan - der

here and there,



3  

I



3

roads

 



86



            3

I

 

wan - der

86

3

    3

roads

  

11

   87

S.

 

T.



   3



here and there,

 3       here and there,

  

  



  

   

wan -der

I



   I

 3      

 

here and there,

    Pno.



I



A.

B.



89     3   

   3



I

     

     

3

   

wan -der roads 3

wan -der roads

3   wan -der

        

3

roads,

3

89

3

   

S.

A.



  pp   



Pass - ing

3

   

 

 





 3  

 

   3

3

   

T.

B.

Pno.

   



      





   

pp

 

      

       

 



 

name.

 



3







 3

     

  I

 

pp I

 



95 pp   I

3









   

 

3

   

 



 

pp I

 

 

95       

     

 

look

 

look

 

look

 

look

      

 at

 at

 at

 at

 





stran - gers'





stran - gers'





stran - gers'





stran - gers'

 

 

here and there,

3



whis - per your



pp

here and there

roads

 

songs



3

   

 

here and there

 92

pp



   

12

  



97

S.

  

fa - ces,



 

A.

I

T.

B.



Pno.

 S.

I

 - ces,

I



 I

B.



 

 

 

 

hop





  

(echo)

mf

  

 

mp



-

mp

 -



-

 -



ing,



mp

-

 

ing,

  

ing,

  

mp

 

hop

 

-

mp hop

-

mp



hop

   

mp



-

-





 

ing,



p

-



ing,

p

-

-

ing,

p



mp

hop





ing,

mf

 

ing,

mf

 

-

ing,

  

   

  mf

p

-

-

 

-

-

  



ing, mf



ff



mp



-

100   



-







  

ff    

ing,

-

hop

 



hop

ff

way

mp

-

-

(echo) mf



 



hop

 

-

-

 

way

ff

 



 

-

hop ff

ff

 

mf







3

-

(echo) mf hop

3



   

Pno.

a

 

 

T.

look

  

(echo) mf

a



way

  

hop

-

3



  

a

  ff

 

 ff

look

 

hop

way ff

   

(echo) mf

A.

look

   

  

-

3

fa - ces,

102

a

  



 

look 3

fa - ces,

    fa



3

100

 

ff

ing,

  

p



106 pp 



hop



-

 -

ing,

    





























106

pp



 

 

 

13

108

   108

S.

(staggered breathing)









pp

3

     

A.

hop

T.

B.



    

3

-

- ing,

       hop

-

-



  





  



  

    

pp

for you,

pp

         3



ing,

hop

  



  



  

 

-

-

for you,

for you,

(staggered breathing)

pp

  

 

3

3





  

pp



for you,

   

for you,

 

3



  

ing,

   

for you,

108     

Pno.



 

3

 





  

 

3

        

     114

S.

A.

T.

B.

    

     

Pno.

  

pp





hop - ing

  

 

pp



for

  



for

pp

  





pp





a



pp

  



for

a

   

  

for



a

   

a

 

 



 



trace

ppp



of

trace

ppp



of

 



trace

you,



you,

ppp



you ppp

 



trace

       







ppp





you





14

     

 

   



 

 



 

120

S.



of

A.

you,

     of

T.

B.

         

you,







  







you



Hop - ing

pp



for

 



   pp



 













you.

       

for

  

you.

 



pp

you.







you.

of

you

     Pno.

of

    

Slightly slower

Slightly slower



 pp







for pp

for

    

     

 



ppp possible

  

 



ppp possible

126

S.

a

A.

a

T.

B.

     a   

 a

       Pno.

    

trace

trace



of

 



trace



trace





ppp possible



   

you.

 





 

ppp possible



 



 

you



you

ppp possible

         



of

  



you

   



  



     

