Falling Leaves (SATB a cappella)

FALLING LEAVES

For a cappella SATB chorus

music by Juhi Bansal, text translated from Rumi Duration 4 minutes

Program note: In the simplest of words, the Persian poet Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī expresses joy in the natural world. It is a message of peace and gratitude, of finding light and meaning in unexpected places. With cascading lines, intertwining counterpoint and modal inflections, the music paints a picture of drifting leaves and wonder.

To David V. Montoya, in gratitude and friendship

Falling Leaves The leaf of every tree brings message from the unseen world.

Look, every falling leaf is a blessing.

translation adapted from Reynold Nicholson, in the public domain

Copyright ©2020 by Juhi Bansal Music All rights reserved

juhibansalcomposer@gmail.com www.juhibansal.com

Falling Leaves

Text by Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, English translation by Reynold Nicholson

Expressive, flowing h = 50-60

SOPRANO

   p    

The

ALTO





 

leaf

of

ev







leaf

of

ev

  p     The

      



  BASS     



TENOR

-

-





ry

tree





ry

tree

Music by Juhi Bansal

5











 

p





  



brings mes - sage,



p







brings



brings

     

(for rehearsal only)

Piano



p



     



 









 





  







The

leaf

of

ev

p









The

leaf

of

eve

 



 





       6

SOPRANO

ALTO

TENOR

BASS

Piano

    

pp

   



   



pp

       mes - sage,     

 bring

mes - sage,





brings

mes

                 



  





   

brings mes - sage,



sage,



   





 -

p





9



the

leaf





the

leaf

   



  

 -

ry

  -

ry

     

 

      



11

SOPRANO

13 



3

pp



   



   



tree

ALTO

    





tree,

TENOR

BASS

      brings    



 



 



brings

pp



  



mes - sage,

brings



mes - sage,



brings,

Piano

          



 

  

  



     





  

brings

   mes - sage,





brings

mes

 

         

 brings

 -

sage,



    





      16

SOPRANO

ALTO

TENOR

BASS

            mes - sage          

Piano



      

 

17  

p

leaf

of

eve

p









The

leaf

of

eve



the

leaf





the

leaf

 



The









  

 -



ry

 -

 



ry





tree,



  tree,

 

   

 

 

   

 

 the

the

 

 the

brings





  

 







4

SOPRANO

ALTO

TENOR

BASS

21 21      



 

leaf

of

eve

    





leaf

of

eve

      leaf





of

eve

   

-

-

-







ry

tree,

25   







ry

tree,





ry

tree







leaf

of

eve









 

leaf

of



  

brings mes - sage,









the

the





eve



-

Piano

 



     



ry



brings mes - sage,



     

  

 

ry

   

brings,

        



-

brings

 brings

 

  

 

      





ry

tree,

 



29      27

SOPRANO





tree,

ALTO

  





tree,

TENOR

BASS

        mes - sage,      mes

Piano

     



 brings

 -



mp







 

the

leaf

of

eve









the

leaf

of

eve

mp

    mes - sage,



mp



the

leaf





-

-





ry

tree,



   brings,





sage

       





brings



mp

the



   mp     

  



     

       

     32

SOPRANO

ALTO

TENOR



the

    



        mes - sage

leaf,

the





brings





   

 

38    poco a poco cresc.    

ALTO

    





from the

un



 









seen

   

Alto 2





   



 



 

  

TENOR

BASS

Piano

    

 

       



un

   



 

 





poco a poco cresc.

 

-







mf

mp cresc.



   

world

mp cresc.







 





 

-

 



seen

 

   



 

     

  

mf





mf





world.

 

 

mf

mp cresc.

seen

p poco a poco cresc.

un

 



      



world



5

mf

world

p poco a poco cresc.

   

mes - sage,

40 



-



p subito

p poco a poco cresc.









mes - sage

p



Sop. 2

 



mes - sage,

      





leaf



(staggered breathing)

35

mes - sage p



  

37

SOPRANO



leaf



      

p subito

  





brings

leaf

the

    



  





p subito

leaf

the

   BASS  

Piano

33    

 

mf



world.

   

 

     

 

 

    mf   

      

43    mp poco a poco cresc.  SOPRANO   

47

6

43





Look, mp poco a poco cresc.

ALTO

     



look,

 

 

 

TENOR

BASS

    

look,

mp poco a poco cresc.

 





Look mp poco a poco cresc.









Piano





49

SOPRANO

  

  

    













 



 



 



51  



  



 



      









 

 

 

  

       



 



f

 

f

   

f



look,

ALTO





look,

mp poco a poco cresc.

   

  look,









Look,

     

 

 

Look,

    











mp

   Eve - ry

 

look,

TENOR



     

   BASS  







 

   



mp   

look











Eve - ry







 

f



 

look,

      

Piano



    





 



 

 



 



  

  

  



     

     

f

 



mp

 

     mp

55       





ing

leaf

55

SOPRANO

ALTO

  

fall

-



(always mp)

 

eve - ry

Sop. 2

  





mp

 

Eve - ry







fall





59   fall

 

-

fall

-

ing









ing,

fall

ing,

fall



-

ing

 ing





-



7

leaf,

(always mp)

 

eve - ry

(In the background)

      TENOR



fall

   

-

ing,

fall



   

 pp

pp



-





     

Piano



(In the background) pp

      fall

BASS



pp

 

  

mp

-

-

 

 

  











ing,

fall

 

-





ing,

fall

-

 



 

   









  

  





8



      61

SOPRANO

leaf,

   



leaf,

ALTO

63      eve - ry

  eve - ry

     

  -

ing

      ing,







ing,

fall

-

 

-

fall

-



-

ing



leaf,





ing,

fall

-



leaf,





ing,

fall

-

  eve - ry

  eve - ry

  

eve - ry





 



leaf,

-



ing



fall

fall

fall



 

fall

-

ing









ing,

fall

ing,

fall

-

-

TENOR

     

BASS

   

 

      

Piano



   





 

  

  

 

    

  







   

 

    



   

  

67 67       fall

SOPRANO

-

       fall

-

leaf,

     ing,

TENOR

BASS







  

 

-





ing,

fall

-

 



BASS

Piano

fall

  



-





ing,

fall



     

         

fall

-

-

 

cresc.

ing,

fall

  





ing,

fall

   

    



ing,

-

-

 





fall

-

  

cresc.



-

-



ing,



 

fall

-

ing,

   

-

f

 

fall



           



 

  

f



mp cresc.



fall

mp cresc.





 

fall

-

ing,

     

-



  





 

p subito

 



ing

Slightly faster, in time



leaf

 

p subito

fall





ing



f

 

-

78

f

ing,

-

 



 



 



      



   



ing

TENOR

eve - ry

9



cresc.

75 rit.

fall

ALTO

71   



leaf,

eve - ry

73

SOPRANO

ing





      

Piano

-



ing

fall

        





   

ALTO



f





ing

 -



fall

-

 

    

  

ing

leaf

  

p subito

ing

     



pp

  

leaf

is

 

pp

p subito

 



leaf p subito

      



 

is

 

a

pp

a

    

10

      79

SOPRANO

ALTO

TENOR

BASS

(a few high sopranos)

    

pp

   

pp

        bless - ing,

is



a

  a



bless - ing,











                 



      84

SOPRANO

       

BASS

Piano

  a

a

 

is





 

 

 

a

bless - ing,

 





bless - ing,

  

86  



bless - ing,

  

bless - ing,

is

 

   

    

    



   

is



a

  is

 

  is







a



             

 



     

           

 

  

is

  is

      

    

   

 

a

a



a

 

is

a

   

bless - ing,

  bless - ing,

       

    

    



  

o

bless - ing,

TENOR

  

is

bless - ing,

ALTO



is



  is

bless - ing,

 

      

 



bless - ing,

Piano

 

82

o

 

is



Light, soaring pp

a

    



a

 

is

a

bless - ing,

 



bless - ing,

     

         



bless - ing,

  

    



  

is



a

  is

  

  is

 

   

bless ing,

 

 

a

    



a

 

is

a

  bless - ing,

 

bless - ing,

   

  

 



bless - ing,

bless - ing,

    

        

    



  

is

a

  is

a

         

90 

       89

SOPRANO

ALTO

TENOR

BASS

                   bless - ing,

 

  is



a

bless - ing,

 

is

 





a





94 94       SOPRANO

   



bless - ing,



 

  

is





   

 













  BASS   



Piano





a





 

 

bless - ing,

 

is

 

a

  

 



bless - ing,



  

is





  

is



is

       

  a

 a

  

 







is

a





is

a

  

 

    





      

    

 



bless - ing,



bless - ing,



is

bless - ing,

     

       





 





 

bless - ing,







 

   

bless - ing.



   

bless - ing.

   



  



a

 

a

bless - ing,

 

bless - ing,





 

bless - ing,

              





a

   

a

is

        





bless - ing,

   

    

is

o

     

           

a

             

bless - ing,

TENOR



 

bless - ing,

 

bless - ing,

ALTO

a

is

        

  is



bless - ing,

Piano



o

                  



11



           

bless - ing.