Warm Summer Sun

Matthew Browne

Warm Summer Sun

for SATB Choir

2015 Copyright Š 2015 Maestoso Music

Program Note This final stanza of Robert Richardson’s longer poem “Annette” was used by Samuel Clemens to adorn the headstone of his beloved daughter, Suzy, who died abruptly at the age of 24. Her death devastated him, and this headstone remains as a memorial to his love.

The very short poem deals with the passage of time and its effect on those who have left us, on their legacy. The mention of the sun at the beginning, all the way to the “good night” at the end displays such a passage. The reader pleads with the natural elements to be kind to her grave throughout the years, so that her legacy be forever untarnished by the passage of time. In the same sense, Twain’s use of the stanza revitalizes and secures the legacy of Richardson’s work as well, who may have otherwise been a relatively unknown poet to modern audiences.

The music evokes this concept of time by having several extended sections of music where each singer aleatorically sings their line at their own individual tempo, giving each phrase the time they each feel it deserves. The passage of time in these sections thus becomes malleable, shaped by the sensibilities of each member of the choir.

Warm Summer Sun Robert Richardson (and Mark Twain) Warm summer sun, Shine kindly here, Warm southern wind, Blow softly here.

Green sod above, Lie light, lie light.

Good night, dear heart, Good night, good night.

Commissioned by The New York Virtuoso Singers World Premiere by The New York Virtuoso Singers, Harold Rosenbaum, Conductor Duration: c. 5 minutes

www.matthewbrownecomposer.com

Commissioned by The New York Virtuoso Singers World Premiere by The New York Virtuoso Singers, Harold Rosenbaum, Conductor

Full Score

Warm Summer Sun for SATB choir Matthew Browne Text by Robert Richardson/ Mark Twain

c. 10-12"

c. 8-10"

*

p cresc. poco a poco Soprano

° W &

w

Warm

sum

˙™ w -

mer

œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ w œ œ

sun,

sun,

p cresc. poco a poco *

U Ú Alto

&

ãã W ã

w

Warm

sum

w mer

-

U Ú Tenor

& ‹ ?

U Ú

ãã ã

Bass

¢

c. 6-8"

S.

° œ œ ˙™ &

œ œ œ

c. 10-12"

˙™ œ œ ˙

sun,

A.

& ˙™

œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ

˙ w warm

œ œ w œ œ

sun,

sum

mer

-

œ œ ˙™

œ œ œ

sun,

sun,

*

p cresc. poco a poco T.

ãã w ã

& ‹

w w

Warm

sum

˙™ w

-

mer

p cresc. poco a poco * ? W

w B.

¢ Warm

sum

-

mer

* Sing your line (until next rehearsal letter) slowly and freely and with approximate note values ( = c. 40), without regard for the conductor's cues. Do not synchronize rhythms with the other members of your section. Stagger breathe as needed, and re-enter imperceptibly. The result should be an ever-growing, churning, and indistinct "cloud" of sound. Arrows and dotted barlines correspond to conductor's entrance cues.

Copyright © 2015 Maestoso Music

sun,

œ œ œ œ œ

Warm Summer Sun 2

(c. 10-12") f **

S.

° & œ œ ˙™

U W

œœ˙

A h = 64, In tempo pp sotto voce , ˙ 4∑ w Ó ˙ bw 2

sun,

shi - ne

f

,

p

˙˙

˙˙

U w w

w w

kind - ly

here,

pp sotto voce

p

**

, A.

& œ œ ˙

U W

w

U w

4∑ 2 w

w

shine pp sotto voce

f

˙

˙

w

kind - ly

here, p

**

, T.

& w ‹ sun,

U W

w

4Ó 2

˙ w™

w

shine

f

U w

w

˙ kind - ly

here,

pp sotto voce

p

**

, B.

? œ œ ˙ ¢

U W

w

˙

4W 2

sun,

w

shine

U w

w

˙ kind - ly

here,

B c. 8-10"

c. 8-10"

c. 8-10"

*

p cresc. poco a poco S.

° ˙ & warm

˙™

˙

œ south

œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

- ern

w

˙ œ œ

wind

warm

south -ern

U Ú A.

ãã ã

& p cresc. poco a poco *

U Ú T.

& ‹

˙

˙™ œ

ãã ˙ ã wa

south

-

œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

ern

wind

p cresc. poco a poco *

?

U Ú

B.

¢

ãã ˙ ã wa

* See note on pg. 1 ** Hold note until cued by the conductor to cut off.

Stagger breathe as needed.

˙

˙™ south

œ -

ern

Warm Summer Sun 3

c. 12-15" f **

S.

° & ˙™

w œ œ

œ œ

w œ

wind,

U W

,

U ** W

,

4 2

wind,

*

p cresc. poco a poco f A.

& ˙

˙ ˙ œ w œ

#˙

4 2

˙ warm

south

ern

-

wind, **

,

f T.

& w ‹

U W

˙ œ warm

œ

south - ern

w

w

4 2

wind, **

,

f B.

? ¢ œ

˙™

œ œ œ

˙

˙

œ œ

˙

wind,

S.

C h = 64, In tempo ° 4∑ Ó &2

pp sotto voce

p

, ˙˙ -

bw w

˙˙

w

soft

-

˙˙

˙w

ly

here,

pp sotto voce

#w

w

blow

#˙ soft

˙ -

ly

pp sotto voce T.

w™

#œ

œ U w w u

p

4 &2 ∑

4 &2 Ó ‹

4 2

wind

blo

A.

U W

œ

#w

U w

here,

p

w

blow

˙

w

ly

here,

U w

˙ soft

-

p pp sotto voce B.

?4 ¢ 2W blow

* See note on pg. 1 ** See note on pg. 2

w

˙

w

ly

here,

˙ soft

-

U w

Warm Summer Sun 4

D c. 10-12"

c. 8-10"

c. 8-10"

*

p cresc. poco a poco S.

U Ú

° &

ãã w ã

˙

green

sod

˙ ˙

œ œ œ ˙™

a

-

bove

U Ú A.

& *

p cresc. poco a poco

U Ú T.

ãã w ã

& ‹

green *

p cresc. poco a poco

˙ B.

? w ¢ green

˙ ˙

œ œ

˙ ˙

œ œ œ

œ œ w

˙

˙

˙™ sod

a

-

bove

green

(c. 8-10")

sod

-

a - bove

c. 15-20" f

S.

° & ˙

˙ œ œ

œ œ w

˙

˙™

œ œ œ

˙ œ œ œ œ

˙

˙

˙ green

sod

a - bove

-

*

p cresc. poco a poco A.

&

f

ãã w ã

˙

green

sod

˙ ˙ ˙ a

-

bove

f

œ & ˙ ‹ sod

T.

˙ ˙ ˙ a

-

™ œ œ œ œ ˙

w w

bove

a -

bove

f

? œ œ ˙

˙ ˙

B.

¢

˙

˙ œ œ green

* See note on pg. 1

w œ œ œ œ ˙ sod

a - bove

Warm Summer Sun 5

E h = 64, In tempo

(c. 15-20") rit. p

pp sotto voce

p

p

**

, S.

° & ˙

w #˙ a

U W

4 w™ 2

bove,

-

˙

lie, pp sotto voce

p

lie

#w

˙ #˙

light,

lie p

U ˙

w™

light,

p

**

U ˙ b˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ #˙ ˙

, A.

U W

& œ œœ œw

4Ó 2

˙ ˙

w #w

lie, lie pp sotto voce

p

˙ b˙ ˙ n˙ ˙ ˙ #˙ ˙ p

light, lie p

light, p

**

, T.

& w ‹

U W

w

4∑ 2

˙ #˙ lie

˙ #˙ ˙ U ˙

#˙ w light,

˙ lie

light,

lie

light,

p **

p pp sotto voce

w

˙ U ˙

lie

light,

, B.

? œ œ˙ ¢

˙ ˙ a-

U W

4 2

Ú

Ú

bove,

F c. 10-12"

S.

° *** & <#>W

c. 10-12"

n

U Ú *

p cresc. poco a poco

U Ú A.

ãã ˙ ã

&

˙

˙

good

U Ú T.

& ‹ p cresc. poco a poco *

˙ B.

? Ó ¢

˙™ ˙

˙ good

* See note on pg. 1 ** See note on pg. 2 *** Hold over this note through the entrance of the basses. Fade out ad lib.

night

œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ w ˙ dear

Warm Summer Sun 6

c. 10-12"

(c. 10-12") *

p cresc. poco a poco S.

° &

ãã ˙ ã good

A.

& ˙™

œ œ œ œ œ

night

œ œ w

˙™ ˙

night

T.

B.

œ œ œ œ œ

˙™ ˙ ˙

œ œ œ

˙ dear

heart

& ‹ ? ˙ ¢

˙™

˙ œ œ œ

˙ œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ ˙™

œ

heart

good

c. 15-20" ff

U W

˙™ S.

#œ #œ ˙

° & œ œ ˙™

œ œ œ

4 2

œ œ

dear

heart,

ff

œ ˙ A.

**

˙ œ

**

U W

4 2

& œ œ œ œ w

œ œ dear

heart,

*

p cresc. poco a poco ff

˙ T.

ãã ã

& ‹

˙

œ œ ˙

good

night

˙

˙™

dear

œ

**

U W

4 2

heart,

ff

**

, ? ˙ B.

w

¢ night

* See note on pg. 1 ** See note on pg. 2

œ œ œ dear

˙ ˙

œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙

œ œ œ œ heart,

U W W

4 2

Warm Summer Sun 7

S.

G h = 64, In tempo pp sotto voce ° 4Ó ˙ &2 good

mp

#w night,

pp sotto voce

4 &2 Ó

A.

˙ #w good

night,

b˙ w good

night,

Ó

mp

b˙ w

Ó

good

night,

mp pp sotto voce

4 & 2 #w ™ ‹ night,

T.

˙

#w ™

˙

good

night,

good

mp pp sotto voce B.

? 42 w™ w™ ¢

˙

night,

w™ w™

good

˙

night

good

pp

molto rit.

S.

° &

U Ó

5 2Ú

Ú

n

U 4 bW 2# W night.

pp

5 2Ú

Ú A.

U Ó

&

n

4 U 2 W W night.

pp sotto voce

& Ó ‹

T.

b˙˙

#w w

good

night,

mp

5 2Ó

pp

mp

? ˙ B.

¢

w™ night,

pp

good

5 2W night,

b˙˙

#w w

U ˙˙

good

night,

good

n

U 4 #W 2 W night.

pp

U ˙ good

n

U 4 W 2 night.