this brightening silence | Kathleen Allan | MusicSpoke

this brightening silence for TTBB choir a cappella, 4’

Kathleen Allan 2014

Commissioned by Newman Sound David Chafe and Jennifer Hart, Artistic Directors, St. John’s, NL in honour of the 100th anniversary of the 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

this brightening silence hush now for soon will come our grey angel on wings of canvas rising from the foam she'll draw us up across her bow, hold us fast and point us home and in the meanwhile we make our exchanges breath for spirit, salt for ice, flesh for stone, words yet unbroken for olden ways of blood memory as our life's storm fades from this brightening silence now as one we cradle in the bow, stretching full its worth to strain oblivion to force a crack that grows splintering death itself to pieces while she, with us safely stowed in her berth lifts her wing o’er the breaking floes that fall way beneath us as our light rushes in and releases

- T. Benton Roark

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

Commissioned by Newman Sound, David Chafe and Jennifer Hart, Artistic Directors, in honour of the 100th anniversary of the 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster

this brightening silence T. Benton Roark

Tenor

Kathleen Allan

q = 60 Freely

mp œ œœ œ œ œ œ b j 4 œ 2 œ 3 œ b œ ‰ ‰ œ œ œ œœ b J œ œ œ b 4 J & b4 œ œ œ4 J ‹ Hush now, for soon will come our grey an-gel with wings of can - vas ris- ing from the

° bb b 4 U ˙ œ w T. & b b 4 ˙ Œ ‹

24 œ , œ œ 43 ˙

6

foam

She'll draw,

° bb b U T. & b b ˙ ˙ ‹ 11

U ? b B. ¢ b bbb ˙˙

home

She'lldraw us up a- cross her oo

Œ

pp

œœ oo

Œ

pp

œœ

oo

34 ˙™ ˙™ ˙™ 34 ˙™

° bb b Œ ‰ j œ œ œ 44 œ ˙ T. & b b ˙™ ‹ home

B.

?b ¢ b bbb Œ

and point us home

œ œ œœ œ , œ œ 3 œ œ™B1&2 œ4 œ œ œ 2 œ J J J 4 œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ 4 4

and in the

16

fast,

j ‰œ œ œ œœ J

mp

? bb b 44 Ó Œ B. ¢ bb B1

hold us

œ ‰ 44 Œ J

bow, hold us

˙˙ ™

fast,

œ œ™ œ œ œ ˙™ , ˙ ˙™

œ

˙˙

we

mean - while

we

œ

point

b˙˙ ™™

œ œ

mp mean - while

and point us home, point us

42 œ make

˙˙™™

œ œ 43 œ œ Œ

mean - while

we

make our ex - chang - es

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Music © Kathleen Allan 2014 Text Copyright © T. Benton Roark 2014

us

12 8

our ex - chang - es

mp œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ 3 œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 2 œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ J œ Œ 4 4 4 and in the

œ

12 8

2

° b b 12 eœ= e œ œ-œ œœ œœ T. & b b b 8 J J ‹ breath for spi - rit, 20

? b b 12 ™ B. ¢ b b b8 Ó

float

b 3 & b bbb 4 Ó ‹

mp

T2

? bb b 44 ˙ ™ bb mp

B1

oh,

? bb4 ¢ b b b4 w

mp

B2

oh

œ œ œ œ Œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ Œ

breath for spi - rit,

28

b 4 & b bbb 4 ˙ ‹ oh,

˙™

breath for spi - rit,

? bb3 B. ¢ b b b4 Ó

° bb b 4 mf œ T1 & b b 4 ‹ bro

œ

salt

° bb b 3 ˙ ™ T1 & b b 4 ‹ stone T2

salt

Ϊ

moving forward

22

‰ œ

-

for old - en

˙™

salt for ice,

œœ œœ ˙˙˙

salt for ice,

˙

58 œ ™

œ

œ J

for

œ

j œ 43 â ä

T1

‰ œ

flesh

œœ

for

‰ Œ™

43

ice,

œ

˙™

Œ œ œœ

˙™

A tempo

Œ œ œ œ 44 words yet un-

˙

œ ‰ 44 J

˙

œ ‰ 4â J 4ä

flesh for stone

œ œœœ ˙™ Œ flesh for stone

œ œœ œ œ 4 œ œ 4 œ™

as our

life's storm

œ œ 44 œ œ

as our

ways of blood

58 Ϫ

ice,

blood mem- o - ry

œ œ 58 œ œ œ J

old - en

˙˙™™

for

˙

œ œ ˙

ways of

œœ

poco rit.

œ œ œ œ œ 58 œ œ œ J ken

˙˙™™

œœ J

life's storm

f

˙ fades

f

˙

fades

f

œ œœ œ œ 4 œ œ œ b˙ 4

mem- o - ry

as our

life's storm

fades

f

Ϫ

4 œ œ 4œ œ œ ˙

as our

life's

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storm

fades

3

° b b ˙™ T1 & b b b ‹ 32

T2

B1

B2

? b b <b>˙ bbb ?b ¢ b bbb

36

p

p

Ó ∑

Più mosso

mp

68 Œ ™

>œ

œ -œ œ J J

mp

>œ

œ -œ œ J J

mp

> ? bb 44 œ b

>œ

68

∑

68 Œ ™

mp

>œ

we cra - dle in the

simile

œ

œ -œ œ J J

we cra - dle in the

œ œ bbb 44

f

Œ

Now as

si - lence

> 34 œ

mp

Now as

œ -œ œ

bright'-ning si - lence

si - lence

Now as

œ œ œ 4œ œ œ 38 4

œ œ œ™

œ œ œ 4œ œ œ 38 4

œ œ œ™

bow, stretch - ing

stretch - ing

24 œ œ œ

full

full

38 œ

bow, stretch - ing

its

its

full

worth

worth

to strain

to strain

œ J

ob-

j œ ob-

œ 4œ œ J 4J

œ œ œ œ œ J

œ 44 œ™ J

œ œ™ J

bright' - ning

œ œ 38 œ

4 bbb 4

f œ œ œ œ œ œ3 4 J ‰ J 4 bbb 4

>œ

mp

bright' - ning si - lence bright' - ning

? bb 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 42 œ B2 ¢ b

43 Œ

f 3 œ 4 œ œ œ ‰ œ œ bbb 44 J J

>œ

bright' - ning si - lence

j œ œ œ œ œ 42 œ

œ -œ œ

mp

bright' - ning si - lence bright' - ning si - lence

one,

œ -œ œ J J

bright' - ning si - lence bright' - ning

b4 2 & b b4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 œ ‹ one, we cra - dle in the bow, mf

B1

œ -œ œ J J

from this bright'-ning si - lence bright' - ning si - lence

bb &b b b w ‹

° b4 ™ T1 & b b 4 œ ‹ one, T2

œ bœ 68 >œ

mp

its

si - lence bright' - ning si - lence

worth

to strain

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j œ ob-

4

° b œ™ œ ˙ T1 & b b ‹ liv - i-on 40

T2

B1

œ to

b œ &b b œ™ œ œ ‹ liv - i- on ? b œJ œ bb

liv - i - on

° b 5U ˙™ T1 & b b 4 ‹ self 44

T2

B1

bb 5 U b & 4 ˙™ ‹

force a crack that

U 5 ? b B2 ¢ b b 4 ˙™ self

-

grows

œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ J J œJ ‰ œ

to force a crack that

œ

to

ing death

œ it -

45

splint'-ring death it - self to piec- es

f

grows

splint'r

j œ™ œ œj ‰ œ w

-

splint'r

œ œ J

ing death

j œ œ

Ϫ

force a crack that grows

-

ing death

œ it -

œ

it -

45 45

U œ 3 ˙™ Œ 4

˙ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ bœ œ ˙™ , mf œ™ œ™

U 3 Œ œ 4 ˙™

, mf ˙ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ ˙™ œ ™ œ ™ œ

A few voices pp

oo

mp

U ? bb 45 œ œ œ œ U œ Œ œ 43 ˙ ™ b self to pie - ces

splint'r

œ œ J

5 œ™ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 J J œ œ œ œ

to

œ œ œ J J

? bb œ ™ œ ˙ ¢ b

Ϫ

force a crack that grows

œ

bright' - ning si - lence

B2

œ™ œ œ ‰ œ w J J

While mp

she,

While

she,

U 3 Œ œ 4 ˙™ mp

While

she,

in her berth,

with

in her berth,

œ bœ œ œ ˙ ™

, mf Ϫ Ϫ

-

ly stowed in her berth,

lifts her

-

ly stowed in her berth,

lifts her

us safe - ly stowed

˙ œ b˙ with

us safe

˙ œ ˙

with

us safe

lifts her

lifts her

, mf œ™ œ œ œ œ ˙™ œ™

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° b ˙™ T1 & b b ‹ wing 51

T2

B1

b b˙ ™ &b b ‹ wing ? b ˙™ bb

œ

œ <n>œ

˙ nnn 44 œ œ œ œ break - ing floes

œ nœ

break - ing floes

œ J ‰ Œ Œ œ ‰ Œ Œ J

wing

55

T2

B1

4 3 ™ & 4 œ œ™ ‰ œ œ 4 ˙ ‹ neath us as our light ? 44 œ œ™ ‰ œ œ 43 ˙ ™ neath us

B2

as our

light

?4 œ œ 43 ˙ ™ ¢ 4 œ œ™ ‰ neath us

as our

light

be -

f

o'er the

° 4 œœ œœ ™™ ‰ œ œ 3 ˙ ™ T1 & 4 4 ‹ neath us as our light

œ

nnn 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 42 œ

wing

˙™ ? b B2 ¢ bb

24 œ

f

o'er the

œ

5

Più mosso

˙

4 nnn 4 Œ

Œ

4 nnn 4 Œ

f

˙™ ˙

œ ˙™

rush - es

˙

in

œ ˙™

rush - es

break - ing floes that

˙

in

rush

in

œ b˙ -

es

way

be -

œ œ œ œ œ 42 œ œ œ 44

in

˙

fall a - way be-

œ œ œ œ œ 42

break - ing floes that fall

b˙

a -

œ œ 4 4

f

œ œ

œ œœ˙

rush - es

that fall

44

a -

œ œ ˙™

œ

way

be -

Ϫ Ϫ

as our light

rush - es

as our light

œ œ ˙™

rush - es

as our light

rush - es

œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ™ œ™ J

œ œ œ

˙™

as our

light

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Ϫ Ϫ Ϫ Ϫ rush - es

44

6

° œ œ ˙ T1 & ‹ in 62

˙

p

œ

˙

oo

? ˙™

B1

œ

oo

& b˙ ™ ‹ in

T2

pp

p

˙

œ

in

B2

¢

? ˙™

° œ T1 & ‹

B1

mp

˙

œ

in

67

T2

oo

? ˙

œ

œ œ™ œ œ œ

˙™

˙

b˙ ™

˙™

œ

˙

œ

˙™

˙™

˙

œ

œ œ™ œ œ œ

Poco meno mosso

>Ϫ

mp

œ 44 œ J

and

˙™

re - leas - es.

Œ

Œ

43

44 œ

œ

‰ œ œ œ 42 œ œ œ J

44 w p

Oh

oh

oh

42 ˙

‰ œ ä J oh

œ

p

mp

˙

‰ œj œ œ 42 œ œ œ œ 43 œfiœ œ

p

Oh

Œ

42 ˙

44 œ

Oh

? ˙ B2 ¢

˙

oo

poco rit.

& <b>˙ ‹

˙™

43

˙

43

˙™

œ

‰ œJ â mp

oh mp

œ ‰ J

oh

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° œœœœ œ œ œ œ4 ˙ œ 4 T. & J J ‹ 71

œœœœ œ ˙ ?

J J

B1

mp

?

B2 ¢ ˙™ ° 4œ T. & 4 ‹ 77

˙™

° ˙ T1 & ‹

& ˙™ ‹

T2

? ˙

B1

mf

oh

œ

œ

bœ

hoh

oh

oh

42 ˙

mf

w œ

˙™ œ

oh

œ

˙

oh

¢

? ˙™

˙™

œ œ™ œ œ œ

˙™

œ

˙™

˙™

43 ˙™

34 ˙˙™™ 34 œ œ œ œ œ œ 43 ˙™

w

oh

B2

oh

mf

˙™

˙

oh

‰ œj 44

œ ‰ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ 2 œ œ œ 3 œ œ ‰ œ 4 œ 4 4 J J 4 J

œ œ œ œ œ œ

? 44 ˙™ ¢ 80

œ ‰ œ œ œfij œ 2 3 œœœœœ4 œ œœ4 ˙ J

44 w

? 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

B1

B2

œœ4 ˙ 4

7

˙™

mp

˙™

mp

˙™

mp

˙™

mp

˙™

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˙™ ˙™ ˙™ ˙™

44 â ä