by Mickey McGroarty
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Poem by Christina Rossetti
This piece was commissioned by Brandon Elliott as part of the Choral Arts Initiative PREMIERE|Project Festival. Not only is it my first major commission, but the festival itself taught me so much about being a professional composer and is the reason I am able to publish my music with MusicSpoke. I’ll always cherish this piece as a landmark moment in my career.
The piece begins in the same fashion with “remember me” over and over, as the speaker begs not to be forgotten. I found the words “when no more day by day you tell me of our future that you plann’d” to be especially heartbroken, and so the choir accelerates and stumbles in that moment. I imagine tears on the page at that moment. We enter the minor mode as the choir discusses being forgotten, until the altos reveal that it would be better to forget and smile. The “yet if you should forget” material returns, then, in the major key, as the basses “remember me” fades away.
Composer Bio Mickey McGroarty is an emerging composer based in Akron, Ohio, where he lives with his fiancé and two cats. McGroarty earned his Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Akron after obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the same institution. He has worked with composers, arrangers, and conductors including Jake Runestad, Deke Sharon, and Barnaby Smith of Voces8, and has been premiered in Ohio, California, and Germany. Cover photo by Min Ann This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Text Remember Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land; When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay. Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you plann'd: Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray. Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve: For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad.
Program Notes I am terrified of my own mortality. Like a lot of artists (I think) I spend far too much time thinking about my own death. Will people remember me? Will my work live on without me? What resonates so much with me about Christina Rossetti’s Remember is that she meets us in that feeling. She begins her poem by begging her loved ones over and over to remember her. Gradually, she realizes that what our loved ones need from us as we pass is not desperation. They need consolation. They need permission: permission to move on, permission to be happy, permission – ultimately – to forget.
Mickey McGroarty (1996) When I Am Gone Away for Brandon Elliott and Choral Arts Initiative Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) Reduction B B T A S S sub sub Re RemembermeRe Rememberme Reberme mem Wistful ( = 92) for rehearsal use molto molto molto 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
6 B B T A S S sub memberme membermeRe Reberme mem Reberme mem Reberme mem molto molto molto molto molto 2 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
10 B B T A S S IgoneaWhenam memberRe IgoneawayberwhenamReme mem IgoneawayberwhenamReme mem 2022 3 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
14 B B T A S S atosilentland;Whenyoucan way waytosilentland;Whenyoucan membermeWhenyoucan siland;WhenyoucaninthelentatoGonefarway siland;whenyoucaninthelentatoGonefarway siland;WhenyoucaninthelentatoGonefarway 4 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
18 B B T A S S nomoreholdmebythehand, nomoreholdmebythehand, nomoreholdmebythehand, nomoreholdmebythehand,NorIhalf nomoreholdmebythehand, nomoreholdmebythehand,NorIhalf 2022 5 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
22 B B T A S S sub sub sub turntogoyetstay.Re yetingstay.Re turn yetingstay.ReIturnturnNorhalf yetingstay.turntogoturn Iturnyetstay.Norhalf yetingstay.turntogoturn 6 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
26 B B T A S S sub sub sub membermeRemember membermeRemember membermeRemember RemembermeRe RemembermeRe RemembermeRe poco poco poco molto poco molto moltopoco poco molto poco molto poco molto 2022 7 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
30 B B T A S S sub sub Rebermewhenmemem Rebermewhenmemem Rebermewhenmemem memmeRemember ber membermeRemember memberme poco poco poco molto poco molto poco molto poco molto poco molto poco molto 8 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
33 B B T A S S nomoredaybyday nomoredaybyday nomoredaybydaydaybyday daybydaydaybydayRe daybydaydaybydayRe daybydaybyday 2022 9 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
36 B B T A S S meourfuturethatyouplann'd:Youtellof meourfuturethatyouplann'd:Youtellof meourfuturethatyouplann'd:Youtellof memberourfuturethatyouplann'd: memberourfuturethatyouplann'd: ourfuturethatyouplann'd: accel. 10 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
39 B B T A S S ly ourtureOnre fu ourtureourfuture fu ly ourtureOnre fu ourtureourfuture fu ly ourtureOnre fu ourtureourfuture fu A Tempoaccel. accel. to nothingA Tempo accel. accel. A Tempo accel. accel. to nothingA Tempo 2022 11 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
43 B B T A S S memberme;youunderstandIt It memberme;youunderstandIt It memberme;youunderstandIt It 12 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
46 B B T A S S betocounselthenorpray.willlate betocounselthenorpray.willlate betocounselthenorpray.willlate betocounselthenorpray.willlate betocounselthenorpray.willlate betocounselthenorpray.Yetwilllate 2022 13 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
50 B B T A S S cresc. cresc. cresc. cresc. if Yetyou for ifshouldgetYetyou shouldgetforifforYetyou a getforwhileifforgetforme youshould cresc. cresc. 14 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
53 B B T A S S cresc. cresc. cresc. Yetifyoushouldfor getforawhileshouldforgetforme areforforwhileifforgetgetmeYetyoushould aAndgetforwhileforme terremember,forwhileAndafwardsgetmea afrereber,AndterwardsafwardsmemAndter 2022 15 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
56 B B T A S S getforgetmefora andafterwardsremember memberme afwardsremember,remember ter afwardsremember,andter member,remember 16 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
58 B B T A S S whiledonotgrieve: donotgrieve: donotgrieve: donotgrieve: donotgrieve: donotgrieve: 2022 17 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
61 B B T A S S cresc. cresc. cresc. thenessForifdark cortionleaveifdarknessandrupForthe tigethethoughtsAofrupleavevesandtionifdarknesscorForthe cresc. 18 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
64 B B T A S S cresc. cresc. tion andrupleaveForifthedarknesscor ofthoughtscortionleaveAvestigetheandrup Forifthedarkness AtigeofthethoughtsthatonceIhad ves thatonceIhad,Forifthedarkness 2022 19 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
66 B B T A S S cresc. Avestigeofthethoughts Idonotgrievethethatoncehad,vesofthoughtsAtige Idonotgrievethatoncehad, thatIhad,ofthoughtsoncevestherupleaveAtigeandtion cor donotgrieve rupleavedonotgrieveandtion cor rit. rit. rit. rit. rit. rit. rit. 20 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
69 B B T A S S thanyouforandsmilethatterfaryoushouldgetBetby 3 3 freely freely 2022 21 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
72 B B T A S S sub sub sub andsad.Re be RemembermeRe shouldRemembermeRe A Tempo molto molto A Tempo moltoA Tempo 22 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
77 B B T A S S sub andbesad.Re memberandbesad. memberandbesad. memberandbesad. andbesad. besad. poco poco poco molto poco molto poco molto poco molto poco molto poco molto 2022 23 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
81 B B T A S S cresc. cresc. membermeRemember RemembermeRe Yet get shouldgetforandifforYetyou decresc. cresc. descresc. decresc. 24 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
84 B B T A S S cresc. cresc. memmeRemeReber membermeRemember ifshouldforYetyou forandsmileforgetifshouldget you by Betfardogrievetersmilenot youforgetdonotgrieveYetifshould 3 3 to nothing 2022 25 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
87 B B T A S S memberme meRememberme getforgetandsmiledonotgrieve terfarbyBetbyBetfardogrieveter not terby Betfar forandsmiledonotgrieve get 33 3 3 3 3 to nothing 26 2022 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
91 B B T A S S smile smile smile byyoushouldforgetandsmileBetterfar smile smile 3 3 freely freely 2022 27 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.