Tulips (Folk Version) by ShawnKirchner

first performed by Tonality, Alexander Lloyd Blake, conductor in concert for Mental Health Awareness Month, May 2019

words

SYLVIAPLATH music

SHAWNKIRCHNER

Selectedstanzasfromthepoem"Tulips"usedwithpermissionofFaberandFaberLtd.andtheEstateofSylviaPlath. Musiccopyright©2019byShawnKirchnerPublishing(ASCAP). Licensedcopiesavailableatwww.ShawnKirchner.com.Allrightsreserved.

     

SOLO Piano The mp tulips-aretoo excit-q =c.96 mp mp a-ble,- itiswinter- here. Lookhow whiteev'5 mp ry-thing-is,howquiet,-how snowedin. Iamlearning-peace ful-ness,9 mp     SKPublishing I II III II III II III II III II III II III II III  

T U L I P S

       3                                                                                                                                                                                            PERUSAL ONLY

walls, thisbed, these hands. Iam

     

lying-bymyself - quiet-ly - Asthelightlieson thesewhite

       3   S,A 3 3 3  T,B 3 3 3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               2 PERUSAL ONLY

nobo-dy;

I mp amnobo-dy; - Ihavenothing-todowithex plo f -sions. - I mf have I

amnobo-dy; - Ihavenothing-todowithex plo f -sions. - I mf have f

    given-mynameandmydayclothes-uptothenurses - And mp my 24 given-mynameandmydayclothes-uptothenurses - And mp my hist'ry-totheanes-the-tist - and p mybo- dyto 28 hist'ry-totheanes-the-tist - and p mybo- dyto mp p  3 3 3 3  3 3 3 3         3 3 3  3 3 3                                                                                                                                                                                 3 PERUSAL ONLY

This page has been intentionally deleted to protect the copyright of this score. To purchase, please visit: ShawnKirchner.com SKPublishing I II III II III II III II III II III II III II III II III

thepeaceful-ness isso big itdaz es - you,

Before-theycametheair wascalm,

tulips-filledituplikea loud

pp fore -theycametheair wascalm, Thenthe

p mf

5 PERUSAL ONLY

f noise.Now                   3 3 3  3 3 3           

mf theairsnagsandeddies-around-them--They

     

Be mf

tulips-filledituplikea loud

f noise.Now 52

mf theairsnagsandeddies-around-them--They f mf                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

    concen-trate-myatten-tion-- the mp wayariver-snagsand 56 concen-trate-myatten-tion--mp thewayariver-snagsand mp dim. eddies-aroundp asunken,-rustred-engine.60 eddies-aroundp asunken,-rustred-engine.p poco cresc.  3 3 3  3 3 3           3  3                                                                                                                                                                                                   6 PERUSAL ONLY

*Mostsopranosjoinsoloist, butafewlightvoicesonthedescantinthechoirpartbelow

The

tulips - are toored inthefirstplace,theyhurt me.

Theirred ness -talks tomywound, itcor re -sponds. -

   

65 Oo mp Oo mpf mf

69 Oo talkstomywound. theyhurt me. Oo  SOLO *

3             3   3                                                                                                                                                                                                     7 PERUSAL ONLY

They

aresubtle:-theyseemtofloat, although - theyweigh medown.

aresubtle:-theyseemtofloat. although - theyweigh medown,

adozen-red leadsink ers - around - my neck.

Adozen-red leadsink ers - around myneck.

   

dim. poco a poco p

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         8 PERUSAL ONLY

*Soloistholdsnoteout, butsopranosrejointheregularsopranoline

    81

The

behind-barslikedanger-oussubito drammatico f a ff ni -mals; - Theyareopen-ing-likethemouth of 85 a ff ni -mals; - Theyareopen-ing-likethemouth of ff dim. 

The mf tulips-shouldbebehind - bars, f behind-barslikedanger-ous -

mf tulips-shouldbebehind - bars, f

*     3 3 3 3  3 3 3 3      3 3  3 3               3 3 3  3 3 3   3   3  3  3  (longpedalshereforbigsound)     3  3        3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          9 PERUSAL ONLY

    somegreatAfri-can-cat, and f Iamaware-ofmyheart, and mf 89 somegreatAfri-can-cat, and f Iamaware-ofmyheart, and mf f mf dim. AndIamaware-ofmyheart, And p very intimate Iamaware-ofmy Rit. Atempo 94 Iamaware-ofmy heart: mp AndI amaware-ofmy heart: p niente Iamaware-ofmy heart: mp p niente mp p Rit. Atempo  3 3 3  3 3 3    3 3 3 3      3 3  3 3  3 3 3 3  3 3  3 3    3 3  3  3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         10 PERUSAL ONLY

(itwillprobablyfeelnatural tocutthisnoteoffsooner)

        heart: itopens-andclos es - Itsbowlofredblooms outof 99 p p sheerlove ofme. Thewater-Itaste iswarm andsalt, 104 like thesea, andcomesfrom acoun try -far away108 as health. 112  3 3          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             11 PERUSAL ONLY