Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re Theodore Tavi Hein
Spring in War-Time Words by Sara Teasdale For SATB Choir and Piano
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re
Program Notes
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re
My piece is a setting of the poem "Spring in War-Time" by Sara Teasdale (1884-1933), which was written in the early to middle years of World War I. Throughout her powerful text, Sara Teasdale explores the painful juxtaposition of the renewal of spring against the tragic loss of life in a war that never seems to end. Each stanza ends with a rhetorical question, expressing the deep grief of a world torn apart by a brutal war. My piece musically illustrates each line through the use of word painting and emotional harmony. The harmony of the main theme, which rst appears at rehearsal A, is set in a dark and introspective c sharp minor, which represents "a world in grief." Starting at rehearsal E, the line "The grass is waking in the ground" is set to a motive that rises and falls in its melodic shape, representing dormant seeds bursting with energy and life upon the arrival of spring. The same undulating motive is also set to the line: "Soon it will rise and blow in waves." The increasing propulsive motion of this motive and two other motives builds to the climactic nal line of that stanza, ending with "New graves?" At the end of each stanza of the poem, the chorus sings a loud, full chord, signifying each piercing question. The last measure of the piece ends on an unresolved chord and represents the tragic unanswerable questions posed throughout the poem.
Spring in War-Time
I feel the spring far off, far off, The faint, far scent of bud and leaf— Oh, how can spring take heart to come To a world in grief, Deep grief? The sun turns north, the days grow long, Later the evening star grows bright— How can the daylight linger on For men to ght, Still ght? The grass is waking in the ground, Soon it will rise and blow in waves— How can it have the heart to sway Over the graves, New graves? Under the boughs where lovers walked The apple-blooms will shed their breath— But what of all the lovers now Parted by Death, Grey Death?
- Sara Teasdale
Duration
Ca. 4:30
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re
SPRING IN WAR-TIME
Theodore Tavi Hein (2026)
Sara Teasdale
Soprano
Lacrimoso = 50 rit.
Alto
Oh
Oh
rit.
a tempo
molto rit.
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re
Tenor
a tempo
feel the spring far off,
far off,
I
I
feel the spring far off,
feel the spring far off,
feel the spring far off,
far off,
I
I
Oh
5 A a tempo
l.v.
Piano
l.v.
Bass
far off,
far off,
The faint, far scent of bud and leaf—
The faint, far scent of bud and leaf—
The faint, far scent of bud and leaf—
The faint, far scent of bud and leaf—
Copyright 2026 Theodore Tavi Hein, All Rights Reserved
B
Oh,
Oh,
how can spring take
how can spring take
Oh,
how can spring take
Oh,
how can spring take
2
Spring in War-Time by Theodore Tavi Hein
12
heart
heart
heart
heart
to
come
to
come
To
a
To
a
world in
world in
to
come
to
come
To
to
a
a
world in
world in
17
grief,
grief,
Deep
grief?
Deep
grief?
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re
C
The
grief,
sun
Oh The
grief,
sun
Oh
turns north,
Oh
the
turns north,
Oh
the
Oh
Deep
Deep
days
grief?
grow long,
Oh
long,
days
grow long,
Oh
grief?
long,
l.v.
Spring in War-Time by Theodore Tavi Hein
21
La - ter
Oh La - ter
the
eve
-
-
ning
-
Oh
Oh
the
eve
Oh
-
Oh
How
How
can the
can the
day
-
day
can the day
-
-
light
light
light
How
can the day
-
light
How
star
Oh
star
ning
D
24
grows
bright—
lin
Oh
ger
on
bright—
bright
men
to
men
ght,
to
ght,
men
-
ger
lin
-
ger
lin
-
ger
on
on
on
For
For
For
lin
ght,
to
men
For
-
grows
bright—
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re
3
to
ght,
4
Spring in War-Time by Theodore Tavi Hein
E
27
ght?
ght?
30
ght?
ght?
ground,
The grass is wak - ing in the
Soon it will rise and blow in waves
The grass is wak-ing in the
The grass is wak-ing in the ground
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re
Still
Still
Still
Still
ground
Soon it will rise and blow in
Spring in War-Time by Theodore Tavi Hein
32
How can it
waves—
Soon it will rise and blow in waves
34
sway
sway
waves—
have
heart
to
How can it
have
the
heart
to
have
the
How can it
heart
to
sway
sway
How can it
How
How
How
How
can it
can it
can it
can it
the
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re
F
5
have
the
heart
to
have
the
heart
to
have
the
to
have
heart
the
heart
to
have
the
heart
to
6
Spring in War-Time by Theodore Tavi Hein
36
sway
sway
sway
38
ver
O
O
O - ver
molto
O - ver
-
ver
graves,
molto O
graves,
O - ver graves,
O
O
molto
O - ver graves,
-
-
ver
-
ver
O
graves,
O
-
-
ver
ver
graves,
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re
O
sway
G
O
-
-
ver
ver
molto
O - ver the graves,
molto
graves,
O - ver the graves
O - ver the graves
graves,
O - ver the graves,
ver
H
graves,
graves,
-
New
New
New
New
Spring in War-Time by Theodore Tavi Hein
41
graves?
I
l.v.
Un - der the boughs where lov - ers walked,
Un - der the boughs where lov - ers walked
Un - der the boughs where lov - ers walked,
The
The
The
ap - ple - blooms will
ap - ple - blooms will
ap - ple - blooms will
shed their breath—
shed their breath—
shed their
breath—
46
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re
graves?
graves?
graves?
7
But
But
But
But
8
Spring in War-Time by Theodore Tavi Hein
J
51
what
what
of
all
the
the
of
the
of
all
of
what
all
all
54
lov
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
ers
now
ers
now
ers
now
-
lov
Death,
Death
lov
the
lov
Par
Par
Par
-
-
Death,
Death
-
-
ers
Grey
Grey
Grey
Grey
now
Par
by
-
-
ted
by
-
-
ted
by
Death?
Death?
ted
by
Death?
Death?
-
-
ted
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re
what
Spring in War-Time by Theodore Tavi Hein
9
58
K
Co P e py ru rig sa l h Ta t O n T vi l h y He eo in do re