Alone in the night
This piece was created in 2018 for a Christmas concert with a women's ensemble, in which, in addition to this piece, Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" and another piece by me, "Winter Stars" for women's choir and harp, were performed.
The “stars” motif runs through all of Teasdale’s work. The poet, who suffered from depression throughout her life, addresses in many of her poems the hope of finally finding peace and quiet from the harsh earthly existence in the stars. One of her most famous poems, “There will be rest,” is also about this.
You can find my setting of “There will be rest” here.
"Stars", by Sara Teasdale (1884-1933):
Alone in the night
On a dark hill
With pines around me
Spicy and still,
And a heaven full of stars
Over my head,
White and topaz
And misty red;
Myriads with beating
Hearts of fire
That aeons
Cannot vex or tire;
Up the dome of heaven
Like a great hill,
I watch them marching
Stately and still,
And I know that I
Am honored to be
Witness
Of so much majesty.
Choir: SSAA
Length: 5 min
Frauenensemble des Landesjugendchores Rheinland-Pfalz, Conductor: Julian Mörth, 2018