To a Poet a Thousand Years Hence I who am dead a thousand years, And wrote this sweet archaic song, Send you my words for messengers The way I shall not pass along. I care not if you bridge the seas, Or ride secure the cruel sky, Or build consummate palaces Of metal or of masonry. But have you wine and music still, And statues and a bright-eyed love, And foolish thoughts of good and ill, And prayers to them who sit above? How shall we conquer? Like a wind That falls at eve our fancies blow, And old MÌonides the blind Said it three thousand years ago. O friend unseen, unborn, unknown, Student of our sweet English tongue, Read out my words at night, alone: I was a poet, I was young. Since I can never see your face, And never shake you by the hand, I send my soul through time and space To greet you. You will understand. James Elroy Flecker (1884 – 1915)
to Dr. Karyl Carlson and the Illinois State University Madrigal Singers in honor of the 55th Annual Madrigal Dinners and the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the Illinois State University College of Fine Arts
To a Poet a Thousand Years Hence
James Elroy Flecker (1884 – 1915) q = 60 pp
SOPRANO
who
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who
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a
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who
am
sand
years,
sand
years,
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sand
Copyright © 2010 Dennis Tobenski. All Rights Reserved.
am
years,
thou
sand
a
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who pp
pp
5
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DENNIS TOBENSKI (2010)
years,
6
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And
wrote
this
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sweet
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song,
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mf
skies,
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p
26
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have you
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stat - ues
stat - ues
stat - ues
32
and
and
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ill,
and
f
wine
and
f
wine
and
And
And
love,
And
love
And
mu - sic
still,
mu - sic
still,
mu - sic
still,
fool - ish
fool - ish
fool - ish
fool - ish
prayers
to
those
who
sit
a
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prayers
to
those
who
sit
a
And
prayers
to
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who
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a
thoughts
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and
thoughts
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thoughts
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good
and
of
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and
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bove? f
bove? f
-
And
-
And
f
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still,
thoughts
And p
mu - sic
p
wine
love,
bright - eyed,
bright - eyed
and
f
love,
bright - eyed
ill,
ill,
bright - eyed
ill,
and
wine
have you
29
have you
But
have you
f
bove?
ff
How ff
How ff
How
35
3
shallwe con -
shallwe con -
38
3
shallwe con -
Like a mp
Like a mp
quer?
the
old Mæ - o - ni - des
the
blind
Said
blind
Said
That falls
at eve our fan - cies
three
it
three mf
p
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mf
O
thou - sand years
thou - sand years
blow, f
blow, f
blow,
a - go.
a - go.
a - go.
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p
9
And mf
thou - sand years
p
42
blow, f
at eve our fan - cies
mf
three
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at eve our fan - cies
it
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wind
f
at eve our fan - cies
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wind
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wind
quer?
old Mæ - o - ni - des
Like a
quer?
3
mp
O
friend
un -
3
seen,
un - born,
un -
known,
10
45
mf
mp
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Stu - dent
mf
Stu - dent
of our sweetEng - lish
mf
Stu - dent
p
49
tongue,
of our sweetEng - lish
tongue,
mp
Read mp
out
out
mf
p
p
was a
I
po - et,
was young.
my words at night,
a - lone:
mp
I
can mp
ne - ver see your
52
face,
face,
face,
ne - ver see your mp
ne - ver see your mp
I
a - lone: pp
can
a - lone:
see your
I
I
3
Since
I
a - lone: pp
pp
my words at night,
my words at night,
out
Read
my words at night,
out
Read
pp
And
And
And
face,
And
ne
-
ne
-
ne
ver
-
ver
ne
ver
-
f
ver
shake
ff
you
by
the
f
shake f
you
by
the
shake
you
by
the
f
shake
you
by
the
hand ff
hand ff
p
I
hand ff
hand
54
send
my
soul
through
p
my
soul
through
3
time
and
and
time
57
p
soul
through
and
space
time
3
p
space
3
time
and
You
p
You p
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11
To
greet
mf
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greet
mf
To
greet
To
greet
will
un - der
space
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space
3
p
mf
mf
will
un - der
will
un - der
will
un - der
you.
you.
you.
you.
pp
-
-
pp
pp
-
n
stand.
n
stand.
-
n
stand. pp
n
stand.
New York City October 4-16, 2010 4'00"
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For more works by Dennis Tobenski, please visit: www.dennistobenski.com