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Text Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sun on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you wake in the morning hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circling flight.
Written in 2020 during the Covid 19 lockdown, this piece was originally conceived as part of a series of “songs from the departed”. Death was an ever present topic during the pandemic, as people all over the world feared for their safety and the safety of their loved ones. My hope was to bring comfort in a tryingThetime.music, instead of setting the meaning of the poem itself, is meant to convey a reaction to it.
Program Notes
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Initially hurt and mournful at the opening lines, the music becomes more hopeful as the poet reveals how aspects of our lost loved ones continue to be found all around us. The words “I am not there” mean something entirely different before and after this journey takes place.
I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die.
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.
Mickey McGroarty (1996) I Am Not There Mary Elizabeth Frye (1905-2004) 8 B. Bass Bar. Baritone T. Tenor A. Alto Mzs. Mezzo S. Soprano donotstandandweepI amthereInot donotstandatmygrave donotstandatmygrave donotstandandweep Iamnotthere donotstandatmygrave atmygrave donotstandatmygravedonotstandandweepI Inottheremygraveam donotstandatmygravedonotstandandweep notthere donotstandatmygravedonotstandandweepI notthere donotstandatmygravedonotstandandweep Iamnotthere Mournfully ( = 80) This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
17 13 B. B. Bar. Bar. T. T. A. A. Mzs. Mzs. S. S. sub. sub. sub. mygravethereI notthere,no donotstandatmygrave am donotstandatmygravenotthere IthediamondglintsonsnowIathousandwindsthatblowam am mygravethereI amnotthereno donotstandatmygravenotthere IthediamondglintsonsnowIathousandwindsthatblowam am notthereI amnotthereno Iamnotthere Iamonsnow 33 33 cresc. cresc. cresc. cresc. cresc. cresc. 2 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
24 21 B. B. Bar. Bar. T. T. A. A. Mzs. Mzs. S. S. cresc. poco a poco cresc. poco a poco cresc. poco a poco cresc. poco a poco cesc. poco a poco cresc. poco a poco windsthatblow notthere, noIam am Iathousandwindsthatblowsnowam diaglintsonIathousandwindsthatblowIamthemond am IathousandwindsthatdiaglintsonsnowamIthemond am Iathousandwindsthatblowamam Iathousandwindsthatblowsnowam diaglintsonIathousandwindsthatblowIamthemond am IathousandwindsthatdiaglintsonsnowamIthemond am Iathousandwindsthatblowamam snowIamathousandwinds Iamon 3 33 3 3 3 3 33 33 3 3 3 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
30 27 B. B. Bar. Bar. T. T. A. A. Mzs. Mzs. S. S. thegentlerain the ripenedgrain Iamthesnow genaurainamtletumngrainIthe onnedIthesunripediaglintsonsnowamIthemond am Iamthesunonripenedgrain amdiamondglintsonsnowblowIthe grainIamthegentleautumnrain onnedIthesunripediaglintsonsnowamIthemond am Iamthesunonripenedgrain amdiamondglintsonsnowblowIthe sunongrainthegentlerain IamthediamondglintsIamthe 3 33 3 3 3 33 3 3 33 4 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
37 33 B. B. Bar. Bar. T. T. A. A. Mzs. Mzs. S. S. Iamthegentlerain amthereIdonotsleepIInot on amthesungrain donotstandatmygraveandweep onIamthegentlerainamthesungrain amdonotsleepImygraveweepInotthereIdonotstandatand onIamthegentlerainamthesungrain amthereIdonotsleepIdonotstandatmygraveandweepInot IthegentleautumnrainIthesunonripenedgrainam am ohIdonotsleep IthegentleautumnrainIthesunonripenedgrainam am ohIdonotsleep IthegentleautumnrainIthesunonripenedgrainam am ohIdonotsleep 33 33 33 5 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
45 41 B. B. Bar. Bar. T. T. A. A. Mzs. Mzs. S. S. Ithegentleautumnrain am Idonotsleep Ithesunonripenedgrain am oh Ithegentleautumnrain am Idonotsleep Ithesunonripenedgrain am oh IthegentleautumnrainIthesunonripenedgrainam am ohIdonotsleep genrainsunonIamthetleamthegrain atgraveandweepIamnotthereIdonotsleepIdonotstandmy onIamthegentlerainamthesungrain atgraveandweepIamnotthereIdonotsleepIdonotstandmy onIamthegentlerainamthesungrain atgraveandweepIamnotthereIdonotsleepIdonotstandmy 33 33 33 6 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
54 49 B. B. Bar. Bar. T. T. A. A. Mzs. Mzs. S. S. softstarsthatshineatnight etincirclingtheupliftingrushofquibirds swift Itheflightam ingIaminmornhushwhenyouwakethe night etincirclingtheupliftingrushofquibirds swift flightIam ingIaminmornhushwhenyouwakethe flightIamnight etincirclingtheupliftingrushofquibirdsingIamswiftinmornhushwhenyouwakethe flightIamnight etincirclingtheupliftingrushofquibirdsingIamswiftinmornhushwhenyouwakethe Ithesoftstarsthatshineatnightflightam etincirclingtheupliftingrushofquibirdsingIamswiftinmornhushwhenyouwakethe flightIamnight etincirclingtheupliftingrushofquibirdsingIamswiftinmornhushwhenyouwakethe 3 3 3 33 33 33 3 33 33 rit. rit. rit. rit. rit. rit. 7 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
67 60 B. B. Bar. Bar. T. T. A. A. Mzs. Mzs. S. S. andcry Iamnotthere Donotstandatmygrave atgravedonotstandmy Donotstandatmygraveandcry am myInotthereatgrave Donotstandatmygraveandcry mygraveIamnotthere Donotstandatmygraveandcry notthere notatmygraveandcryDostand notthere DonotstandatmygraveandcryI Iamnotthere 8 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
70 B. Bar. T. A. Mzs. S. IamthereIdidnotdie not IthereIdidnotdie am amtherenotInot IthereIdidnotdie am not IthereIdidnotdie am amtherenotInot IthereIdidnotdie am not IthereIdidnotdie am amnot 9 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.