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The Oak Live thy Life, Young and old, Like yon oak, Bright in spring, Living gold; Summer-rich Then; and then Autumn-changed Soberer-hued / *Color subdued Gold again.
All his leaves Fall'n at length, Look, he stands, Trunk and bough Naked strength.
*optional alternate text by composer for clarity of meaning
Program Notes
Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem The Oak compares the ups and downs of human life to those of an oak tree’s life cycle. Bright in the spring, rich in the summer, more subdued in the autumn, and bare in the winter, the oak continues resilient and strong throughout the various seasons. We do not judge the oak tree for its hardships and appearance in the winter, but marvel at its strength. We may learn to offer ourselves the same courtesy.
The opening pedal tone in the bass represents the trunk of the tree, while the space in the upper voices portrays the branches spread out above. The contrapuntal sections depict the passage of time and changing of the seasons. At the center of the piece, harmonies spread out from a unison, depicting the oak’s renewed life in spring after a desolate winter. The closing material reflects the opening - transposed down a fifth – to demonstrate that the oak, though starting another year, is older and wiser for the journey thus far.
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 had premieres with Choral Arts Initiative in L.A., Cleveland Chamber Choir, and most recently the University of Akron Chamber Choir at the ACDA National Conference in 2023.
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Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)
Live Thy Life
Mickey McGroarty (1996)
9 S S A A T T B B Reduction Red. cresc. cresc. cresc. young Live and in spring Live oak thy gold thylife and Likeyon ving Li old Young Bright old life ving gold spring old Li Youngand life Livethy youngand Brightin oak Likeyon Like ving Young old Live gold yon and life Li in thy Bright spring oak life thy Bright oak Young ving Live gold in Li old spring Like and yon Joyous ( = 86) = = for rehearsal use This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Like Sum
molto cresc. e accel. accel.
molto cresc. e accel.
molto cresc. e accel.
molto rit accel. molto rit. accel.
oak
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and spring hued
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life *Co tumn Like
life rich hued dued
*optional alternate text for clarity of meaning
Au er So Sum ber
Live Then; a
molto cresc..
old yon a sub tumn Gold gain *Co lor
So er
ber changed lor then, Then; mer Au gain and oak
2 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
18 15 S S A A T T B B Red. Red. cresc. e accel. cresc. e accel. gain Au merrich er yon Sum sub oak Then; Bright spring and yon lor changed Like ber Gold tumn hued oak in a Live Like dued then, So thy *Co life Summer Au andthen, Live Then; hued oak yon
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old oak, Sum
Like Sum
Like and Bright ving =
Li yon Gold; rich
3
old Thenand
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Bright mer
yon Gold; Then
oak, Li thy spring in
molto rit. rit. accel. A Tempo rit. =
Young life Live and then
accel. accel.
22 34 S S A A T T B B Red. Red. cresc. e accel. cresc. cresc. cresc. Youngand Sum Li and in spring mer Then oak, Bright old Gold; yon life rich then thy Live Like ving and Bright Live thy Like life Li yon oak, Gold; Young ving spring old Thenand in andthen
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41 38 S S A A T T B B Red. Red. hisleaves length he er sub hued dued Au ber tum changed lor co so Live Look stands tumnchanged Young All thy en and life old Au fall andbough trunk at Look ber old and fall Young life hisleaves Livethy bough length then and dued lor er sub hued trunk stands at he en All so co tumn and at he tumn bough length changed en All trunk so stands co Look Live Au and ber sub hued lor er dued Au hisleaves changed thy life Young fall old thy All Youngand life old co and Look bough he length en at fall his trunk leaves Live sub so changed stands Autumn lor dued ber then er hued A Tempo ( = 86) rit. rit. rit. rit. rit. 4 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
47 S A T B Red. in na ked yon strength Like spring oak Bright oak Brightin spring ked na Likeyon strength Likeyon oak strength Brightin spring ked na ked Brightin spring yon na Like strength oak 5 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
