By Mickey McGroarty
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Poem by Wallace Stevens
Text
One must have a mind of winter To regard the frost and the boughs Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;
And have been cold a long time To behold the junipers shagged with ice, The spruces rough in the distant glitter
Of the January sun; and not to think Of any misery in the sound of the wind, In the sound of a few leaves,
Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place
For the listener, who listens in the snow, And, nothing himself, beholds Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.
Program Notes
Wallace Stevens’ poem uses the image of a harsh yet beautiful winter scene to demonstrate an important concept: in order to look at something objectively and to witness true beauty, one must be able to look past themself Focused on themself and on their perspective, one may find misery and grief in a snowy winter forest, too focused on the cold snow and the biting air to see the glittering lights and still beauty. The title “The Snow Man” does not refer to a man made of snow (a snowman) but to a man who has achieved the icy stoicism necessary to truly understand and observe the beautiful winter scene described. My great desire with this setting is to paint the winter scene with the piano and let the voices play the part of observer (and occasionally the sound of the wind).
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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Wallace Stevens (1878-1955)
The Snow Man
Mickey McGroarty (1996)
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
7 4 SA SA SA TB TB TB Piano re One amind and the of ed win the with musthave To ter tree pine the frost boughs gard crust Of snow oh 3 3 3 3 Relaxed ( = 90) Relaxed ( = 90)
10 13 16 SA SA SA TB TB TB along time cold time long cold oh beenAndhave a time time been long oh a andhave cold oh long cold a 3 3 3 A Tempo ( = 90) rit. rit. A Tempo ( = 90) rit. 2 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
22 19 25 SA SA SA TB TB TB oh oh spruc tant dis in es The the rough thefrost in ni rough es ter the amind with have ju hold ice win the be and pers gard dis of ged To One boughs The the to shag tant spruc re must 3 3 3 3 only altos 3 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
29 27 31 SA SA SA TB TB TB cresc. cresc. cresc. cresc. cresc. cresc. glit ny mi se ry think to in the not tant dis the the Of a of Jan ter And u a ry sun ter glit Jan ry dis se ter not the a mi ter the tant Of in ry of the u a ny to and think glit glit sun 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 tutti tutti only tenors 4
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37 33 35 SA SA SA TB TB TB cresc. cresc. cresc. full leaves few wind the thesoundof sound is land the a thatis sound in Which of of of the same the wind the in of full leaves wind land the thesoundof of Whichis the few a of sound sound same wind the 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 5
42 43 41 SA SA SA TB TB TB blow that is blow ing that is ing blow is that 4 4 tutti basses optional 6 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
47 44 45 SA SA SA TB TB TB the same place bare ing in same ing the place blow in bare A Tempo molto rit e dim. molto rit e dim. L.H. molto rit e dim () 7 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
51 57 54 SA SA SA TB TB TB in the noth ing the ens him listen holds And be who For self snow er list and a of wint gard oh er One boughs ed snow with the tree Of mind have crust To must frost the re the pinee 3 3 3 3 3 3 8
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60 63 SA SA TB TB not thatis there is no not there and that ing thing there thenothing noth no sound of the the ing wind is and mise thenoth in there ry ing noth there not thatis 3 3 3 Slow ( = 60) molto rit e dim. molto rit e dim. molto rit e dim. 9 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Almost A Tempo ( = 84)
Almost A Tempo ( = 84)
70 67 SA SA TB TB wind the is ny ry there n't mi is se a in there no is thing no is the there thing 3 3 3
molto rit e dim. molto rit e dim.
molto rit e dim. () 10
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