RICH CAMPBELL
WINTER STARS for SSA choir, a cappella
text:
Sara Teasdale
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Winter Stars by Sara Teasdale I went out at night alone; The young blood flowing beyond the sea Seemed to have drenched my spirit’s wings— I bore my sorrow heavily. But when I lifted up my head From shadows shaken on the snow, I saw Orion in the east Burn steadily as long ago. From windows in my father’s house, Dreaming my dreams on winter nights, I watched Orion as a girl Above another city’s lights. Years go, dreams go, and youth goes too, The world’s heart breaks beneath its wars, All things are changed, save in the east The faithful beauty of the stars. Source: Flame and Shadow (1920) This text is in the public domain.
"Winter Stars" was written by Pulitzer Prize winning American poet Sara Teasdale (1884-1933) and was first published in 1920 in the collection "Flame & Shadow." She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, found acclaim while living in New York City, and became disillusioned in her later years. Perhaps she was writing this poem with WW I in mind; it rings as true today with our current wars. In basic language she addresses universal themes. The poem's optimism doesn't fully resonate until the last verse, indeed the last line. The poem touched me in several ways. The music develops from the melody in the first verse, heard in sixths, in Em, around a pedal tone: the constancy of the heavens. The melody is heard again, but this time simultaneously inverted. When the stars are mentioned, we move from minor to major. In the 3rd verse, about the innocence of childhood, all voices move together into three-part harmony in major keys (with a subtle key shift in the third line). The last verse includes the lyric "All things are changed, save in the east.." It begins with all voices singing the inverted melody in harmony; it goes from E major, to G major, and concludes with the melody un-inverted, in E major.
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1
WINTER STARS
SARA TEASDALE
RICH CAMPBELL
Pensively, with an inner yearning
e = 70) π # 5(Slowly & 4 Ó œ œ
Soprano I
# 5∏ & 4 ˙
Soprano II
I
π
# 5 Ó & 4
Sop. I
Sop. II
Alto
& & &
# # #
œ
œ
young blood
at
night
œ
œ
a - lone;
œ
œ
œ
went
œ
flow - ing
œ
out
œ
œ
at
œ
3
be - yond
œ
night
œ
the
œ
‰
œ
a - lone;
œ
sea
w œ
‰
œ
young blood
The
œ
flow - ing
œ
3
œ
be - yond
œ
the
œ
j œ
The
‰ œ
œ
j œ
œ
I
3
out
œ
œ
w
Oh*
Alto
went
œ
‰
sea
*Soprano II "Oh"-- stagger breathing
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j œ
Seemed
j œ
Seemed
2 4
Sop. I
&
Sop. II
&
Alto
6
Sop. I
&
Alto
8
Sop. II
Alto
& &
Sop. II
Sop. I
&
& & &
WINTER STARS
# # # # # # # # #
œ œ
œ
p U j j œ œ œ œ ‰œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ
π ‰ œj œ ˙. œ Oh p U ‰ j ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
to have drenched my spir - it's wings— I
bore my sor - row heav - i - ly.
U
But
bore my sor - row heav - i - ly.
But
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
‰ j œ
w
œ
œ
w œ œ
œ
to have drenched my spir - it's wings— I
when I lift - ed up my head
From shad - ows shak - en on the snow,
w
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
‰
œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ
‰ œj
œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ
w
œ
˙.
œ #œ #œ œ œ œ œ
‰
when I lift - ed up my head
saw O - ri - on in the east
saw O - ri - on in the east
j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
From shad - ows shak - en on the snow,
U
Burn stead - i - ly as long a - go.
j œ
U
œ
U
œ œ œ œ #œ #œ œ
Burn stead - i - ly as long a - go.
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I
‰ œj I
Pj ‰ nœ P ‰ œj
I From
‰
P
From
j œ
From
3
WINTER STARS 10
Sop. I
Sop. II
Alto
& & &
12
Sop. I
Sop. II
Alto
Sop. II
Alto
j œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
œ
j ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
œ
œ œ œ œ ‰ œj
œ œ
œ
‰ j œ œ œ œ œ
& & &
# #
win - dows in my fa - ther's house, Dream - ing my dreams on win - ter nights, I
‰ j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
win - dows in my fa - ther's house, Dream - ing my dreams on win - ter nights, I
#
œ œ œ # œ œ œ ‰ œJ
#
watched O - ri - on as a girl
#
watched O - ri - on as a girl
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
A - bove an - oth - er cit - y's lights.
œ œ
‰ j œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ nœ œ œ œ #œ œ œ
watched O - ri - on as a girl
# œ
go,
#
U
U j œ #œ œ œ œ œ ‰ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
# #œ & &
œ œ œ œ ‰ # œj
win - dows in my fa - ther's house, Dream - ing my dreams on win - ter nights, I
& #œ
14
Sop. I
#
#œ dreams
œ
#œ go,
œ
A - bove an - oth - er cit - y's lights.
U
œ
œ
and
youth
goes
too,
too,
#œ
œ
go,
dreams
go,
and
youth
goes
œ
#œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
go,
dreams
go,
and
F ‰ # œJ
Years
Fj ‰ œ
Years
A - bove an - oth - er cit - y's lights.
œ œ
Fœ ‰ J
youth
goes
œ
‰
œ
‰
œ
‰
too,
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Years
nœ J
The
œ J
The
j nœ
The
4
WINTER STARS
# œ &
œ
& œ
œ
& œ
œ
15
Sop. I
Sop. II
Alto
#
world's heart
#
world's heart
world's heart
# œ &
#œ
& #œ
œ
16
Sop. I
Sop. II
Alto
#
& 17
Sop. I
Sop. II
Alto
& &
# #
things
œ
œ breaks
œ
œ
its
wars,
œ
be - neath
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
be - neath
œ
œ
breaks
œ
#œ
are
changed, save
things
are
changed, save
œ
œ
things
are
œ
œ
œ
#œ
#
faith - ful
#
faith - ful
& #œ
#œ
faith - ful
œ
#œ
its
œ
œ
œ
in
the
œ
the
of
#œ
œ
œ
of
the
the
‰
U
east
œ
œ
œ
east
œ
‰
œ
‰
U
π œ
east
π
stars.
œ stars. π #œ
stars.
PAllj #œ
P j œ
All
p j œ
All
U
the
œ
of
wars,
in
œ
œ
beau - ty
‰
the
#œ
œ
œ
in
œ
œ
œ
#œ
œ
beau - ty
wars,
‰
œ
changed, save
beau - ty
its
œ
œ
be - neath
breaks
‰
P œ J
U
w
U
w
U
w
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rit.
p j œ
The
p j #œ
The
The
Œ Œ Œ
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.