Scored for: soprano, oboe and string quintet Text: Walt Whitman Language: English Duration: 8:00 min. Premiere: 12/13/09, Swarthmore College, Lang Concert Hall, Orchestra 2001 For: James Freeman, artistic director of Orchestra 2001, in celebration of his 70th birthday Published by: Self-published, Angelfire Press
Contact Andrea Clearfield for score and parts:
It was an honor to have been asked to write this piece in celebration of Maestro James Freeman’s 70th birthday. After requesting some of Jim’s favorite texts, I fell immediately in love with “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking” by Walt Whitman. Truly a marvel of poetic language, it is a coming of age of the artist, cradled by the timeless waves of the ocean; a young boy’s journey to comprehending the mysteries of life, love and death. The setting (to an excerpt from the poem) is simple, with a recurring lilting rhythm reminiscent of slowly undulating waves, a heartbeat or ticking of a clock. The lyrical melodies and arching form evolved from the elegant music inherent in the poem itself.
“Cleanly constructed, the music flows and sways, the soprano line taking on a glow from the ensemble.”
–Daniel Webster, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, December 15, 2009
TEXT
Out of the cradle, endlessly rocking (excerpt)
by Walt Whitman
Out of the cradle endlessly rocking,
Out of the mocking-bird’s throat, the musical shuttle,
Out of the Ninth-month midnight,
Over the sterile sands and the fields beyond, where the child
leaving his bed wander’d alone, bareheaded, barefoot,
Down from the shower’d halo,
Up from the mystic play of shadows twining and twisting as if
they were alive,
Out from the patches of briers and blackberries,
From the memories of the bird that chanted to me,
From your memories sad brother, from the fitful risings and fallings I heard,
From under that yellow half-moon late-risen and swollen as if with tears,
From those beginning notes of yearning and love there in the mist,
From the thousand responses of my heart never to cease,
From the myriad thence-arous’d words,
From the word stronger and more delicious than any,
From such as now they start the scene revisiting,
As a flock, twittering, rising, or overhead passing,
Borne hither, ere all eludes me, hurriedly,
A man, yet by these tears a little boy again,
Throwing myself on the sand, confronting the waves,
I, chanter of pains and joys, uniter of here and hereafter,
Taking all hints to use them, but swiftly leaping beyond them,
A reminiscence sing.
A reminiscence sing
Scored for: soprano, oboe and string quintet
Text: Walt Whitman
Language: English
Duration: 8:00 min.
Premiere: 12/13/09, Swarthmore College, Lang Concert Hall, Orchestra 2001
For: James Freeman, artistic director of Orchestra 2001, in celebration of his 70th birthday
Published by: Self-published, Angelfire Press
Contact Andrea Clearfield for score and parts:
See preview score pages: A reminiscence sing full score excerpt (PDF)
A reminiscence sing vocal score excerpt (PDF)
PROGRAM NOTES
It was an honor to have been asked to write this piece in celebration of Maestro James Freeman’s 70th birthday. After requesting some of Jim’s favorite texts, I fell immediately in love with “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking” by Walt Whitman. Truly a marvel of poetic language, it is a coming of age of the artist, cradled by the timeless waves of the ocean; a young boy’s journey to comprehending the mysteries of life, love and death. The setting (to an excerpt from the poem) is simple, with a recurring lilting rhythm reminiscent of slowly undulating waves, a heartbeat or ticking of a clock. The lyrical melodies and arching form evolved from the elegant music inherent in the poem itself.
LISTEN
Arrangement for soprano, clarinet and piano
Sasha Leinster, soprano with Joseph Rosen, clarinet and Miriam Brickman, piano, St. Peter’s Church, NYC
REVIEW
“Cleanly constructed, the music flows and sways, the soprano line taking on a glow from the ensemble.”
–Daniel Webster, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, December 15, 2009
TEXT
Out of the cradle, endlessly rocking (excerpt)
by Walt Whitman
Out of the cradle endlessly rocking,
Out of the mocking-bird’s throat, the musical shuttle,
Out of the Ninth-month midnight,
Over the sterile sands and the fields beyond, where the child
leaving his bed wander’d alone, bareheaded, barefoot,
Down from the shower’d halo,
Up from the mystic play of shadows twining and twisting as if
they were alive,
Out from the patches of briers and blackberries,
From the memories of the bird that chanted to me,
From your memories sad brother, from the fitful risings and fallings I heard,
From under that yellow half-moon late-risen and swollen as if with tears,
From those beginning notes of yearning and love there in the mist,
From the thousand responses of my heart never to cease,
From the myriad thence-arous’d words,
From the word stronger and more delicious than any,
From such as now they start the scene revisiting,
As a flock, twittering, rising, or overhead passing,
Borne hither, ere all eludes me, hurriedly,
A man, yet by these tears a little boy again,
Throwing myself on the sand, confronting the waves,
I, chanter of pains and joys, uniter of here and hereafter,
Taking all hints to use them, but swiftly leaping beyond them,
A reminiscence sing.