1
F OUR P I E C E S on poems by William Carlos Williams
for Chorus (S.A.T.B.)
BRAXTON BLAKE
BRAXTON
BLAKE MUSIC
2013.II.9
2
FOUR PIECES on poems by William Carlos Williams for Chorus (S.A.T.B.) SILENCE TO A POOR OLD LADY TO A MEXICAN PIG–BANK THE SADNESS OF THE SEA
Silence – by William Carlos Williams, from THE COLLECTED POEMS: VOLUME II, 1939-1962, copyright ©1953 by William Carlos Williams. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp.
To a Poor Old Woman – by William Carlos Williams, from THE COLLECTED POEMS: VOLUME I, 1909-1939, copyright ©1938 by New Directions Publishing Corp. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp.
To a Mexican Pig-Bank and The Sadness of the Sea – by William Carlos Williams, from THE COLLECTED POEMS: VOLUME I, 1909-1939, copyright ©1938 by New Directions Publishing Corp.. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp.
FOUR PIECES on poems by William Carlos Williams was composed in the spring of 2001 and premiered on May 4, 2001 by the German-American Chorus of Frankfurt, James Schar, conductor.
BRAXTON
BLAKE MUSIC 1508 Longshore Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1632 Tel/Fax (734) 332-9277 www.braxtonblake.com
3 for Anita and Leslie...
PHOTOCOPYING
FOUR PIECES
PROHIBITED
WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS
Freely
BRAXTON BLAKE
S IL E N C E
=52–62
Sopranos 3
Un
3
der a
low
sky
this
qui et mor ning
3
Altos
Un der a
low
sky
low
sky
low
sky
3
Tenors Un der a 3
Basses Freely
Un der a
=52–62
3
for rehearsal only
3 3
3
4
3
3
3
3
this qui et mor
ning
of
3
of
red
and yel
low
leaves
low
leaves
3
red
and yel
ning
red
and
ning
red
and
3
this qui et mor
yel
low
leaves
3
this qui et mor
yel 3
3 3
3
2013.II.9
3
Copyright © 2013 by Braxton Blake
low 3
leaves 3
a
4 8
10
3
a
bird
3
dis
turbs
3
3
no
more than one
twig
3
a
bird
3
dis
turbs
no more than
3
bird
3 no more than
dis turbs 3
a
bird
dis
3 no more than
turbs
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
molto rit.
13
3
of
the
green
leaved
peach
tree
3 3
one
twig
of
the green
leaved
peach
tree
the green
leaved
peach
tree
the green
leaved
peach
tree
3
one3
twig
of 3
one3
twig
of
molto rit.
3
3
3 3
3
5
T O A PO O R O L D L A DY =68
munch ing
a
plum
on
the
street
munch ing
a
plum
on
the
street
munch ing
a
plum
on
the
street
munch ing
a
plum
on
the
street
=68
10 6
=60 accel.
=68
rit.
=52
3
a
pa per bag of them
in
her
hand
They taste
hand
They taste
hand
They taste
hand
They taste
3
a
pa per bag of them
in
3
a
pa per bag of them
a
pa per bag of them
her
in
her
3 =60 accel.
3
=68
in rit.
3
her
=52
6 11
poco accel.
=60
=56
good to
her
They taste good to
her
They taste
good to
her
You can
good to
her
They taste good to
her
They taste
good to
her
You can
good to
her
They taste good to
her
They taste
good to
her
You can
good to
her
They taste good to
her
They taste
good to
her
You can
poco accel.
=60
=56
20
16
see it
by her
way
she
gives
her
self
to
the
one half
sucked
out
see it
by her
way
she
gives
her
self
to
the
one half
sucked
out
see it
by her
way
she
gives
her
self
to
the
one half
sucked
out
see it
by her
way
she
gives
her
self
to
the
one half
sucked
out
7 22
rit.
a tempo
in
her
hand
Com fort ed
a
so
lace of
ripe
in
her
hand
Com fort ed
a
so
lace of
ripe
in
her
hand
Com fort ed
a
so lace of
in
her
hand
Com fort ed
a
so lace of
rit.
a tempo
rit.
30
28
plums
seem
ing to
fill
the
air
They
taste
good
to
her
plums
seem
ing to
fill
the
air
They
taste
good
to
her
ripe plums
seem
ing to
fill
the
air
They
taste
good
to
her
ripe plums
seem
ing to
fill
the
air
They
taste
good
to
her
rit.
8
T O A M E X IC A N P IG – B A N K =108–120
and a small
and
a small flock
of
and a small
and
a small
flock
flock
clay
of
clay
sheep
of clay
clay
of
clay
sheep
of clay
flock
of
=108–120
accel.
10
8
a
shep
herd
be hind them
sheep
a
sheep
shep
herd
be hind them
The
pig
The
pig
is
The
pig
The
pig
is
The
pig
The
pig
is
The
pig
The
pig
is
accel.
9 accel.
a tempo
molto rit.
=58
14
paint
ed
yel
low
with
green
ears
paint
ed
yel
low
with
green
ears
paint
ed
yel
low
with
green
ears
paint
ed
yel
low
with
green
ears
accel.
19
a tempo
molto rit.
=58
20 a tempo
=108–120
at the top
There’s
There’s
a
a tempo
a =108–120
slot
slot at the top
slot
at the top
There’s
There’s a
There’s a
slot at
Hair
pin
Hair
pin
the top
10 24
turn
Hair
pin
hold
ing a
way
pin
ing a
way turn
up the sheep
turn
Hair
turn
hold
ing a
way
turn ing
up the sheep
30
29
= ing a
way cant.
a
red
leggiero
a
way turn ing a
way
a
of
a
be-
The
paint-
leggiero
and =
small flock
clay sheep
shep herd
-hind them
pig is
-ed
11 cant.
33
a
red
a
-low
yel-
ears
slot
with green There’s
a
top
at
the
wires
Hair
pin
red
the
hold up
-ing
sheep
37
turn-
The
a
way
shep-
40
blank et
a
red blank et
wears
-herd
a
blank-
a
red
his
-et
on
a
red
blan
ket
on
red
blank
et
on
his
-der
left shoul-
small
and
a
flock
clay
of
sheep
shep-
a
-herd
-hind
be-
them
12 41
his
left
shoul
left
shoul
pig
der
-ted
The
is
der
paint-
44
with
yel
low
There’s
green
ears
at
a
Hair-
slot
the
top
poco rit.
on
shoul
his left
hold
wires
sheep
up
the
turn-
der
a-
-ing poco rit.
shep-
-way The
a
-herd wears
-et
red blank-
left
on
his
should er
-pin
13
T H E SAD N E S S O F TH E S E A .=44
poco rit.
This is
the
sad
ness
of
the
sea–
This is
the
sad
ness
of
the
sea–
.=44
8
rit.
a tempo
poco rit.
a tempo 10
poco rit.
waves
like
words, all
bro
waves
like
words, all
bro
a tempo
poco rit.
poco rit.
a tempo
poco rit.
a tempo
a
same
ness
of
lift
ing
lift
ing
a
a
same
ness
of
lift
ing
lift
ing
a
ken–
a
same ness of
lift
ing
a
ken–
a
same ness of
lift
ing
a
rit.
a tempo
poco rit.
a tempo
poco rit.
a tempo
14 20
16
same ness of
lift
ing and
fall
ing
mood.
same ness of
lift
ing and
fall
ing
mood.
same ness of
lift
ing and
fall
ing
mood.
same ness of
lift
ing and
fall
ing
mood.
rit.
I
lean
I
I
lean
lean
I
lean rit.
24
a tempo
watch ing
the
de
tail
of
brit
tle
crest,
watch ing
the
de
tail
of
brit
tle
crest,
watch ing
the
de
tail
of
brit
tle
crest,
watch ing
the
de
tail
of
brit
tle
crest,
a tempo
the
de
li
the
cate
de
im
the
de
li
cate
li
cate
im
im
15 30
meno mosso
rit.
weed
per
fect
foam,
yel
im
per fect
foam,
yel
low
per
fect
foam,
yel
low
foam,
yel
per
fect
low
low
meno mosso
38
40
accel.
accel.
one
piece like a
weed
one
piece like a
weed
one
piece like a
one
piece like a
weed rit.
= circa 92
accel.
Tempo I poco rit.
no
ther–
one
piece like a
no
ther–
no
ther–
one
piece like a
no
ther–
no
ther–
one
piece like a
no
ther–
no
ther–
one
piece like a
no
ther–
accel.
= circa 92
Tempo I
poco rit.
im
per fect foam
yel
low
weed
one
like
16
47
50
rit.
solo (soli)
poco meno mosso solo (or soli) There
S.
is
no
hope–
is
no
hope–
altri There is
no
hope–
solo (or soli) solo (soli) There
A. altri There is
no
hope–
There is
no
hope–
There is
no
hope–
T.
B. a
rit.
no
ther–
poco meno mosso
17
57
60
if
not
a
co
ral
is
land
slow
ly
foam
slow
ly
slow
ly
ing
if
not
a
co
ral
is
land
slow
ly
foam
ing
if
not
a
co
ral
is
land
slow
ly
foam
ing
if
not
a
co
ral
is
land
slow
ly
foam
ing
18
67
70
form
ing
to
form
wait
for
birds
to
to
wait
for
birds
to
to
wait
for
birds
to
drop
ing
to
wait
for
birds
to
drop
to
wait
for
birds
to
drop
to
wait
for
birds
to
drop
19
77
80 drop
The
the
seeds
will
make
it
ha
bi
ta
seed
will
make
it
ble
solo (or soli) drop
the seeds
the
seeds
will
make
it
ha
bi
ta
ble
the
seeds
will
make
it
ha
bi
ta
ble
the
seeds
will
make
it
ha
bi
ta
ble
20
90
87
solo (soli) S.
ha
bi
ta
ble
altri
solo (soli)
solo (or soli) the seeds
A.
will make
it
ha
bi
ta
ble
ta
ble
altri
solo (soli) will make
it
ha
bi
T. altri
solo (soli) B. altri
solo (or soli)
the
seeds will
make it
ha
bi
ta
ble