Sweet Day

Timothy Baxter Sweet Day (1965/rev. 95) song for high voice (range d - a♭’) & piano Dur: 4’30”

Text by George Herbert (1593-1633)

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Timothy Baxter Sweet Day (1965/rev. 95) song for high voice (range d - a♭’) & piano Dur: 4’30”

NOTES Whilst pursuing post-graduate studies, under Alan Bush, at The Royal Academy of Music, London, I wanted to write a song, using techniques I had gleaned from a close study of the songs of Debussy. After a long search for a suitable text, I came across this lesser known poem of George Herbert called Virtue. I was attracted to the rapt description of nature (Sweet day/Sweet rose/Sweet Spring) and noticed also the word “music”. There was also a moment of high drama in the moralistic final verse suggesting a climatic point in the music.

The first performance took place during the Academy’s 150th year celebrations in the Duke’s Hall, June 1972, with Jennifer Dakin, soprano and Graham Johnson, piano.

Timothy Baxter

1

Sweet Day

George Herbert Lento flessibile

   

 = 50

1

High voice





     

Piano





   



so cool,



Pno.

  

 

S.



    

  



                          

  

 



so calm

so

bright



 

  

    

   







-

       dal

     







                       



Pno.

      



The bri

 



day,







 

m.s.

 

                                      

una corda

9

   



 

m.d.

   

          



1.Sweet

            

con pedale

  



 

    

5

S.

Timothy Baxter

 

of the earth

 

Copyright ©1995

tre corde

and





 

sky

The

                          

   









   

una corda







2

            

    

13

S.

Pno.



dew

shall weep thy

fall

Pno.

   





thou

 

2. Sweet

rose



tre corde

         



  



                                             

               

an- gry and brave

bids the rash ga - zer

                  

Pno.

for

die.

20

S.

to night



 must

                                                                    

16

S.

     

  

chiaro

 

  

      

 wipe

         



        cresc.             



his eye

              

whose hue

    

             

cresc.

  

                   







3

    

24

S.

Pno.





Thy

Pno.

   







       







is e - ver

in

its

thou



           

    

  



 

rall.



 

A tempo



   A tempo               rall.               accel.

cresc.





espress.

and

die.

cresc.                        

  





accel.

must





 

 

 



grave

   







         Pno.

root



        

31

S.

            

                             

27

S.

     



          





    

   



     



 

2. Sweet









           

spring,

   

  



  

  

              

         

 

4

S.

       

full

    

    

 

 

   



39

S.

    A box

Pno.

                

   



   



S.

ro





-

ses,

                                           

  



 

 

      



lie

              

 

     

   





  

una corda

    

          

My mu - sic shows

Pno.

and

where sweete com - pact - ed

                        43

   

of sweet days

                

Pno.





    

36

you have your clo

-

  



ses,

 

And

all

  

must

 

die

                                                   









 

   

 

 

 

tre corde

5

 

48

S.









              

Pno.





   



   

51

S.

Pno.





                    

         

sea - son'd

      Pno.





    tim ber

 

   

ne - ver



      

 



   







4: On - ly

54

S.

         

                     

      



   







a sweet and

   



vir -tuous

soul,

   like

 

   

                               

 gives;

      

  

But though the whole world turn

           



                              

     

          

    to

 

coal

          

6

     



57

S.

     

Then

      

Pno.

   

    Pno.





   

    Pno.

   



 



           

64

S.

  







  

    





   









  





 





espress.





 









  



 



 

           



   

  





lives

         

               

60

S.

chief ly

 





 



  

    

(con pedale) 

 

  

   







London 7.1965 rev.1995