In the Spaces of Thought for SATB Choir by Keane Southard

Keane Southard

In the Spaces of Thought for

a cappella SATB choir

(2014) (Duration: c. 2’30”)

Program notes: In the Spaces of Thought was composed in its entirety during a single day in November 2014 and revised in December while I was living in Bennington, Vermont. The text is by Henry David Thoreau and taken from his essay “A Walk to Wachusett” (1843, public domain) about his trip to the top of Mt. Wachusett, which lies in central Massachusetts not far at all from where I grew up. I was reading this account when the following lines resonated with me: In the spaces of thought are the reaches of land and water, where men go and come. The landscape lies far and fair within, and the deepest thinker is the farthest traveled.

For this setting, I made two small changes to the text, changing “go and come,” to “come and go.” and “farthest” to “furthest.”

These lines highlight the influence of eastern philosophy on Thoreau’s thought, of looking deep within one’s self as opposed to exploring the world around us. They also remind me of George Harrison’s lines in the Beatles’ song “The Inner Light” which also come from eastern philosophy: “The farther one travels the less one knows.”

Keane Southard 2014

Keane Southard/Spindrift Pages Email: keane.southard@hotmail.com Website: keanesouthard.instantencore.com

In the Spaces of Thought

Henry David Thoreau

Keane Southard

q = 38 (e=76)

  pp SOPRANO     

In the spac -







es

of

       In the

TENOR

BASS

   

  



  

thought, spac - es

of

thought



Piano reduction (For rehearsal only)

4

(3+2)

  mf  





reach - es

  

mf

reach

-

mf

    reach mf

   

  

es

es



     land

    

and

of

of

land p



and



   

reach - es

of







   





   



p

pp

    wa - ter

     wa - ter

-

es of

(d)

pp

    

   

 

 

 

©2014

   

     



 

 





    



   



where men

where men

where men

   

and wa - ter

 

   

 



where men

 

 

   

thought are the

       

    

(d)

are the



and wa - ter

    

land

(t)

  



   

 

land

 

 

pp

  

of

 

     

  

p



are the

thought

pp

p

  



 

p

  -

thought

  

   

 

are the

   

   

in the spac - es





of

 

of

in the spac

   





    

q = 38 (e=76)

    



of p

   



(t)

 

p

spac - es

      

thought

pp

ALTO

 

p

  

 







 

2 pp

8

  mp   



come

and



 





 

and

go.

go.

mp

come

    come





and

go.

     

mp



come

and

go.





 





 

    





  

 p   12

pp

pp



The land - scape lies

 



far

with

and fair with



 



mf



in





 



 

f

and the

      







-

     

-



deep - est

    f

in

  

deep

   

in

and the



   





deep - est

f

the

lies



   

and

scape





 





f

and the

 

      

mf

with

  

-

-



        

   far

    

-

land

 





in

   

lies







mf

p







-

- scape

   



 





pp

The

and fair with

     



 

mf

p

land



    

       

far



The

pp

      mp

   







est

       

deep

-

est



 

  

 







 



 

 

(3+2) mp

    16

p

       



think - er

is the

  

mp

think

 -

er

mp



think

-

   



   





   



is the

thest

fur -

p

  

pp



pp

is the

  





 



 





   





of

spac - es

of

thought

(t)

(d)

(t)

   

(d)



 

   



elled.

 

 

  

   



 

 

  

   



In the



spac - es

In the

(d)



(t)





In the





spac - es

ppp

thought

 



spac - es

ppp

 





spac - es

     



 

  





 

of

thought.



 

of

thought.



 

of

thought.



 

of

thought.

 

        









   







 

the

 

trav -

      

   

In



     

p





ppp

p

of

 

      



     

thought







In the

pp

ppp





 

fur - thest

(d)

elled.

      

    

 

trav -

trav - elled.



es



thest

p



   

is the

fur -



3

     

elled.

pp

er



    

    

trav -

pp

 





20

spac -

fur - thest

p

   



    



mp



p



      think - er

pp

  



 