Matthew Browne
Warm Summer Sun
for SATB Choir
2015 Copyright Š 2015 Maestoso Music
Program Note This final stanza of Robert Richardson’s longer poem “Annette” was used by Samuel Clemens to adorn the headstone of his beloved daughter, Suzy, who died abruptly at the age of 24. Her death devastated him, and this headstone remains as a memorial to his love. The very short poem deals with the passage of time and its effect on those who have left us, on their legacy. The mention of the sun at the beginning, all the way to the “good night” at the end displays such a passage. The reader pleads with the natural elements to be kind to her grave throughout the years, so that her legacy be forever untarnished by the passage of time. In the same sense, Twain’s use of the stanza revitalizes and secures the legacy of Richardson’s work as well, who may have otherwise been a relatively unknown poet to modern audiences. The music evokes this concept of time by having several extended sections of music where each singer aleatorically sings their line at their own individual tempo, giving each phrase the time they each feel it deserves. The passage of time in these sections thus becomes malleable, shaped by the sensibilities of each member of the choir.
Warm Summer Sun Robert Richardson (and Mark Twain) Warm summer sun, Shine kindly here, Warm southern wind, Blow softly here. Green sod above, Lie light, lie light. Good night, dear heart, Good night, good night.
Commissioned by The New York Virtuoso Singers World Premiere by The New York Virtuoso Singers, Harold Rosenbaum, Conductor Duration: c. 5 minutes
www.matthewbrownecomposer.com
Commissioned by The New York Virtuoso Singers World Premiere by The New York Virtuoso Singers, Harold Rosenbaum, Conductor
Full Score
Warm Summer Sun for SATB choir Matthew Browne Text by Robert Richardson/ Mark Twain
c. 10-12"
c. 8-10"
*
p cresc. poco a poco Soprano
° W &
w
Warm
sum
˙™ w -
mer
œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ w œ œ
sun,
sun,
p cresc. poco a poco *
U Ú Alto
&
ãã W ã
w
Warm
sum
w mer
-
U Ú Tenor
& ‹ ?
U Ú
ãã ã
Bass
¢
c. 6-8"
S.
° œ œ ˙™ &
œ œ œ
c. 10-12"
˙™ œ œ ˙
sun,
A.
& ˙™
œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
˙ w warm
œ œ w œ œ
sun,
sum
mer
-
œ œ ˙™
œ œ œ
sun,
sun,
*
p cresc. poco a poco T.
ãã w ã
& ‹
w w
Warm
sum
˙™ w
-
mer
p cresc. poco a poco * ? W
w B.
¢ Warm
sum
-
mer
* Sing your line (until next rehearsal letter) slowly and freely and with approximate note values ( = c. 40), without regard for the conductor's cues. Do not synchronize rhythms with the other members of your section. Stagger breathe as needed, and re-enter imperceptibly. The result should be an ever-growing, churning, and indistinct "cloud" of sound. Arrows and dotted barlines correspond to conductor's entrance cues.
Copyright © 2015 Maestoso Music
sun,
œ œ œ œ œ
Warm Summer Sun 2
(c. 10-12") f **
S.
° & œ œ ˙™
U W
œœ˙
A h = 64, In tempo pp sotto voce , ˙ 4∑ w Ó ˙ bw 2
sun,
shi - ne
f
,
p
˙˙
˙˙
U w w
w w
kind - ly
here,
pp sotto voce
p
**
, A.
& œ œ ˙
U W
w
U w
4∑ 2 w
w
shine pp sotto voce
f
˙
˙
w
kind - ly
here, p
**
, T.
& w ‹ sun,
U W
w
4Ó 2
˙ w™
w
shine
f
U w
w
˙ kind - ly
here,
pp sotto voce
p
**
, B.
? œ œ ˙ ¢
U W
w
˙
4W 2
sun,
w
shine
U w
w
˙ kind - ly
here,
B c. 8-10"
c. 8-10"
c. 8-10"
*
p cresc. poco a poco S.
° ˙ & warm
˙™
˙
œ south
œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
- ern
w
˙ œ œ
wind
warm
south -ern
U Ú A.
ãã ã
& p cresc. poco a poco *
U Ú T.
& ‹
˙
˙™ œ
ãã ˙ ã wa
south
-
œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
ern
wind
p cresc. poco a poco *
?
U Ú
B.
¢
ãã ˙ ã wa
* See note on pg. 1 ** Hold note until cued by the conductor to cut off. Stagger breathe as needed.
˙
˙™ south
œ -
ern
Warm Summer Sun 3
c. 12-15" f **
S.
° & ˙™
w œ œ
œ œ
w œ
wind,
U W
,
U ** W
,
4 2
wind,
*
p cresc. poco a poco f A.
& ˙
˙ ˙ œ w œ
#˙
4 2
˙ warm
south
ern
-
wind, **
,
f T.
& w ‹
U W
˙ œ warm
œ
south - ern
w
w
4 2
wind, **
,
f B.
? ¢ œ
˙™
œ œ œ
˙
˙
œ œ
˙
wind,
S.
C h = 64, In tempo ° 4∑ Ó &2
pp sotto voce
p
, ˙˙ -
bw w
˙˙
w
soft
-
˙˙
˙w
ly
here,
pp sotto voce
#w
w
blow
#˙ soft
˙ -
ly
pp sotto voce T.
w™
#œ
œ U w w u
p
4 &2 ∑
4 &2 Ó ‹
4 2
wind
blo
A.
U W
œ
#w
U w
here,
p
w
blow
˙
w
ly
here,
U w
˙ soft
-
p pp sotto voce B.
?4 ¢ 2W blow
* See note on pg. 1 ** See note on pg. 2
w
˙
w
ly
here,
˙ soft
-
U w
Warm Summer Sun 4
D c. 10-12"
c. 8-10"
c. 8-10"
*
p cresc. poco a poco S.
U Ú
° &
ãã w ã
˙
green
sod
˙ ˙
œ œ œ ˙™
a
-
bove
U Ú A.
& *
p cresc. poco a poco
U Ú T.
ãã w ã
& ‹
green *
p cresc. poco a poco
˙ B.
? w ¢ green
˙ ˙
œ œ
˙ ˙
œ œ œ
œ œ w
˙
˙
˙™ sod
a
-
bove
green
(c. 8-10")
sod
-
a - bove
c. 15-20" f
S.
° & ˙
˙ œ œ
œ œ w
˙
˙™
œ œ œ
˙ œ œ œ œ
˙
˙
˙ green
sod
a - bove
-
*
p cresc. poco a poco A.
&
f
ãã w ã
˙
green
sod
˙ ˙ ˙ a
-
bove
f
œ & ˙ ‹ sod
T.
˙ ˙ ˙ a
-
™ œ œ œ œ ˙
w w
bove
a -
bove
f
? œ œ ˙
˙ ˙
B.
¢
˙
˙ œ œ green
* See note on pg. 1
w œ œ œ œ ˙ sod
a - bove
Warm Summer Sun 5
E h = 64, In tempo
(c. 15-20") rit. p
pp sotto voce
p
p
**
, S.
° & ˙
w #˙ a
U W
4 w™ 2
bove,
-
˙
lie, pp sotto voce
p
lie
#w
˙ #˙
light,
lie p
U ˙
w™
light,
p
**
U ˙ b˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ #˙ ˙
, A.
U W
& œ œœ œw
4Ó 2
˙ ˙
w #w
lie, lie pp sotto voce
p
˙ b˙ ˙ n˙ ˙ ˙ #˙ ˙ p
light, lie p
light, p
**
, T.
& w ‹
U W
w
4∑ 2
˙ #˙ lie
˙ #˙ ˙ U ˙
#˙ w light,
˙ lie
light,
lie
light,
p **
p pp sotto voce
w
˙ U ˙
lie
light,
, B.
? œ œ˙ ¢
˙ ˙ a-
U W
4 2
Ú
Ú
bove,
F c. 10-12"
S.
° *** & <#>W
c. 10-12"
n
U Ú *
p cresc. poco a poco
U Ú A.
ãã ˙ ã
&
˙
˙
good
U Ú T.
& ‹ p cresc. poco a poco *
˙ B.
? Ó ¢
˙™ ˙
˙ good
* See note on pg. 1 ** See note on pg. 2 *** Hold over this note through the entrance of the basses. Fade out ad lib.
night
œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ w ˙ dear
Warm Summer Sun 6
c. 10-12"
(c. 10-12") *
p cresc. poco a poco S.
° &
ãã ˙ ã good
A.
& ˙™
œ œ œ œ œ
night
œ œ w
˙™ ˙
night
T.
B.
œ œ œ œ œ
˙™ ˙ ˙
œ œ œ
˙ dear
heart
& ‹ ? ˙ ¢
˙™
˙ œ œ œ
˙ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ ˙™
œ
heart
good
c. 15-20" ff
U W
˙™ S.
#œ #œ ˙
° & œ œ ˙™
œ œ œ
4 2
œ œ
dear
heart,
ff
œ ˙ A.
**
˙ œ
**
U W
4 2
& œ œ œ œ w
œ œ dear
heart,
*
p cresc. poco a poco ff
˙ T.
ãã ã
& ‹
˙
œ œ ˙
good
night
˙
˙™
dear
œ
**
U W
4 2
heart,
ff
**
, ? ˙ B.
w
¢ night
* See note on pg. 1 ** See note on pg. 2
œ œ œ dear
˙ ˙
œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙
œ œ œ œ heart,
U W W
4 2
Warm Summer Sun 7
S.
G h = 64, In tempo pp sotto voce ° 4Ó ˙ &2 good
mp
#w night,
pp sotto voce
4 &2 Ó
A.
˙ #w good
night,
b˙ w good
night,
Ó
mp
b˙ w
Ó
good
night,
mp pp sotto voce
4 & 2 #w ™ ‹ night,
T.
˙
#w ™
˙
good
night,
good
mp pp sotto voce B.
? 42 w™ w™ ¢
˙
night,
w™ w™
good
˙
night
good
pp
molto rit. S.
° &
U Ó
5 2Ú
Ú
n
U 4 bW 2# W night.
pp
5 2Ú
Ú A.
U Ó
&
n
4 U 2 W W night.
pp sotto voce
& Ó ‹
T.
b˙˙
#w w
good
night,
mp
5 2Ó
pp
mp
? ˙ B.
¢
w™ night,
pp
good
5 2W night,
b˙˙
#w w
U ˙˙
good
night,
good
n
U 4 #W 2 W night.
pp
U ˙ good
n
U 4 W 2 night.