Catalog no. 1168 | Gregorio | Strange Sweetness, A
Joseph
GREGORIO
A Strange Sweetness for mixed chorus a cappella
ARETÉ MUSIC IMPRINTS www.aretemusicimprints.com info@aretemusicimprints.com
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Has your soul sipped Of the sweetness of all sweets? Has it well supped But yet hungers and sweats?
To one in dearth Or life and its laughter. Or the proud wound The victor wears Or the last end Of all wars.
I have been witness Of a strange sweetness, All fancy surpassing Past all supposing. Passing the rays Of the rubies of morning, Or the soft rise Of the moon; or the meaning Known to the rose Of her mystery and mourning.
Or the sweet murder After long guard Unto the martyr Smiling at God; To me was that smile, Faint as a wan, worn myth, Faint and exceeding small, On a boy's murdered mouth.
Sweeter than nocturnes Of the wild nightingale Or than love's nectar After life's gall.
Though from his throat The life-tide leaps There was no threat On his lips.
Sweeter than odours Of living leaves, Sweeter than ardours Of dying loves. Sweeter than death And dreams hereafter
But with the bitter blood And the death-smell All his life's sweetness bled Into a smile. — Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
Duration approx. 6’
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Commissioned by the Whitman College Chamber Singers Jeremy Mims, conductor
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
A Strange Sweetness
Slowly, with conviction ( q = 69) p
Joseph Gregorio
mf
3
3 4
Soprano
Has your soul
sipped
Of
the
p
sweet
ness,
the sweet ness of
mf
3 4
Alto
Has your soul
sipped
Of
the
p
sweet ness,
the sweet
ness
of
all sweets, of
the sweet
ness
of
all sweets, of
of
all
mf
3 4
Tenor
Has your soul
sipped
Of
p
the
sweet ness,
mf
3 4
Bass
Has your soul
sipped Of the sweet ness,
the
sweet ness
Slowly, with conviction ( q = 69)
3
3 4
Keyboard (for rehearsal only)
3 4
7
mp
sweets?
Has
mf
it well
supped
But
yet
mp
all
sweets?
Has
sweets?
Has
it well
supped
But
yet
gers
and
hun gers, but yet
hun gers, but yet
mf
it well
supped
But
yet
mp
sweets?
hun
mf
mp
all
all
Has it
hun gers, but yet
hun gers, but yet
mf
well supped But yet
Copyright Š 2011 AretÊ Music Imprints. All rights reserved.
hun
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies. www.aretemusicimprints.com | info@aretemusicimprints.com | Cat. no. 1168
gers
and
2 14
mp
mf
sweats?
I
mp
have been wit ness
Of
a
strange
sweet
mf
hun gers and sweats?
I
mp
I
mp
I
ness,
p
have been wit ness
Of a
strange,
strange
mf
hun gers and sweats?
sweats?
p
sweet
ness,
p
have been wit ness
Of a
strange
sweet
mf
ness,
p
have been wit ness
Of
a
strange,
strange
sweet
ness,
Holding back
21
slighly less
3 2 All
fan
cy sur
pass ing
Past
all
sup
pos
ing.
pp mysteriously
slighly less
3 2 All
fan cy
sur
pass
ing
Past
all
sup
pos
ing.
Pass
pp mysteriously
slighly less
3 2 All
fan cy
sur
pass
ing
Past
all
sup
pos
ing.
Pass
slighly less
3 2 All
fan
cy sur
pass
ing
Past
all
sup
pos
ing.
Holding back
3 2
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies. AretĂŠ Music Imprints | Cat. no. 1168
3 2
3
Moving forward ( h = 50) pp mysteriously
30
p
3
3
23 Pass
ing
the
rays
Of the
ru
bies
of
mor
p
the
rays
Of the
ru
bies
of
mor
p
Or the
ning,
Or the
ning,
Or
soft
rise
of the
3
3 2 ing
ning,
soft
rise
of the
the soft
rise
of the
rise
of the
3
3 2 sing
the
rays
Of
the
ru
bies
of
mor
pp mysteriously
p
3 2 Pass
ing the
rays
Of
the
ru
bies of
Moving forward ( h = 50)
mor ning, 3
Or
the
soft
3
3 2 3 3
3 2
35
mp
moon;
3
Or the mean ing
known
mp
moon;
mp
moon;
mp
moon;
to the rose
Of
her
mys
te ry
and
Of
her
mys
te ry
and
her
mys te
ry
and
te ry
and
3
Or the mean ing
known
to the
rose
3
Or the mean ing known to the rose
Of
3
Or the mean ing known to the rose
Of
her
mys
3
3 3
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies. 3 AretĂŠ Music Imprints | Cat. no. 1168
4 mf
39
mourn
ing.
3
3
Sweet er than noc
turnes Of
mf
mourn
ing.
Sweet er than noc
mf
mourn
mf
mourn
3
ing.
3
Sweet er than noc turnes Of
3
3
3
43
Holding back
(short)
3
nec tar
Af
tar
tar
Af
ter
life's
nec
tar
Or
than love's
Or
than
love's
3
3 3
3
3
3
3
3
Af
ter life's
gall.
gall. (short)
Af ter life's gall.
Sweet er than p warmly
o dours
Sweet
er than
o
er than
o
Of
dours
liv
Of
ing
liv
ing
p warmly
Sweet
dours
In tempo
3
3 3
p warmly
(short)
3
Holding back
than love's
In tempo
(short)
3
nec
Or
ter life's gall. 3
nec
night in gale
3
3
love's
mp
3
the wild
than
mp
3
turnes Of the wild night in gale
3
Or
3
mp
3
turnes Of the wild night in gale
3
Sweet er than noc
ing.
the wild night in gale 3
3
mp
3
(short)
This score is not licensed for 3 performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies. AretĂŠ Music Imprints | Cat. no. 1168
Of liv
ing
5 mp
48
Sweet
mp
leaves,
mf
3
er than
ar
leaves,
leaves,
ar
dours
Of
dy ing loves.
ar
Sweet er than
dours
Of
dy ing loves.
Sweet er than death
sub. mp
dours
Of
dy ing loves.
ar
doursOf
To
dy ing loves.
Sweet er than
3
3
3
one
p
af
in
To one
p
dearth
2 2
life
To
dearth
its
laugh
ter.
Or the
mf resolutely 3
Or
life
and
its
laugh
ter.
mf resolutely 3
3 2 dearth
Or life
and
its laugh
ter.
Or the
mf resolutely
less
in
Or the
3
less
in
one
and
3 2
3
ter
3
3
Or
2 2 af
dreams here
less
in
one
p
And
23
2 2 ter To
death
mf resolutely
3
af
than death and dreams here
less
3
ter
er
3
3
ter
dreams here
3
22 af
And
sub. mp
3 3
p
dreams here
3
Sweet
3
52
And
3
mf
3
Sweet er than death
sub. mp
mf
3
Sweet er than
mp
3
mf
3
Sweet er than
mp
sub. mp
3 2 dearth
Or
life
and
its
laugh ter.
3
Or
the 3
2 2
3 2
3 3
3
2 2
3 2
3 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
AretĂŠ Music Imprints | Cat. no. 1168
3 3
6 56 Pressing forward ( h = 54)
proud wound
The vic tor wears
f
3
3
Or the last
end
Of
all
Accelerating further
3
wars.
Or the sweet
mur der
f
3
3
proud wound
The vic tor wears
Or the last
end
Of
all
wars.
Or the sweet
f
3
proud wound
The vic tor wears
3
Or the last
end
Of
all
wars.
proud
wound
The vic tor wears
Or the sweet 3
f
3
Pressing forward ( h = 54)
Or the last end
Of
3
all wars.
Or
the
sweet Accelerating further
3
3
3 3
3 3
3
3
Broadening 3
61
ff
più f
div.
4 2 Af
ter
3 2 long
guard
Un to
the
mar
tyr
Smil ing
più f
3
3
at
Af
ter
ff
3 2 long
guard
Un to the
mar
tyr
3
Smil ing at
ff div.
4 2 Af
ter
long
guard
Un to
the
mar
tyr
3
Smil ing
3 2 at
più f
Af
ter
long guard
Un
to
the
mar
tyr
Smil
3
3 4 God;
ff
div.
4 2 mur der
3 4 God;
più f
3
mur der
3 4 God;
div.
4 2 der
mur
3 2
ing at
3 4 God;
Broadening
3
4 2 3 3
3
4 2
3
3
3 2
3 4
3 2
3 4
3 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Areté Music Imprints | Cat. no. 1168
65
7
Inwardly; flexibly ( q = 60) unis. p
3
43 To
me was that
smile,
Faint as a wan,
unis. p
me was that
smile,
that
smile,
Faint as a wan,
unis. p
worn
myth,
worn
myth,
worn
myth,
3
3 4 To
myth,
3
3 4 To
worn
me was that
smile,
Faint as a wan,
unis. p
3
3 4 To
me was that smile,
that
smile,
Faint as a wan,
Inwardly; flexibly ( q = 60)
3
3 4 3 4 3
74
very tenderly pp
Faint
and ex
very tenderly pp
Faint and ex very tenderly pp
Faint and ex
very tenderly pp
Faint
pp
p
and ex
ceed
ing
small,
ceed
ing
small,
a
boy's
ing,
ex
ceed ing
On
small,
a
boy's
ing
small,
dered mouth.
mur
dered
mouth.
dered
mouth.
dered
mouth.
mf
On
a boy's
pp
p
mur
mf
pp
p
ceed
On
pp
p
ceed
mf
mur
mf
On
a boy's
mur
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies. AretĂŠ Music Imprints | Cat. no. 1168
8 84
mp
mf 3
Though from his
throat
the life
mp
tide
leaps
mf
Though from his throat
the
life
tide leaps
mp gently
slight cresc.
3
There was no
threat
mp gently
There was no 3 3
Slightly slower p
91
3
But with the
p
p
his
lips.
threat
On
his
lips.
bit
ter
bit
ter
bit
ter
blood
And the death
smell
blood
And the death
smell
And the death
smell
And the death
smell
3
But with the
p
slight cresc.
ter
3
But with the
On
bit
blood
3
But with the Slightly slower
3
blood
3
3
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies. 3 AretĂŠ Music Imprints | Cat. no. 1168
9
Slowing until the end
99
even less
All
his life's
sweet
ness
bled
In
to
a
his life's
sweet
ness
bled
In
to
a
his life's
sweet
ness
bled
In
to
a
ness
bled
even less
All
even less
All
even less
All
his life's
sweet
In
to
a
Slowing until the end
105
pp
smile.
pp
smile,
in
to
a
smile.
pp
smile,
in
to
a
smile.
to
a
smile.
pp
smile,
in
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies. AretĂŠ Music Imprints | Cat. no. 1168
approx. 6'