A Strange Sweetness | Joseph Gregorio | MusicSpoke

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

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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’

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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approx. 6'