The Arrow and the Song | Christina Whitten Thomas | MusicSpoke

music by

Christina Whitten Thomas

The Arrow and the Song From Three Songs of Life TTBB choir and piano

poem by

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

Program Notes for Three Songs of Life These three poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow each approach life from a different angle. The Sound of the Sea is a melancholy musing on the unpredictability of life.

Longfellow’s beautiful sea imagery reflects the changing tides of the human soul. The music has a contemplative, searching quality that only finds resolution within the final measures. In The Arrow and the Song, the poet confesses that he has found fulfillment in spite of the many uncertainties of life’s journeys. I have chosen a hymn-like setting for this movement in order to preserve the simple structure of this poignant text. A Day of Sunshine celebrates the freedom that one can enjoy if one chooses to live life to the fullest. In this concluding movement, the carefree flow of the piano supports the joyous choral lines, which weave together energetic melodies and driving rhythms.

Three Songs of Life was commissioned by the Apollo Men’s Choir of the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, Christopher Eanes, conductor. The group premiered the work on April 26, 2009. ~Christina Whitten Thomas

II. The Arrow and the Song I shot an arrow into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For, so swiftly it flew, the sight Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For who has sight so keen and strong, That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow, still unbroke; And the song, from beginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend.

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

3

The Arrow and the Song from Three Songs of Life For the Apollo Men's Choir of USC Christopher Eanes, conductor

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Christina Whitten Thomas

Simple, yet stately q = 56

° bb 4 ‰ mpj œ ™ Tenor I & II & b 4 œ ‹ I shot mp œ™ ? bb 44 ‰ œ Bass I & II J ¢ b I

? bb 44 Πb Piano

shot

œ™ œœ™™

3 j œ œ œ œœ œ ˙ œ œ

in - to

an ar - row

the air,

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ3 œ ˙ J in - to

an ar - row

3

œ œ œ œ™

j 3 œ œ œ œ

fell

I knew not

‰ œj it

to earth 3

œ œ œ œ™

‰ œJ

the air,

œœœj J

œœœ ™ œ œ œœœ œ 3œ œ œ œ œœ œ ™ J

j œœ

œœœ ™™™ œ™

it

fell

to earth

œ œj

œ œ œ3 œ J I knew not

œ j œ

œ j œ

œ j œ

mp

{

? bb 44 Πb

œœ ™™

j œœ œœœ œ œ

œœ œ

œœ ˙˙ œ ˙

œœ œ

œœ œ

œœ œ

5

° bb & bœ œ ˙ ‹ where; ?b œ œ ˙ ¢ bb where;

œ œ for, so

? bb bw w

swift - ly,

so swift - ly

it

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ for, so

œ œ ˙ œ œ œ ? bb œ œ b

{

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

&

swift - ly,

so swift - ly

it

œ œ œ ˙œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙ ˙

˙˙ ˙˙

˙™ flew,

˙™ flew,

j ‰ œ the

œ ‰ J the

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œÓ œ

© 2009 CHRISTINA WHITTEN THOMAS All Rights Reserved

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

4

œœj J

mf

8 3

° bb œ & b ‹ sight

3

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ could not fol - low

it

in its

j ‰ œœJ

˙™ flight.

I

œ 3œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b ˙ ™

? bb œ ¢ b

could not fol - low

œœ ? bb œœ b

{

it in its

mf

flight.

I

Ϫ Ϫ

in -

œœj J

œœj œœ ™™ J

breathed a song

in -

3 3

œ œ œ J œœœ œ

œœ œœ

j œ ˙™

‰ œj œ mf œ œ œ œ b œ œ bœ œ

œ ~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

œ 3œ œ œ b &b b

~~~~~~

sight

œœj bœœ ™™ J

breathed a song

œj ‰ J

3

Ϫ Ϫ

œœ œ

&

œœ ™™ œœ™™

j œœ œœ J

j œœ

bœœ ™™ œœ ™™

œœ J

3

11

3

œœ

° bb œœ & b ‹ to

˙ ‰

the

œœ bœœ

œœ

Ϫ Ϫ

it

fell

to

earth,

œ to

œœj J

œœ

I

knew

Ϫ

j œ J

œ

earth,

I

˙˙ ‰

the

air,

œœj J

œœ

it

fell

? bb œœ b

j œ

‰

œœ

œœ ™™

j œœ

œœ

˙

œœ

b œœ

˙˙

{

‰

œ

Ϫ

œ J

œ

not

3

œœ

3

œj J

knew

not 3

3

b & b b œœ

œœ œ

air,

b œœ ? bb œœ ¢ b to

œj J

œœ J

œœ b œœ œœ 3œœ

œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

œœ œ 3

œ J

13

° bb mp & b˙ ‹ where;

unis.

‰

j œ œ for

who

has

œ J

œ

œ

for

who

has

sight

mp

where;

bœ

‰

and strong,

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

unis.

? b ˙œ ¢ bb

so keen

sight

so keen

and strong,

j ‰ œ œ œ that it can

œ œ œ ‰ J that it can

~~~~~

œ˙ œ œ œ ˙˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ b œ œ b ˙ ˙ ˙ ‰ J œœœœ œ ˙ œ œ b œ œœœœœ mp ? bb ˙œ™ b˙ Œ œœ b œœ œ & ˙ b b ˙˙˙˙ ˙ œ œ œœ b &b b

{

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

œ œ

?

œœ œ

5 16

cresc. poco a poco

° bb j & bœ ‹ fol

œ - low

Ϫ

œ J

˙™

the

flight

of

song?

Long,

˙™

œ J

cresc. poco a poco

œ

?b œ ¢ bb J

fol - low

œœœ œ

b œ & b b bœœœ J

œj J

j œ œ J

Ϫ

the

flight

œ J

‰

of

song?

Long,

œœ œœ œœœ œœ b œœœœ œ bœ œ

œœ œœ J

œœœ ™™™ œ™

œœœ œ J

‰

œœ œœ

œœ œœ œœ œ

cresc. poco a poco

bœ ? bb bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ & b œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ b œœœœ

{

œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœœ œœ œ œœ œ œ

œœ œœ

18

f

œœ ™™

° bb & b ‹

long f

œœj<n>œ œ œ œ nœ œ J

˙ ™™

in an

oak

œ œ œ œ nœ œ

˙™

af - ter - ward

˙ ? bb ¢ b

mf

‰

j œ I mf

‰

j œœ J

Ϫ found

œœ ™™

j œ œ œ œ nœ œ the

ar - row

still un-

j œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ J

I

œœ œœ œœ œœ

~~~~~~

n œœœ œ

found

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

~~~~~~

œœ œœ

oak

œœ œ

œœœ œ

~~~~~~

in an

af - ter-ward

œœ œœ

~~~~~~

~~~~~~

<n> œœœ bb œ b &

~~~~~~

long

œœœ œ

œœ œ

œœœÓ ™™™

œœœœ

~~~~~~

œœœ œ

~~~~~~

œœœ œ

~~~~~~

?

~~~~~~

{

~~~~~~

b & b b <n> œœœ œ

~~~~~~

f

œ n œœœ

œœœ œ

mf

œœœ ™™™ œ™

the

j œœœ œœœj œ

ar - row

still un-

œœ œ œœ nœ‰ œ œJ œœœ œœœ nœœ œ œ œ

mp

21

p

° bb & b˙ ‹ broke; ?b œ ¢ bb ˙

Œ

œ

broke;

Œ

œ

œ

œ˙ ™

and p

the

song

œœ

œœ

˙™ ˙™

and

the

œ p œœ

œ

˙

œœ from mp

œœ

song

from

œœ

œœ

˙˙

œœ

be - gin - ning

to

œœ

œ

œ

˙

be - gin - ning

to

b &b b ˙™

{

? b œ˙ b b ˙™ ™

˙

œ

˙˙

œœ

œœ

œœ

œœœ

œœ œ

mp

œœ

œœ œ

˙˙ ˙

œœ œ

˙˙˙ ˙™ ˙˙ ™™

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

œœœ

œ œœ œ

6 24

unis.

° bb ˙™ & b ˙™ ‹ end,

‰

? b ˙™ ¢ bb

Œ

3

j œ

j œ

Ϫ

I

found

a

œ -

œ

gain

œ

˙™

œ

œ

the

heart

of

a

œ bœ

˙™

<n>œ

œ

heart

of

a

<n>œ

œ

in 3

‰

end,

j œ œ I

œ

found a

œ -

gain

in

the

3

b &b b ˙™ ˙˙ ™™ ? bb ˙ ™ b ˙˙ ™™

‰

œ œ

œ

‰

j œ œ

œ

{

Œ

œ œœ œ ˙˙ œ

œœ bœœ

˙˙ ™™ w w ww Œ ˙™

27

poco rit.

° bb & bw ‹ friend.

œ

?b w ¢ bb

œ

Œ

Ó

∑

Œ

Ó

∑

œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœœœ œ

œœ ˙˙˙

friend.

3

b &b b

{

? bb b

œœœ ™™ ™

j œœœ J

œœœ ™™™ œ™

œœ J

œœœ™™ œ œœœ ™™™ œ™

œ

œœœ J œœ œ J

œ

w w w w w

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.