A Tennyson Trilogy
Matthew and Shelly Armstrong
Matthew and Shelly Armstrong
A Tennyson Trilogy I.
There is sweet music here SSAA, piano II.
A Farewell SATB, piano
III. Crossing the Bar TBB, piano
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Texts by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)
I.
There is sweet music here
(from “The Lotos-Eaters,� published in 1832)
There is sweet music here that softer falls Than petals from blown roses on the grass, Or night-dews on still waters between walls of shadowy granite, in a gleaming pass; Music that gentlier on the spirit lies, Than tir'd eyelids upon tir'd eyes; Music that brings sweet sleep down from the blissful skies. Here are cool mosses deep, And thro' the moss the ivies creep, And in the stream the long-leaved flowers weep, And from the craggy ledge the poppy hangs in sleep.
II.
A Farewell (published in 1842)
A thousand suns will stream on thee, A thousand moons will quiver; But not by thee my steps shall be, For ever and for ever.
III.
Crossing the Bar (1889)
This poem was completed three years before his death, but it was not his last poem to be written. However, Tennyson requested that it appear as the final piece in his body of work.
Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea, But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home.
Flow down, cold rivulet, to the sea, Thy tribute wave deliver: No more by thee my steps shall be, For ever and for ever.
Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark;
Flow, softly flow, by lawn and lea, A rivulet then a river: Nowhere by thee my steps shall be For ever and for ever.
For though from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar.
But here will sigh thine alder tree And here thine aspen shiver; And here by thee will hum the bee, For ever and for ever.
I. There is sweet music here for SSAA and piano
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) sweetly q = 66
Soprano
Alto
Piano
6
S
b & b b b 44 ‰ b & b b b 44 ‰
∑
b & b bb œ œ ˙
°
Than
œœ ˙ ? bb b œ œ b bbbb
œ œ œ œ œ ˙ J
Than
pet - als from blown ros - es on the grass,
b & b bb œ
œ.
j œ œ œ œ
3
of shad - ow - y
b & b b b œœœ œœœ œœœ
œœ œ
? bb b ˙ . b
œ
cresc. poco a poco
gran
˙
gran
-
-
,p œ nœ Or
Or
œœœœœ Œ
œ œ ˙ œ œ
œ.
tween walls
grass,
,p
œœ œ œ nœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙.
œ
cresc. poco a poco
11
Pno.
P is sweet mu - sic here that j Œ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ. œ
Ó
Ped. simile
pet - als from blown ros - es on the
tween walls of shad - ow - y cresc. poco a poco 3
A
*
j œ œ œ œœ œœ b œœ
&
Ó
∑
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ ˙˙
œ œ œ œ. œ b & b bb
11
S
∑
*°
soft - er falls
Pno.
∑
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ. b œ œ b 4 œ œ œ ˙. œ. J &b b 4 J J J P ˙ ˙ œœ ˙ œœ ˙ œ œ œ œ ? b b b 44 ‰ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œœ
b & b bb œ œ ˙ 6
∑
P j Œ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ. œ There
soft - er falls
A
∑
Matthew and Shelly Armstrong
˙ œ œ
ite
˙˙ ˙
nœ œ œ œ ˙ œœ
œ œ n œœ ˙˙
‰ œj
œ œ
‰ œj
on still
night - dews
p
on still
œœ ˙
œœ ..
ite
˙ œ œ œ œ
œ ˙
wa - ters
be -
nœ œ œ œ ˙ œœ
be -
˙. œœ ‰ J
˙.
j œ ‰
in a gleam - ing pass;
‰
wa - ters
˙˙ ..
in a gleam - ing pass;
œœ œ b œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b˙ .
œ œ œ œ ˙
is sweet mu - sic here that
˙ œ œ œ œ
night - dews
‰ œ œ œ œœ ˙˙
œœ ..
There
œ
œ
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
©2015 Matthew & Shelly Armstrong This piece is part of a 3-song collection of Tennyson settings encouraged to be performed together. I. There is sweet music here II. A Farewell III. Crossing the Bar
I. There is sweet music here / Matthew & Shelly Armstrong
2
F b œ & b bb œ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
15
S
3
b b bFœ b &
Mu - sic that gent - li - er on the
A
spir - it
œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ 3
Mu - sic that gent - li - er on the
œœ
œœ
lies,
œ bœ
spir - it
lies,
F b b b 3 œœ b & 4
19
S
F bbb 3 œ b & 4
œœ œœ œœ
œœ
Mu - sic that brings sweet
A
œ œ œ
sleep
44 œ
œ
Mu - sic that brings sweet
b & b b b 43 ˙˙˙ F ? b b b 43 b ˙
23
S
A
&
bbbb
b & b bb
œ
44 ˙˙ ˙
bœ
44 ˙
œ œ œ œ œ œœ
through the moss the
œ
Pno.
? bb b œ b
œœ
œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
down
œœœ œœœ p w
And
43 ˙ . ˙. ˙. 43 ˙ .
˙˙˙
p Œ œ œ œ Here are
Ó Ó œœ
poco rit.
poco rit.
œ
œ
œ
œ œ œ
‰ j œ
moss - es deep
cool
moss - es deep
œ œ œ p ˙
and
œ œ œ
and
b˙
œ
Œ œ
44 œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ poco rit.
‰ j œ
Œ œ
long - leaved flow - ers
44 ˙
cool
œ œ œ
œœ œ b ˙˙
long - leaved flow - ers
œ
43
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 43
Here are
œœ œœ œ œ 44 œœ œœ œ œ
in the stream the
eyes;
subito
skies.
44
j œœ ‰
˙˙ ..
subito p Œ œ œ œ
œœœœœœœ U œ ˙˙˙ allargando f U ˙ œ œ b˙
in the stream the
eyes;
œ œ œ œœœœœœ 3 œ œ 4 œ
skies.
from the bliss - ful
43
œœ ‰ J
cresc.
fU ˙˙
from the bliss - ful allargando
œœ œ œ œ œ
And
up - on tir'd
fU ˙˙
j œ œ œœ œ ‰ œ
down
up - on tir'd
Than tir'd eye - lids
œœ ‰ œ œ œ œœ J
43 œ
, 3 4
i - vies creep,
23
œ
,
i - vies creep,
œ œ œ œ œ œ
through the moss the
b & b bb œ œ
sleep
œœ œ
19
Pno.
3 p ‰ œJ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œœ œ
allargando
44 œœ
3
Than tir'd eye - lids
b œ œ œ œ & b b b œ œ œ œ œœ b œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ b œ œœ F bœ œ ? bb b œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ b œ bœ œ bœ œ
15
Pno.
p ‰ œJ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙ ..
œ
weep,
˙
and
weep,
œ bœ w
and
œœ ˙
I. There is sweet music here / Matthew & Shelly Armstrong
. ‰ œj œ œ ˙˙ .
b & b bb œ œ œ œ nœ
27
S
F
piu mosso
b & b bb œ œ œ œ nœ
F ‰ œj œ œ ˙ .
b & b bb œ œ œ œ n˙
˙˙
from the crag - gy ledge piu mosso
A
the
from the crag - gy ledge
the
27
Pno.
piu mosso
? bb b œ œ nœ nœ b œ œ nœ
slight rit.
pop - py hangs slight rit.
P Ó ˙
œœ F
œœ
sleep.
in
sleep.
in
˙˙ .. P w w
slight rit.
w
ww
P Ó ˙
pop - py hangs
3
ww
w œœ
œ
w
œœœœœ œœ œœ œ œ
a tempo
˙
œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ ˙ œ œ
S
b & b bb
∑
∑
∑
A
b & b bb
∑
∑
∑
32
b œ & b bb
32
Pno.
? bb b b œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ
œ
œ
˙
œ
œ
œ rit.
œ
œ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
dim.
œ œ
œ œ œ
ww w w