MORTEN LAURIDSEN
Sure On This Shining Night
for mixed chorus (SATB) & string orchestra
Sure On This Shining Night Sure on this shining night Of starmade shadows round, Kindness must watch for me This side the ground. The late year lies down the north. All is healed, all is health. High summer holds the earth. Hearts all whole. Sure on this shining night I weep for wonder Wand’ring far alone Of shadows on the stars. —James Agee Copyright © 1968 by The James Agee Trust.
From Nocturnes, The American Choral Directors Association 2005 Raymond W. Brock Memorial Commission Premiere performance of the Nocturnes at the 2005 ACDA National Convention by the Donald Brinegar Singers and Morten Lauridsen, piano I originally composed Sure On This Shining Night as the third movement for my choral cycle Nocturnes on poems by Rilke, Neruda and Agee. I set the verse very much like a song from the American musical theater stage and it should be sung in that manner. In addition to the SATB/piano, TTBB/piano and SSAA/piano versions, Sure On This Shining Night is available as a mixed duet with piano and also as a solo song for baritone and piano combined with Dana Gioia’s “Prayer,” published by Peermusic as Two Songs on American Poems, both recorded on “Prayer – The Songs of Morten Lauridsen.” The complete Nocturnes are recorded on “Sure On This Shining Night - Voce Sings Lauridsen,” on “Lauridsen - Mid-Winter Songs” by The Singers Minnesota Choral Artists and on the Deutsche Grammophon “Lux Aeterna – The Choral Music of Morten Lauridsen” by the Chamber Choir of Europe conducted by Nicol Matt. I accompany each of these recordings at the piano. —Morten Lauridsen The music of Morten Lauridsen, Distinguished Professor of Composition at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, occupies a permanent place in the standard vocal repertoire of the Twenty-First Century. He was Composer-in-Residence of the Los Angeles Master Chorale from 1994-2001 and is currently Honorary Artistic President of INTERKULTUR/World Choir Games. His works, including eight vocal cycles and a series of sacred motets, are regularly performed throughout the world and have been recorded on over 200 CDs, several of which have received Grammy nominations. An award-winning documentary by filmmaker Michael Stillwater, Shining Night: A Portrait of Composer Morten Lauridsen, was released in 2012. Information about the film is at songwithoutborders.net. Named an “American Choral Master” by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2005, he was awarded the 2007 National Medal of Arts, the highest artistic award in the United States, by the President in a White House ceremony “for his composition of radiant choral works combining musical beauty, power, and spiritual depth that have thrilled audiences worldwide.” In 2016 Mr. Lauridsen was the recipient at Lincoln Center of the ASCAP Foundation “Life in Music” Award. For more about Morten Lauridsen: www.peermusicClassical.com and www.mortenlauridsen.net
Sure On This Shining Night
James Agee Flowing, tempo rubato (q = ca. 72)
poco rit.
a tempo
Soprano
3 4
4 4
Alto
3 4
4 4
3 4
Tenor
3 4
4 4
3 4
3 4
Bass
4 4
Morten Lauridsen rit.
3 4
A a tempo
4 4 4 4
mp
4 4
Sure on this shin ing mp
3 4
4 4
Sure on this shin ing
Flowing, tempo rubato (q = ca. 72)
3 4
Violin I
4 4
3 4
Violin II
4 4
p espr.
poco rit.
a tempo
3 4 3 4
p espr.
3 4
Viola
4 4
3 4
Violoncello
3 4
mf
mp
mp
mf
mp
mf
mp
4 4 p
4 4 4 4 4 4
3 unis. 4
p
Contrabass
mp
mp
4 4
A a tempo
3 4
p espr. div.
rit.
mf
mp div.
p espr.
mp
p
4 4
3 4
4 4 mp
mf
mp
p
The published choral score is in Db major. The conductor will instruct the chorus to mentally change the key signature to D major instead when performing with the string orchestra.
7 S
4 4
A
4 4
T
4 4
poco rit.
*
night of star made shad ows round,
B
kind ness must watch for me this
side
a tempo
4 4
3 4
4 4 shin
3 4 kind ness must watch for me this
side
the ground, on this
poco rit.
4 4 p espr.
shin
3 4
Vln. II
4 4
Vla.
4 4
Vc.
4 4
3 4
Cb.
4 4
3 4
p espr.
Poem Copyright © 1968 by The James Agee Trust. Used by Permission. 0124115
© Copyright 2005, 2010 by Songs of Peer, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.
3 4 3 4 3 4
’ ing night, this
4 4 a tempo
rit.
4 4
3 4
the ground, on this
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Vln. I
3 4
3 4
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4 4
rit.
3 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
unis
2 12 S
3 4
a tempo
rit.
a tempo
rit.
B a tempo mp
4 4
Sure on this shin ing
mp
3 4
A
mp
3 4 shin
ing
night.
Vln. I
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ing
a tempo
rit.
a tempo
rit.
B a tempo
4 4 ( mp )
3 4
4 4 mp
3 4 mp
p espr. div.
( mp )
p
( mp )
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3 4
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( mp )
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sure
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shin ing night,
night.
mp
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star made shad ows round,
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night of
4 4
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B
star made shad ows round,
4 4
Sure on this shin ing
T
night of
4 4 mp
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( mp )
18
3 4
*
S kind ness must watch for me this
side
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on this
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3 4
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side
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on this
shin
ing night,
sure
shin
on this shin ing
mp
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on
this shin ing
night,
’ ’
night,
sure on this
3 4
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Vln. I
3 4
4 4
Vln. II
3 4
4 4
3 4
Vla.
3 4
4 4
3 4
Vc.
3 4
4 4
3 4
Cb.
3 4
4 4
3 4
*Omit if the low As are out of range.
unis.
shin
ing
shin
ing
shin
ing
shin
ing
3 4
ing night, this
rit.
molto rit.
3 4
this
4 4
a tempo
3 4
ing night, this
4 4
3 4
B
’
ing night, this
4 4
3 4
T
rit.
3 4
a tempo
molto rit.
3 24
C a tempo
S
4 4
3 4
4 4
2 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
2 4
4 4
3 4
night.
A night.
T night.
4 4
B
3 4
mp
The late year mp
lies
The late year
lies
night.
C a tempo
4 4
Vln. I
3 4
mf
4 4
3 4
4 unis. 4
Vc.
3 div. 4
4 4
Cb.
2 4
4 4
2 4
2 4 health.
down the north,
All
is
healed,
all
is
4 4
2 4
4 4
2 4
4 4
2 4 unis.
2 4
4 4
2 4
mp
3 4
4 4
3 4
mp
The late year lies mp
The late year lies
B
is
2 4
4 4
3 4
mf
health.
all
mp
mf
2 4
healed,
mp
mf div.
T
is
mp
Vla.
A
All
4 4
3 4
4 4
Vln. II
S
down the north,
2 4
mp
mf
30
(no breath)
4 4
’
4 4
High
’
3 4 sum mer holds the earth. Hearts all
4 4
High
4 4 down the north,
All
is
healed,
all
2 4 is
4 4
health.
2 4
down the north,
All
is
healed,
all
is
’
4 4
whole.
3 4 sum mer holds the earth. Hearts all
(no breath)
All
is
healed,
4 4
2 4 all
is health, all
is
All
is
healed,
health.
2 4
’
whole.
health.
all
is health, all
is
health.
’ 4 4 High
’ 4 4 High
’ 4 4 High
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Vln. I
2 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
2 4
4 4
Vln. II
2 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
2 4
4 4
Vla.
2 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
2 4
4 4
2 4
4 4
2 4
4 4
div.
Vc.
2 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
Cb.
2 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
unis.
4
meno mosso 36 S
4 4 4 4
A
mf
sum mer holds the mf
sum mer holds the earth.
4 4
T
Hearts all
mf
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sum mer holds the earth.
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3 ’ 4 whole.
4 4 ’
Sure on this shin ing night,
3 ’ 4 whole.
f
2 4
3 ’ 4 whole.
Sure on this shin ing night,
meno mosso
rit.
3 4
div.
2 4
3 4
div.
2 4
3 4
div.
3 4
div.
3 4
div.
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ing
4 4
sure on this
shin
sure on this
night,
ing
shin
ing
night,
4 4
sure on this
’
3 4
4 4
sure on this
’ night,
4 4
sure on this
’
3 4 shin
sure on this
night,
ing
4 4
’
’
3 4
4 4
’
Sure on this shin ing night, f
2 4
4 4
rit.
’
mf
Vln. II
D a tempo f
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2 4
sum mer holds the earth. mf
4 4
Vln. I
whole.
2 4
4 4
B
3 ’ 4
2 4 earth. Hearts all
rit.
4 4
sure on this
D a tempo
rit.
4 4
3 4
4 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
f
mf
4 4
Vla.
mf
4 4
Vc.
2 4
4 4
Cb.
2 4
f
f
4 4
f
unis.
4 unis. 4
f
a tempo 42 S
rit.
ff
4 4
’ shin
ing night.
ff
A
4 4
’ shin
ing night.
ff
T
4 4
’ shin
ing night.
ff
B
4 4
a tempo
ing night.
rit.
Vln. II
Vla.
Vc.
Cb.
4 4 4 4 4 4
I weep for won der wan d’ring far mp
a
I mp
a
weep
lone
p
of p
meno mosso
shad
ows
rit.
on
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of p
shad
ows on
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of
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ows on
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shad
ows on
the
’
I weep for won der wan d’ring far mp
a
I
a
lone
weep
a tempo
’ lone
p
of
meno mosso
rit.
unis.
4 4 4 4
’
’ shin
Vln. I
a tempo mp
mp
ff
ff
ff
unis.
mp
mp
ff
mp
ff
mp
unis.
div.
unis.
5
Molto meno mosso, molto rit. E with a sense of wonder
47
molto lunga
ppp hushed
3 4
S stars.
Sure on this
molto lunga
3 4
A stars.
shin ing night,
4 4
3 4
*
this ppp hushed
shin
on this
shin
Sure
molto lunga
T
’
4 4
4 4
molto lunga
ppp hushed
3 4
B
Sure on this shin ing
stars.
molto rit. E molto lunga
Vln. I molto lunga
Vln. II
div.
molto lunga
Vla. molto lunga
3 4
Molto meno mosso
on this
ppp hushed
on
ing
night,
on this
3 4 night,
this shin ing
on this
4 4
3 4
night of star made shad ows round,
kind ness must watch for me this
side
the ground,
on this
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
ppp
3 unis. 4 3 4
ppp unis.
ppp div.
3 4
Vc.
night,
3 4
Sure
stars.
div.
ing
3 4
ppp molto lunga
Cb.
3 4 ppp
52 S
rit.
3 4
A
3 4
T
3 4
B
Vln. II
ing night,
this
shin
ing night,
shin
ing night,
3 4
shin
this
shin
3 4
this
ing
4 4
night,
3 4
ing
night,
3 4
shin
ing
4 4
3 4
night,
3 4
4 4
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ing
4 4
this
’
3 4
shin
’
shin
Vln. I
4 4
’ shin
F Meno mosso
4 4
rit.
night,
F Meno mosso
3 4
3 4
p espr.
p espr.
Vla.
3 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
div.
mp espr.
Vc.
3 4
unis.
3 4 p espr.
Cb.
3 4
4 4
3 4 p espr.
6 59
rit.
S
molto meno mosso
4 4
p
4 4
p
sure on this
A
4 4
T
4 4
B
Vln. I
4 4
’ 3 4 shin
ing
shin
sure on this
shin
molto meno mosso
4 4
ing
4 4
night.
’ 3 4 ing
Vc.
lunga
4 4 night.
3 4
Tempo I
rit.
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
lunga
lunga
pp
4 4
3 4
molto rit.
pp
lunga
pp
p
4 4
lunga
4 4
p
Vla.
lunga
night.
p
Vln. II
lunga
4 4
’ 3 4
shin
molto rit.
night.
ing
p
rit.
4 4
’ 3 4
sure on this p
sure on this
rit.
Tempo I
4 4
lunga
pp
p
div.
Cb.
4 4
3 4
4 4 p
lunga
pp