Notes During the summer of 1998 I taught at The Walden School for young composers in Dublin, New Hampshire. One of the traditions at this school is the singing of canons, particularly before meals. These simple canons are intended to be used for this tradition. Although the name of this school has no relation to Walden Pond (where Thoreau wrote Walden), The Walden School has been located at the beautiful campus of the Dublin School, a location where I think some of Thoreau’s writings could equally apply. – RP
Robert Paterson
FOUR WALDEN CANONS
The text is adapted from quotes from Walden by Henry David Thoreau. From the last line of the conclusion: I. “The sun is but a morning star.” From p. 350, Where I Lived, and What I lived For: II. “Let us spend one day as deliberately as nature…” From p. 341, Where I Lived, and What I lived For: III. “What should we think of the shepherd’s life if his flocks always wandered to higher pastures than his thoughts?” From p. 341, Sounds: IV. “I rejoice that there are hooting owls.”
Text adapted from quotes from Walden by Henry David Thoreau
-2Four Walden Canons Cont…
for The Walden School
Four Walden Canons Music by Robert Paterson (1999)
For mixed voices in three, four or five parts with lower octave transpositions.
I. The Sun is Just a Morning Star
Repeat 3 - 4 times
q = Ç 96
> & ˙
sun
Text adapted from quotes from Walden by Henry David Thoreau
& 44 œ
The
œ œ
> ˙
œ œ œ œ
sun
is
just
a
3
œ œ œ œ
just
is
a
morn - ing
j & œ œ œ. œ ˙ morn - ing star.
The
œ œ 5
sun
is
œ ˙
star.
Ó ,
œ
The
2
œ.
morn - ing
star.
q = Ç 104
#### 3 & 4œ >
The
wan - dered to high- er
sun
U œ ˙
(last time)
2 >œ >œ œ œ &4 > >
Let us spend each
˘œ > & ≈ œ œ. œ > Let
us spend each
2
œ. >
day
œ. >
day
a morn - ing
q = Ç 108
star.
&
>œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ >œ œ Œ 3
as de - li - be - rat - ely as
than
œ
his
al-ways
thoughts?
Ó ..
3
˙
re - joice that
˙
Hoo! Hoo!
Œ b˙
there are
˘œ
Hoo!
Hoo!
>œ2
> œ
œ.
hoo - ting
œ. 4
b œ.
œ.
hoo - ting
œ.
œ.
Hoo- ting, hoo - ting
b˙
^˙-
owls. Hoo!
˙ œ Œ .. vowls! .
nat - ure
>œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ
© Copyright 1999 Robert Paterson Music (ASCAP) International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.
œ œ œ
pas - tures
.. PERUSAL SCORE >˙ . j œ 2 ˙ & 2 œ. œ œ NOT FOR PERFORMANCE
as de - li - be - rat - ely as
3
flocks
IV. Hooting Owls
Repeat 2 - 4 times
II. Let Us Spend Each Day
q = Ç 120
life if his
œ Œœ œ >
is just a
I
Repeat 1 - 3 times
2
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
just
j œ. œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
>œ #### œ œ œ œ œ & ˙
j œ
4
˙
III. What Should We Think?
What should we think of the Shep-herds
Œ
œ
œ
Repeat 2 - 3 times
˘œ
nat - ure.
..
Engraved & Printed in U.S.A.
Started: May 17, 1999, 5:55 PM, 109 Judd Falls Road, Ithaca, NY Finished: July 18, 1999, 10:40 PM, 9C Woodbridge, Snowmass Village, CO