Written for four-part men’s choir, Peace, set to Sara Teasdale’s poetry, was composed as a gift for the Baldwin Wallace Men’s Chorus of Baldwin Wallace University.
Teasdale’s text is as follows:
Peace flows into me
As the tide to the pool by the shore;
It is mine forevermore,
It ebbs not back like the sea.
I am the pool of blue
That worships the vivid sky;
My hopes were heaven-high,
They are all fulfilled in you.
I am the pool of gold
When sunset burns and dies, —
You are my deepening skies,
Give me your stars to hold.The four-part split does not branch into divisi, aside from moments when the Basses go low, so the octave above is shown as an option. This is true for both SATB and TTBB versions.
Written in Eb Major, this is a piece that gives choirs and their directors plenty of room to add phrasing and interpretation.
If I had magical powers, I would bottle up that feeling that I get whenever I encounter a poem that’s simply perfect for the moment I’m experiencing. In late 2024, I was thumbing through a collection of Sara Teasdale’s poetry that I had just purchased. She is by far my favorite poet, not only because she says so much with so few words, but because she does so with such beautiful imagery.
Like here, upon my first few readings of Peace, the first line immediately jumped out, “Peace flows into me…”. Is the voice saying that they are the embodiment of peace? Are they wishing or striving for peace? There are other fragments from this short yet powerful poem that reach out and capture me.
My favorite line of text is how she chose to end with the words, “You are my deepening skies, Give me your stars to hold.”
To me, there’s more than one way to interpret what Teasdale is saying. The voice could be a lover, crying out to offer comfort and support. It could be that of a community, offering peace and reassurance to others. And here lies the beauty of poetry like this - your interpretation is valid and my interpretation is valid! Sara Teasdale isn’t telling us what to think, she’s painting a picture with her words and letting us, as the audience, decide how it may resonate with us individually.
I worked to incorporate a water-like ebb and flow throughout the piece. The musical phrases are all clearly delineated and, even when there are suspensions and cascading lines and points climax, the music steadies itself, just like the tide pulls away from the shore each time.
This was written for low-voice/TTBB ensembles, yet I believe the SATB adaption holds up quite well! The focus for my setting of Peace was on singable lines that offer clear phrasing for each individual voice part, so the resultant dissonances are a side effect. Those dissonances could prove challenging upon first read, along with some of the rhythms whenever the parts diverge from each homophonic touchpoint.
This work means so much to me, as both a poem and as a gift written for a choir that love.
Written for four-part men’s choir, Peace, set to Sara Teasdale’s poetry, was composed as a gift for the Baldwin Wallace Men’s Chorus of Baldwin Wallace University.
Teasdale’s text is as follows:
Peace flows into me
As the tide to the pool by the shore;
It is mine forevermore,
It ebbs not back like the sea.
I am the pool of blue
That worships the vivid sky;
My hopes were heaven-high,
They are all fulfilled in you.
I am the pool of gold
When sunset burns and dies, —
You are my deepening skies,
Give me your stars to hold.The four-part split does not branch into divisi, aside from moments when the Basses go low, so the octave above is shown as an option. This is true for both SATB and TTBB versions.
Written in Eb Major, this is a piece that gives choirs and their directors plenty of room to add phrasing and interpretation.
If I had magical powers, I would bottle up that feeling that I get whenever I encounter a poem that’s simply perfect for the moment I’m experiencing. In late 2024, I was thumbing through a collection of Sara Teasdale’s poetry that I had just purchased. She is by far my favorite poet, not only because she says so much with so few words, but because she does so with such beautiful imagery.
Like here, upon my first few readings of Peace, the first line immediately jumped out, “Peace flows into me…”. Is the voice saying that they are the embodiment of peace? Are they wishing or striving for peace? There are other fragments from this short yet powerful poem that reach out and capture me.
My favorite line of text is how she chose to end with the words, “You are my deepening skies, Give me your stars to hold.”
To me, there’s more than one way to interpret what Teasdale is saying. The voice could be a lover, crying out to offer comfort and support. It could be that of a community, offering peace and reassurance to others. And here lies the beauty of poetry like this - your interpretation is valid and my interpretation is valid! Sara Teasdale isn’t telling us what to think, she’s painting a picture with her words and letting us, as the audience, decide how it may resonate with us individually.
I worked to incorporate a water-like ebb and flow throughout the piece. The musical phrases are all clearly delineated and, even when there are suspensions and cascading lines and points climax, the music steadies itself, just like the tide pulls away from the shore each time.
This was written for low-voice/TTBB ensembles, yet I believe the SATB adaption holds up quite well! The focus for my setting of Peace was on singable lines that offer clear phrasing for each individual voice part, so the resultant dissonances are a side effect. Those dissonances could prove challenging upon first read, along with some of the rhythms whenever the parts diverge from each homophonic touchpoint.
This work means so much to me, as both a poem and as a gift written for a choir that love.
Minimum 10 copies per purchase.