Spring Songs

Spring Songs (2017)

Four Songs for Soprano and Piano

Poems by Sara Teasdale.

1. Paris in Spring
2. The Look
3. Spring Torrents
4. Nightfall

Duration: approx. 9 mins

This little collection of four short songs sets lyrical texts by American poet Sara Teasdale (1884-1933).

‘Paris In Spring’ was originally part of a longer work of mine for Soprano and Baroque ensemble. This arrangement is much more portable, and gives opportunity for the dust to be blown off a part of a score that, in my own estimation, has always been pretty good.

‘The Look’ is a poem I had read many times before and wondered about setting- an upcoming Firm concert was as good an opportunity to do so as any. The text is pithy and honest; so to, I hope, the music.

‘Spring Torrents’ borrows its piano accompaniment line from a gorgeous song by Samuel Barber which I stumbled across accidentally, but to my utter delight. I intend to ‘borrow’ elements of the melodic line of the same song in another work one day. 

‘Nightfall’ was composed in around 2 hours as an exercise in seeing what happens when I don’t think about things too much. My conclusion to this experiment is that thinking has its place, but sometimes a simple song needs the directness that instinct can provide.

Anne Cawrse © 2017

Range - C4 to A5

Difficulty - Medium