Piano
For SA or TB with piano and cello
Sheet Music
Purchase Sheet Music by Contacting Zachary Moore. Available for TB or SA with piano and cello
Piano
Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;
Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see
A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings
And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.
In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song
Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong
To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside
And hymns in the cosy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide.
So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour
With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour
Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast
Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.
- D. H. Lawrence
Composer Notes:
Until I completed my undergraduate degree, I always rushed toward the future. Whenever I experienced something that felt like a chore, I wished it was over. Looking back, I wish I could have seen beyond the insignificant challenges of high school and middle school. There were so many little things that felt like the end of the world then, which I can no longer remember. Now, I find myself thinking about the things I wish I would have enjoyed more, such as friends, family, home cooked meals, or showing up to school as a student (not as a teacher). Life was so much simpler. Although I can’t physically have my youth back, I find that those memories live through my senses. Sometimes a sound, smell, or scenery transports me back to a memory.
This poem captures the power of nostalgia through sound. The poem clearly portrays the narrator being taken back to a priceless childhood memory between them and their mother. When I wrote this composition, I intentionally set the words in 6/8 to reflect a type of lullaby feeling. The gentle rocking is meant to portray the longing for motherly comfort. Additionally, I used hymiolas throughout this composition to reflect reality. Although nostalgia can transport someone back to a memory, one can never truly go back. The feeling of three presents a dream world (what the narrator longs for), while the feeling of two represents their bitter reality. As the composition continues, the appassionato of the story builds to the climax, when the narrator weeps from their memory.
Never wish away the present. If you find that you are dealing with something that feels like a chore, ask yourself, will you truly remember it five years from now? If not, I encourage you to shift your focus from what is bothering you, to what truly matters. Perhaps a favorite class, club, sports, friends, family, or simply relaxing. Some things are too priceless to race past.
- Zachary J. Moore
