The intertwining of women’s voices in Gustav Holst’s Tears Idle Tears will lend an elevated atmosphere to any performance giving this secular piece an almost sacred character. It was written for a cappella female chorus (SSAA) in 1905 as the 3rd movement of the 5-movement suite ‘Songs From The Princess’ which was based on 5 thematic short poem’s from the British poet Tennyson’s long narrative poem ‘The Princess’ (1847). Performance time is approximately 2 minutes.As an experienced instrumentalist and orchestra member English composer arranger and teacher Gustav Holst understood music from the standpoint of his players and madesure that however challenging their parts were always practicable a compositional characteristic still well received and appreciated by performers and audiences today.

Gustav Holst Songs From The Princess Op.20 for female voices SSAA. Words written by Tennyson.Sweet and lowThe splendour fallsTears idle tearsO swallow swallowNow sleeps the crimson petal

Heinrich Poos is not the first composer inspired by Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock's poem 'Die Auferstehung', as even Gustav Mahler had already used these verses in the fifth movement of his Second Symphony 'Auferstehung'. Mahler was inspired to use a choral movement at the end of his symphony at the funeral of the conductor Hans von Bülow where a choir sang a chorale based on said text by Klopstock. Heinrich Poos wrote his deeply moving choral piece in remembrance of the organist Hubert Schoonbrodt. / Choeur De Femmes (SSAA) A Cappella