SATB choir
SKU:
ST.Y280
Composed by
Rhian Samuel. SATB
unaccompanied. Choral.
Octavo. Stainer & Bell
Ltd. #Y280. Published by
Stainer & Bell Ltd.
(ST.Y280).
ISBN
9790220223051.
1.
Age and Youth (words by
William Shakespeare)
2. Sun and Shadow (words
by Thomas Campion)
For amateur SATB
chorus with divisions,
Opposites by
Rhian Samuel pairs a
well-known poem by
Shakespeare with a less
familiar one by his
contemporary, the
lute-song composer Thomas
Campion.
In
Shakespeare's much
anthologised 'Crabbed Age
and Youth' the decay of
the former and vigour of
the latter inspire
contrasts of texture,
register and dynamics to
make a simple yet
effective form
culminating in the
defiant tutti of 'Age, I
do defy thee!'
A
meditation on the
fruitless pursuit of
passion, Campion's
'Follow thy fair sun,
unhappy shadow'
alternates a lilting
refrain with dueting
soprano and alto, and
tenor and bass.
Lasting around ten
minutes, the two items
would make an attractive
and complementary element
in any programme that
explored the richness of
English verse in choral
song, whether in
classical, romantic or
contemporary
repertoire.
