Commissioned by the Community Chorus at South Berwick, a choir based in Southern Maine, this set of four pieces is written to the poetry of Sarah Orne Jewett, who lived most of her life in South Berwick and is particularly known for the local color and "sense of place" she brought to her writing.
Top of the Hill introduces the town of South Berwick and its natural surroundings, and is set in a rich and hymn-like musical texture. Boat Song is set for women's choir and harp or piano, making it the only accompanied movement. Through gently lapping rhythms this movement evokes the pleasure of drifting in idle river currents. In Restless Waves is a brief prayer of remembrance for those who lose their lives at sea. The final movement, The Eagle Trees, is in turns stately and majestic, tender and sentimental, and explores the interconnectedness of human life and the natural world in a region sculpted by tidal rivers on their slow and certain path towards the sea.
Contents:
I. Top of the Hill
II. Boat Song (SSA Chorus and Harp or Piano)
III. In Restless Waves
IV. The Eagle Trees.
