As soon as I read this poem of Tagore I knew that I had to write a choral setting of it, and I was surprised that a setting did not already exist. Harmonically this work is much simpler than what I typically write; I wanted the choral parts to be as transparent as possible to elucidate the text. The musical interest is driven by the balance of the soloistic piano part and the simple choral parts. I sought to evoke the journey spoken of in the text by creating a few independent ‘sound-worlds’ and stringing them together before returning to the placid first idea for the last line.
SATB Choir (divisi), piano; ~10:00
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Text
Early in the day it was whispered that we should sail in a boat,
only thou and I, and never a soul in the whole world would know of this
our pilgrimage to no country and to no end.
In that shoreless ocean, at thy silently listening smile
my songs would swell in melodies, free as waves, free from all bondage of words.
Is the time not come yet? Are there works still to do?
Lo, the evening has come down upon the shore,
and in the fading light the seabirds come flying to their nests.
Who knows when the chains will be off, and the boat,
like the last glimmer of sunset vanish into the night?
– Rabindranath Tagore