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1 Please note that not all ages are included. his is urosely done in order to rotect our roerty and the ork o our esteemed comosers. I you ould like to see this ork in its entirety lease order online or call us at

2 ohn Muir and Mrs. Carr ouching the Ininite Sky Duration: 17:0 hen ohn Muir as a student at the University o isconsin he as a requent caller at the house o Dr. Ezra S. Carr. he kindness shon him there and esecially the symathy hich Mrs. Carr as a botanist and a lover o nature elt in the young man s interests and aims led to the ormation o a lasting riendshi. He regarded Mrs. Carr indeed as his siritual mother and his letters to her in later years are the outourings o a sensitive sirit to one hom he elt thoroughly understood and symathized ith him. hese letters are thereore eculiarly revealing o their riter s ersonality. Most o them ere ritten rom the Yosemite alley and they give a good notion o the lie Muir led there sheeherding guiding and tending a samill at intervals to earn his daily bread but devoting his real sel to an ardent scientiic study o glacial geology and a oyous and reverent communion ith Nature. About the Songs he ive letters hich rovide the lyrics or the songs (adated by the comoser) ere selected or their range o toics and sentiments. Some ortray the ildlie in the mountains ( Glacier Birds... ). Others extol the beauty o the Sierra ( Mountain Glory Yosemite alls ). One exresses the himsical/temeramental ersonality o the author ( Ice! ). And the inal letter ( Sequoia ) seaks reverently o the great trees in a language both naturalistic and sacred. hey are the greatest light in the oods the greatest light in the orld. he musical settings esecially in the iano accomaniment are quite rogrammatic. Glacier birds scamer u and don the keyboard in tone clusters. Icy glissandi loat o. he great trees take root in large block chords and ateralls cascade don in scales. here is ersonality in the letters. he bond beteen ohn Muir and Mrs. Carr (hom he addresses ormally) is one o great kinshi a blending o the souls a siritual romance. As he marvels at the beauty o the ilderness he rites ardently I ish that you could see this... hen he learns that Mrs. Carr the botanist (hose lants suer rom the rost) dislikes ice he chides her and creates a mock argument over the value o glacial ice. he songs begin ith an ascent into the mountains. hey close ith the return to the coast to the magniicent Sequoia trees here ohn Muir cams or the night in the comany o a squirrel. Charmingly he rites hereore my Carr goodnight.

3 he Letters Dear Mrs. Carr: 1. Ascent: Glacier Birds and Other Comanions [Yosemite alley August 5th 1872] Your letter telling me to catch my best glacier birds and come to you and the coast mountains only makes me the more anxious to see you and i you cannot come u I ill have to come don i only or a talk. My birds are lying everyhere into all mountains and lains o all climes and times and some are ducks in the sea and I scarce kno hat to do about it. I must see the coast ranges but I as thinking that I ould hide in Yosemite and rite; I ould hike back among the glaciers o the summits and be ready to catch any hiser o ice and sno. You sense all the bends and alls and raids and cascades o my mountain lie you kno that my comanions are those ho live ith me in the same sky hether in reach o hand or sirit. I am learning to live close to the lives o my riends ithout ever seeing them. No miles o any measurement can searate your soul rom mine. 2. Glory in the Mountains [Yosemite 1871] he Sirit has again led me into the ilderness and I am once more in the glory o the Yosemite. I am illed ith visions o snoy orests o the ine and sruce and o mountain sires beyond early and hal transarent reaching into heaven blue not urer than themselves. I ish that you could see the edge o the sno-cloud hich hovered so soothingly discharging its heaven-begotten snos ith such unmistakable gentleness and love moving rom ine to ine as i bestoing blessings uon each. I ish that you could see this. In a e hours e climbed into a glorious storm-cloud. hat a harvest o crystal loers and the ind song. e could not see beore us in the storm but as I as amiliar ith the general ma o the mountain e had no diiculty in inding our ay. I ent out to atch the coming o the dark most imressively sublime. Next morning as every ay the urest creation I ever beheld!. Yosemite alls [Midnight Aril 1871 Yosemite] O Mrs. Carr that you could be here to mingle in this night moon glory! I am in the Uer Yosemite alls and can hardly calm to rite but you have been so resent in my thought. In the aternoon I came u to the mountain ith a blanket and a iece o bread to send the night in rayer among the souts o the all. I can only ish again that you ould exose your soul to the rays o this heaven. Silver rom the moon lights this glorious creation hich e name the alls and has laid a double rainbo at its base. O the music that is blessing me no! he grandest notes o the yearly anthem. hey echo every iber o me. I am going to sto here until morning and ray a hole blessed night ith the alls and the moon.

4 Ice!. Ice! [Yosemite December ] So you dislike ice!!! But glaciers dear riend ice is only another orm o terrestrial love. I am astonished to hear you seak so unbelievingly o God s glorious crystal glaciers. hey are only ests you say and you think them rong in temerature and they lived in horrible times and you don t care to hear about them. You conuse me. You have taught me here and encouraged me to read the mountains. No you ill not listen. Next summer you ill be converted you ill be iced then. I have been u Nevada to the to o Lyell and ound a living glacier; (but you don t ant that) and I have been in the canyon above and I as going to tell you the beauty there; (but it is all ice-born beauty and too cold or you) and I as going to tell about the making o the South Dome; (but ice did that too) and about the hundred lakes that I ound; (but the ice made them every one) and I had some groves to seak about groves o surassing loveliness in ne athless Yosemite; (but they all gre uon glacial drit and I have nothing to send but hat is rozen or reezable). Glaciers came don rom heaven they ere angels ith olded ings hite ings o snoy bloom. Locked hand in hand the little sirits did nobly; they ere illing messengers to hom God soke ell done rom heaven calling them back to their homes in the sky. Next summer you ill be converted you ill be iced then! 5. Descent: Sequoia [Squirrelville Sequoia County Nut ime] Behold the King in his glory King Sequoia! Behold! Behold! Behold! Some time ago I let or Sequoia and have been at his eet; asting and raying or light. or is he not the greatest light in the oods And is he not the greatest light in the orld here are such columns o sunshine brought to earth See Sequoia reaching or the skies every summit modeled in curves as i ressed into unseen moulds arm in the amber sun. Ho truly Godul in stature! oday King Sequoia boed don to me don in the grove as I stood gazing. Behold the King in his glory King Sequoia! he sun is set and the star candles are lit to sho me the ay little Douglas squirrel and I o to bed. hereore my Carr goodnight. You ask hen are you coming don Ask the Lord Lord Sequoia! Behold!

5 Contents Introduction 7 1. Ascent: Glacier Birds and Other Comanions Glory in the Mountains 17. Yosemite alls 27. Ice! Introduction to Descent: Sequoia 7 5. Descent: Sequoia 8

6 enor 1 enor 2 Bass 1 Bass 2 8 Recited on itch reverently ouching the innite sky... reverently ouching the innite sky the glaciers and the summit... the glaciers and the summit... cas -cades and the or - est my moun -tain cas -cades and the or - est my moun -tain soul... Catalog No Commissioned by Louisiana State University or the iger Glee Club rey Davis Conductor ohn Muir ( ) Altered and ith ords by G. alker my soul... ouching the Innite Sky or enor Solo BB Chorus and Piano my soul... my soul... Introduction olloing the coast ranges... the olloing the coast ranges... the lie... lie..... reach -ing in - to heav -en blue the in - - nite reach -ing in - to heav -en blue the in - - nite the the rit. in - - nite in - - nite my 7 Gyneth alker Note setting and ormat by Gyneth alker Music Productions Coyright 2017 by E. C. Schirmer Music Comany Inc. a division o ECS Publishing..ecsublishing.com All rights reserved.

7 (rit.) sky! sky! (a e voices) πecho Ah! (a e voices) πecho Ah! the urest creation I ever beheld... the urest creation I ever beheld... the urest creation I ever beheld... the urest creation I ever beheld... As beore utti he hiser o ice and sno... utti he hiser o ice and sno... div. the night moon glory... the night moon glory... the night moon glory... the night moon glory... King Se P the glory o Yosemite... P ith motion the glory o Yosemite... - quo - ia King Se - alker ouching the Innite Sky Introduction

8 20 2 King Se unis. King Se quo - ia King Se - quo - ia rays King Se o o o rays o. - quo - ia quo - ia quo - ia... rit. hea hea hea hea div. ven... ven... ven... ven... [cluster o light!] div. the greatest light in the orld! the greatest light in the orld! the greatest light in the orld! the greatest light in the orld! ith aection I ish that you could see this... ith aection I ish that you could see this... ith aection I ish that you could see this... ith aection I ish that you could see this... he unis. he he (a e voices) πecho rays rays rays the the I ish that you could see this... (a e voices) πecho I ish that you could see this... (a e voices) πecho I ish that you could see this... (a e voices) πecho - attacca I ish that you could see this :20 alker ouching the Innite Sky Introduction

9 10 1. Ascent: Glacier Birds and Other Comanions [Yosemite alley August 5th 1872] () () () Soloist stes orard to sing emo ad libitum layully as birds hoing across a glacier ascending black-note clusters U U aster scurrying higher U ust a e birds very high U Dear Mrs. Carr: Your letter telling me to catch my best raidly blurred a glacier in the distance enor Solo πbarely noticed quasi recitative ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ gla -cier birds and come to you and the coast moun - tains only makes me the more ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ as a little bird in the distance Z ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ () / Z anx - ious to see you and i you can not come u I alker ouching the Ininite Sky 1. Ascent sto Z (Pedal o)

10 2 5 8 Moderate temo q= 108 g ill have to come Moderate temo q= 108 emo I (q= 108) Hmm (hum in background) emo I (q= 108) Ah g. in -. to all g rit.. don i on - ly or a rit... Sloer Sloer My ecstatic moun - tains and lains g simile.. g g talk. birds are ly - ing ev - ry - here Ah o.. gentle tremoli as birds in light all.. climes and alker ouching the Ininite Sky 1. Ascent g. times. 11

11 and some are g and some are and some are.. scarce kno hat to do a-bout it. ducks in the sea ducks in the sea ducks in the sea g.. Grandly ( ) n n g N Glo - ry! N N Glo Grandly and.. - ry! Glo - alker ouching the Ininite Sky 1. Ascent ( ) Glo - ry! I I ry!

12 2. Glory in the Mountains [Yosemite 1871] 17 ith motion q= 96 but not rushed (the grandeur o the mountains). ith much edal he he he [Soloist may rest] ith reverance or the ilderness unis. ith reverance or the ilderness ith reverance or the ilderness unis. (the mountain to). Sir -it has led me in -to the il-der - ness Sir -it has led me in -to the il-der - ness Sir -it has led me in -to the il-der - ness... alker ouching the Ininite Sky 2. Glory in the Mountains

13 18 7 [or Soloist may rest] and I am. once more in the glo -ry o Yo - sem - i - te.. 10 and I am and I am. [Soloist oins in] I am lled ith I am lled ith I am lled ith once more in the glo -ry o Yo - sem - i - te. once more in the glo -ry o Yo - sem - i - te... vis-ions o sno - y or - ests o the b vis-ions o sno - y or - ests o the b vis-ions o sno - y or - ests o the b alker ouching the Ininite Sky 2. Glory in the Mountains

14 ine and sruce and o b ine and sruce ine and sruce oco rit. oco rit. 6 b ar Slightly sloer g moun -tain sires earl -y and hal trans - Slightly sloer g Ah Ah - ent reach -ing in - to heav -en blue not ur -er than them - reach -ing in - to heav -en blue not ur -er than them - reach -ing in - to heav -en blue not ur -er than them - accel. accel. 19 alker ouching the Ininite Sky 2. Glory in the Mountains

15 7 () loing q= 108 loing q= 108 as a aterall you could be here to () alker ouching the Ininite Sky. Yosemite alls. Yosemite alls [Midnight Aril 1871 Yosemite] tenderly O Mrs. Carr unis.. Ah unis... Ah Ah Ah that min - gle in this night moon glo - 27

16 ry! I am in the 1 () N Ah Ah. U-er Yo -sem - i - te alls and can hard - ly calm my -sel to Ah N Ah. N Ah Ah alker ouching the Ininite Sky. Yosemite alls

17 16 oco rit.. Sloer quasi recitative 29 rite but you have been so res - ent in my thought oco rit. In the emo I (q= 108) Sloer quasi recitative ith excitement and anticiation emo I (q= 108) gentle tremolo ith excitement and anticiation g N () g g g a - ter - noon I came u to the moun - tain () Ah alker ouching the Ininite Sky. Yosemite alls

18 . Ice! [Yosemite December ] (in hich the author has a disagreement ith Mrs. Carr!) () Quickly as brittle ice a black-note cluster olloed by a hite-note (uard) glissando (Chorus may shiver!) (ascending) black-note cluster to hite-note cluster tremolo 2 5 very high U higher Singer (may ish to ste orard to the audience) soken loudly ith disgust and disbelie (temered ith aection) directed at Mrs. Carr. (Chorus shivers again) Ice! So you dislike ice!!! U ƒ ƒ Singer resumes normal stage osition Quickly q= 120 ice crystals slight edal conversationally But gla - ciers dear riend U alker ouching the Ininite Sky. Ice!

19 8. ice is on - ly an - oth - er orm o ter - res - trial love () I am as Sloer Sloer g - ton -ished to hear you seak so un - be -liev - a - bly o God s glo -rious crys -tal gla - ciers. emo I (q= 120) emo I (q= 120) rit. rit. slight edal as beore rit. rit alker ouching the Ininite Sky. Ice!

20 6 18 Sloer 6 ith disgust v hey are on - ly ests you say and you think them 20 2 ( ) () 6 6 Sloer 6 6 g. Chorus clas (as i satting a ly) ^ rong in tem - era - ture and they lived in hor - ri - ble times (or rehearsal only) ( ) (as an aside) curtly ith disdain and you don t care to hear about them. ^ emo I (q= 120) emo I (q= 120) alker ouching the Ininite Sky. Ice! gentle tremolo to ortray conusion You con -

21 Introduction to Descent: Sequoia At a stately temo q= 92 g triumhantly Be triumhantly Be At a stately temo q= hold the King in his glo - ry! Be - hold the King Se hold the King in his glo - ry! Be - hold the King Se - quo - ia! Ma - es - tic! he King o Heav - quo - ia! Ma - es - tic! he King o Heav - great - est light in the.... en! he great - est light in the orld! Reach -ing in - to Heav - en blue the oco orld! the orld! oco oco en! he Reach -ing in - to Heav - en blue the the alker ouching the Ininite Sky 5. Descent: Sequoia

22 8 1 rit. in - - nite in - - nite in - - nite. sky!. sky! n. sky! in - - nite sky! Be - Grandly q= 92 Grandly q= 92 the maestic Sequoia trees. a temo (q= 92) n Be hold! Be 5. Descent: Sequoia - hold! [Squirrelville Sequoia County Nut ime] - n hold! Be hold! continue directly into song 5 ithout break :5 triumhantly Se - quo - ia! Se - quo - ia! triumhantly Se - quo - ia! Se - quo - ia! - alker ouching the Ininite Sky 5. Descent: Sequoia

23 5 9 Se - quo - ia! Se - quo - ia! Se - quo - ia! Se - quo - ia!. quo Be. - hold the King in his glo - ry King Se ia! - hold! Be - hold! Be - Be.. Se - quo - ia! Se - quo - ia! Be - hold! Be - hold! Se - quo - ia! Se - quo - ia! Be - hold! Be - hold! alker ouching the Ininite Sky 5. Descent: Sequoia 9