A Thousand Prayers Songs for High Voice and Piano on the poetry of Anne Sexton

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1 Gyneth Walker A Thousand Prayers Sons or Hih Voice and Piano on the oetry o Anne Sexton 1 To Hands Welcome Mornin What the Bird ith the Human Head Kne Sno 5 Look to Your Heart

2 A Thousand Prayers duration: circa 1 minutes A Thousand Prayers is a son cycle based on oems by Anne Sexton ( Weston MA) All o the texts are ound in her book The Aul Roin Toard God (ublished osthumously) The oet struled ith deression throuhout her lie These last oems ere ritten ater Sexton s meetin ith a Roman Catholic riest ho althouh unillin to administer last rites told her God is in your tyeriter His ords ave the oet the desire to continue livin and ritin The comoser as dran to this oetry due to the unique combination o the mundane and the sacred The oet as seekin God in everyday laces in the daily routines o a homemaker Is God in the tailor mendin my antsuit in Boston raised u by the skyscraers Where then Her search is day-to-day and it is all-consumin I cannot alk an inch ithout tryin to alk to God I cannot move a iner ithout tryin to touch God She kees her sense o humor: I ent to the bird ith the human head and asked Please Sir here is God Her quest is timeless and limitless Yet at the end she inds ansers ithin Look to your heart that lutters in and out like a moth God is there The musical settins vary beteen recitative style (hen there are many ords to resent) and cantabile style (hen certain key hrases elicit lyrical exression) In addition there are moments o secial imaery such as the hand clain in the irst son ( To Hands ) the siner alkin about the stae searchin or the mysterious bird ( What the Bird ith the Human Head Kne ) the allin sno accomaniment ( Sno ) and the lutterin tremoli ( Look to Your Heart ) The texts abound in imaery hich is exlored and enoyed in the music Althouh Anne Sexton s lie as oten one o darkness there are moments o ure ecstasy in her ritin She does indeed ind divinity in her tyeriter! Unind hands you anel ebscu toether and let yourselves ill u ith sun and alaud orld alaud Widely erormed throuhout the country the music o American comoser Gyneth Walker is beloved by erormers and audiences alike or its enery beauty reverence drama and humor Dr Gyneth Walker (b 197) is a raduate o Bron University and the Hartt School o Music She holds BA MM and DMA derees in Music Comosition A ormer aculty member o the Oberlin Collee Conservatory she resined rom academic emloyment in 198 in order to ursue a career as a ull-time comoser or nearly 0 years she lived on a dairy arm in Braintree Vermont She no divides her time beteen her childhood hometon o Ne Canaan Connecticut and the musical communities o Sarasota lorida and Randolh Vermont Gyneth Walker has been a roud resident o Vermont or many years She is the reciient o the Year 000 Lietime Achievement Aard rom the Vermont Arts Council as ell as the 008 Athenaeum Aard or Achievement in the Arts and Humanities rom the St ohnsbury (VT) Athenaeum In 01 she as elected as a ello o the Vermont Academy o Arts and Sciences Walker s catalo includes over 00 commissioned orks or orchestra chamber ensembles chorus and solo voice A secial interest has been dramatic orks that combine music ith readins actin and movement The music o Gyneth Walker is ublished by E C Schirmer (choral and vocal music) and Lauren Keiser Music (orchestral and instrumental music) urther inormation concernin Gyneth Walker and her orks is available at ynethalkercom

3 The Poems TWO HANDS rom the sea came a hand inorant as a enny troubled ith the salt o its mother mute ith the silence o the ishes quick ith the altars o its tides and God reached out o His mouth and called it man U came the other hand and God called it oman The hands alauded And this as no sin It as as it as meant to be I see them roamin the streets: Levi comlainin about his mattress Sarah studyin a beetle Mandrake holdin his coee mu Sally layin the drum at a ootball ame ohn closin the eyes o the dyin oman and some ho are in rison even the rison o their bodies as Christ as risoned in His body until the triumh came Unind hands your anel ebs unind like the coil o a umin ack cu toether and let yourselves ill u ith sun and alaud orld alaud WELCOME MORNING There is oy in all: in the hair I brush each mornin in the Cannon toel nely ashed that I rub my body ith each mornin in the chael o es I cook each mornin in the outcry rom the kettle that heats my coee each mornin in the soon and the chair that cry hello there Anne each mornin in the odhead o the table that I set my silver late cu uon each mornin All this is God riht here in my ea-reen house each mornin and I mean thouh oten oret to ive thanks to aint don by the kitchen table in a rayer o reoicin as the holy birds at the kitchen indo eck into their marriae o seeds So hile I think o it let me aint a thank-you on my alm or this God this lauhter o the mornin lest it o unsoken The oy that isn t shared I ve heard dies youn

4 WHAT THE BIRD WITH THE HUMAN HEAD KNEW I ent to the bird ith the human head and asked Please Sir here is God God is too busy to be here on earth His anels are like one thousand eese assembled and alays lain But I can tell you here the ell o God is Is it on earth I asked He relied Yes It as draed don rom aradise by one o the eese I alked many days ast itches that eat randmothers knittin booties as i they ere collectin a debt Then in the middle o the desert I ound the ell it bubbled u and don like a litter o cats and there as ater and I drank and there as ater and I drank Then the ell soke to me It said: Abundance is scooed rom abundance yet abundance remains Then I kne

5 SNOW Sno blessed sno comes out o the sky like bleached lies The round is no loner naked The round has on its clothes The trees oke out o sheets and each branch ears the sock o God There is hoe There is hoe everyhere I bite it Someone once said: Don t bite till you kno i it s bread or stone What I bite is all bread risin yeasty as a cloud There is hoe There is hoe everyhere Today God ives milk and I have the ail NOT SO NOT SO (Look to Your Heart) I cannot alk an inch ithout tryin to alk to God I cannot move a iner ithout tryin to touch God Perhas it is this ay: He is in the raves o the horses He is in the sarm the renzy o the bees He is in the tailor mendin my antsuit He is in Boston raised u by the skyscraers He is in the bird that shameless lyer He is in the otter ho makes clay into a kiss Heaven relies: Not so! Not so! I say thus and thus and heaven smashes my ords Is not God in the hiss o the river Not so! Not so! Is not God in the ant hea stein clutchin dyin bein born Not so! Not so! Where then I cannot move an inch Look to your heart that lutters in and out like a moth God is not indierent to your need You have a thousand rayers but God has one

6 Anne Sexton ( ) Voice Moderate temo q = 108 Ta hands at inertis lihtly hands held u (or rhythmic and visual eect) A Thousand Prayers or Hih Voice and Piano 1 To Hands Gyneth Walker ith the mystery o the dan o creation Piano () 7 () () Moderate temo q = 108 rom the reely recitative style reely sea came a hand b i - nor - ant as a en - ny b trou -bled ith the salt o its moth -er mute ith the si -lence o the ish -es b b To Hands Welcome Mornin What the Bird ith the Human Head Kne Sno and Not So Not So by Anne Sexton Rerinted by ermission o SLL/Sterlin Lord Literistic Inc Coyriht by Anne Sexton Coyriht 01 by Gyneth Walker 5 Park Street Ne Canaan CT 0680 ynethalkercom All rihts reserved

7 9 quick ith the al - tars o the tides ( ) and God reached out o His 1 16 mouth and called it b b hand and a temo (q = 108) man a temo (q = 108) b God called it ( ) U came the oth - er om - an The hands a - () 19 laud - ed And b this as no sin Walker A Thousand Prayers 1 To Hands b U U U It as as it as meant to be

8 a temo (q = 108) Ta hands (as at beinnin) With motion (same temo) a temo (q = 108) With motion (same temo) ( ) b 5 ( ) ith edal I see them roam - in the streets: 8 1 Le - vi com -lain -in a -bout his mat - tress Sar - ah stud - y - in a bee - tle Man - drake hold - in his co -ee mu Walker A Thousand Prayers 1 To Hands

9 Sal - ly lay - in the drum at a oot - ball ame b v (as a Bass drum) v loco ohn clos - in the eyes o the dy - in om - an and some ho are in ris - on e - ven the ris -on o their bod - ies as Christ as ris - oned in His bod - y un - til the tri - umh came Walker A Thousand Prayers 1 To Hands

10 Slihtly sloer Ta hands (as beore) n n n 5 Slihtly sloer n n n n n n a temo (q = 108) a temo (q = 108) you b ind like the coil o a > Un triumhantly - > ind hands b an - el ebs un - b oco b um - in ack cu to - eth - er and oco b b a temo (q = 108) a temo (q = 108) Walker A Thousand Prayers 1 To Hands

11 6 56 let your - selves ill u ith sun and a - b b 59 laud orld a - laud 6 ( ) Un - ind hands b b Walker A Thousand Prayers 1 To Hands

12 7 65 b you an - el ebs cu to - eth - er and b 68 let your - selves ill u ith b sun ^ ^ v v ^ ^ v v 71 Cla hands toether and release oen triumhantly as i layin Crash Cymbals X b ^ b v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ b b v ^ v ^ v ^ v U 00 Walker A Thousand Prayers 1 To Hands

13 8 Welcome Mornin With enery q = 108 oyully n With enery q = 108 celebratory as church bells rinin n n n n Wel - come morn - in recitative style There is oy in all: in the hair I brush each n n n () ith edal 8 n morn - in in the Can -non toel ne -ly ashed that I rub my bod - y ith each n n n n Walker A Thousand Prayers Welcome Mornin

14 11 n morn - in in the cha - el o es I cook each morn - in in the n ( ) n n out - cry rom the ket - tle that heats my co - ee each morn - in in the loco n soon and the chair that cry hel as beore recitative style n ^ ^ U > n n - lo there Anne each morn - in in the (as a ave hello ): u U U n n od - head o the ta - ble that I set my sil-ver late cu u - on each morn - in n a temo a temo n Walker A Thousand Prayers Welcome Mornin

15 10 All this is God riht here in my ea - reen house each n n n 5 morn - in and I mean thouh o - ten or - et to ive thanks to n aint don by the kit - chen ta - ble in a rayer o re - oic - in as the n 5 5 n 9 n 5 n ho - ly birds at the kit -chen in - do eck in - to their mar - riae o seeds n 5 5 n Walker A Thousand Prayers Welcome Mornin

16 U 5 8 Sloer So hile I think o it Sloer U > U > as beore recitative style a let me aint a thank - you on my alm a temo or this a temo God this lauh - ter o the morn - in lest it o un - so - ken The cresc oy that is - n t cresc n n n shared I ve heard dies youn n n n n U n U n n u n 11 Walker A Thousand Prayers Welcome Mornin 10

17 1 What the Bird ith the Human Head Kne The siner exlores the stae movin in time ith the / rhythm lookin or the mysterious bird At a alkin temo h = 7 At a alkin temo h = 7 [ alkin motive] b b b b I 5 b ent to the bird ith the hu - man head and asked b b b b 9 b Please Sir b b here is God b b Walker A Thousand Prayers What the Bird ith the Human Head Kne

18 1 Sloer reely b randly b God is too bus - y to be here on earth His an - - els 1 Sloer reely b 16 b are like a thou - sand eese as - sem - bled b () 19 b b 5 () and al - ays la - in b 5 5 But I can tell you here the Walker A Thousand Prayers What the Bird ith the Human Head Kne

19 1 b ~~~~~ ( ) The siner continues exlorin a temo (h = 7) ell o God is a temo (h = 7) [ alkin motive] b b b 7 ( ) Is b it on earth I asked b (on earth) b b b b 1 Sloer He re - lied Yes It as draed Sloer b ith edal Walker A Thousand Prayers What the Bird ith the Human Head Kne

20 don rom ( ) ar - a - dise by one o the 15 5 The siner continues exlorin a temo (h = 7) eese a temo (h = 7) [ alkin motive] b b 8 b b b I b alked man - y b days ast b it - ches that eat rand - moth - ers knit - tin boot - ies b b as b Walker A Thousand Prayers What the Bird ith the Human Head Kne

21 16 5 b i they ere col - lect - in a debt Then in the mid - dle o the b b b Sloer Sloer 8 ith delicate excitement lihtly des - ert I ound the ell It ith delicate excitement 51 bub - bled u and don like a lit - ter o cats and there as () Walker A Thousand Prayers What the Bird ith the Human Head Kne

22 17 5 a - ter and I drank and there as ith edal 56 () Sloly W a - ter and I drank Then the ell soke to me () lissando Sloly 59 ecstatic It said: A - bun - dance is scooed rom a - ith edal Walker A Thousand Prayers What the Bird ith the Human Head Kne

23 18 6 accel oco a oco atherin enery bun - dance a - bund - dance is scooed rom a - bun - dance yet a - accel oco a oco atherin enery 65 (accel) bun - dance re - mains (accel) Sinerʼs inal exloration o the stae 68 a temo (h = 7) a temo (h = 7) [ alkin motive] b b to end dim to end b (soken on itch) Then I kne 0 Walker A Thousand Prayers What the Bird ith the Human Head Kne

24 Sno 19 Very ently as allin sno π slo delicate areios 6 loin q = () 9 in entle onderment Sno bles - sed sno comes out o the sky like bleached lies Walker A Thousand Prayers Sno

25 The () 17 0 na - ked The clothes P The each branch ears the n n Walker A Thousand Prayers Sno round is no lon - er n round has on its n edal simile trees oke out o P n n sock o God n sheets n and n

26 1 Ah There is 6 9 ( ) hoe Sloer bite it Sloer n bread or stone n Walker A Thousand Prayers Sno ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) a temo (q = 108) There is Some - one once said: a temo (q = 108) hoe ev - ery - here I oco Don t oco bite till you kno i it s n n n n n n n What I bite is all bread ris - in yeast - y n n

27 8 1 cresc as a cloud n cresc n Ah edal simile There is ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) hoe There is hoe ev - ery - here To Walker A Thousand Prayers Sno - day God ives milk n n oco oco n n Sloer and Sloer

28 50 n I have the ail n n ( ) () bles sed a temo (q = 108) a temo (q = 108) Sno to end sno to end as allin sno attacca Walker A Thousand Prayers Sno 15

29 5 Look to Your Heart Gently loin q = 108 [alkin to God] ith much edal reverently in ae I can -not alk an inch ith-out try -in to alk to 8 God I can - not move a in - er 1 ith - out try - in to touch God Walker A Thousand Prayers 5 Look to Your Heart

30 Per Sloer Sloer - has it is this ay: a temo ith roin excitement esr a temo ith roin excitement () ently murmurin hors - es He is in the sarm the ren -zy P mend in my ant suit 6 P 6 u He is in the raves o the o the bees He is in the tail - or - - He is in Bos - ton raised by the sky - scra - ers He is in the bird that shame - Walker A Thousand Prayers 5 Look to Your Heart less 5

31 6 8 ly - er He is in the ot -ter ho makes clay in - to a kiss 1 5 () () thus and thus Sloer reely Heaven relies: Sloer reely v Not ^ so! ^ v ^ ^ v Not ^ ( ) so! I say ^ v and hea - ven smash - es my ords > a temo (q = 108) n a temo (q = 108) n n ( ) n Walker A Thousand Prayers 5 Look to Your Heart

32 8 n n n 7 Is not God in the hiss o the riv - er 1 n n n n n n n 6 v > v > 6 Not so! God in the ant hea 6 6 Not so! Is not ste - in clutch - in dy - in be - in v > v > Not so! Walker A Thousand Prayers 5 Look to Your Heart Not so! born Where then I n n

33 8 9 5 () can - not move an inch () lihtly n Look to your heart n a temo (q = 108) lutterin a temo (q = 108) ith much edal that lut - ters in and out like a moth oco P God is not in - di - erent to your oco P thou - sand rayers but n n God has need You have a one Slihtly sloer Slihtly sloer Walker A Thousand Prayers 5 Look to Your Heart

34 a temo (q = 108) ree recitative on itch W Look to your heart that lutters in and out like a moth W W () 69 (let rin) You have a God has one thou n - sand n U rayers U u U U U n π lissando (rin) Sloly but Sloly 00 Total: 1 00 uly Ne Canaan Connecticut Walker A Thousand Prayers 5 Look to Your Heart

Gwyneth Walker Love Shall Live Forever. for Low Voice and Piano

Gwyneth Walker Love Shall Live Forever. for Low Voice and Piano Gyneth Walker Love Shall Live orever for Lo Voice and Piano Love Shall Live orever Duration 8:15 These sons ere comosed as a eddin ift for Eleanor Bach (sorano) and Evan Roider (ianist) youn friends of