Sure On This Shining NightSATB. Secular

Morten Lauridsen

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Sure On This Shining Night

Sure on this shining nightOf starmade shadows round,Kindness must watch for meThis side the ground.

The late year lies down the north.All is healed, all is health.High surnmer holds the earth.Hearts all whole.

Sure on this shining nightI weep for rvonderWand'ring far aloneOf shadows on the stars.

-James Agee

Copyright ar, 1968 by The James Agee Trust.

From Nctctum es, The American Choral Directors Association2005 Raymond W. Brock lvleraorial Commission

Premiere performance of the I'locturnes at the ACDA Los Angeles National Convention,February, 2005 by the Donald Brinegar Singers and Morten Lauridsen, piano

The first three Nocturnes-Sa Nuit d'Etå (R.M. Rilke) , Soneto de la Noche (Pablo Neruda)and Sure On This Shining Night-may be perfonned either separately or as a cycle (in thatorder and including the Epilogue). The Epilogue: Voici le ,soir, premiered by the LosAngeles Master Chorale at Walt Disney Concert Hall conducted by Grant Gershon with thecomposer at the piano, is only to be performed if the entire cycle is done, following ,Sare

On This Shining Night.In that case, the hnal chord of Sure On This Shining Nigi?l is heldwith a fermata and then the chorus begins the Epilogue without a break between these twomovements. I set poet James Agee's marvelous verse very much like a song from theAmerican musical theater and it shouid be sung in that manner.

Composer Morten Lauridsen is most noted for his seven vocai c,vcles-Zes Chansons des

Roses, Madrigali, Mid-Winter Songs, Cuatro Canciones, A Winter Come, Noctuntes, andLux Aeterna-and his series of a cappella motets (including O Magnum Mysterium and ONata Lux) which are regularly performed and recorded by distinguished ensembles andvocal arlists throughout the world. The first three I'loctunze"s have been recorded byPolyphony, conducted by Stephen Layton, on Lauridsen - I',locturnes (Hyperion); theentire cycle is recorded by Voce, on Sure On This Shining Night (avatlable atvoceinc.com) and Lauridsen - Mid-Winter Songs by The Singers - Minnesota ChoralArtists. A11 three recordings are accompanied by the composer at the piano. Designatedan "American Choral Master" by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2006, Mr.Lauridsen (b. 1943) is Distinguished Professor of Composition at the University ofSoutherrr California Thomton School of Music and served as Composer-in-Residence of the

Los Angeles Master Chorale from 1994 to 2001. In2007, Lauridsen was awarded the

Nationai Medal of Arts for his "radiant choral works combining musical power, beauty andspiritual depth that have thrilled audiences worldwide."

For more about Morten Lauridsen:www.peefinusicClassical.com and www.mortenlauridsen. com

James Agee

Sure On This Shining Night

Flowing, tempo rubato Q: ca.l21

Morten Lauridsen

a tempo

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frø) r fei tpoco ril

night of star-made shad-ows round, kind-ness must watch for me this side the ground. on this

night of star-made shad-ou,s round. kind-ness tlust watch for me this side-the ground, on thispoco ril

rfrøb. du_,tu ,Qeb r fiil. t

+Ornit rf thc lorv As are out of range.

Poem Copyright e-r 1968 b-v The James Agee Trust.Used bl,Pennission.

ler Copyright 2005 by Songs ofPeer, Ltd.International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserued.

Printed in the U.S.A.

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The Vocal Music ofMorten Lauridsen

Agnu.. Dei (front Lux Aetema) SATB Chorus and Organ

At'c l\lorin ....... SA I B Chorus a cappella

At'c Dtrlci,sittto Mrtritr........... ....TTBB Choru: a cappella

Be Still, Mt1 Soul, Be Still (Housmnn)................... High Voice, Clarinet, Cello and Piano

Canticle/O Vos Omrrcs (nrttiphon)....... ........... Wotren's Voices, C1-rimes and Clarinet

Les Clmnsons ries Rosc-§ (Rilke) ... ........ ........... SATB Chorus and Piano

Chansott Eloignie (Rilke) ............ SATB Chorus a cappella

Cuntro Conciones (Lorco) ........ High Voice, Clarinet, Cello ancl Piano

I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes ............... SATB Chorus a cappella

Lux Aetema ........... SATB Chorus and Chamber Orchestra or Orgar-t(orchestral parts available on rental)

Mntlrignli: Six "Firesongs" ort lttrlian Renaissonce Poems ............ SATB Chorus a cappella

Mid-Winter Sorug-s ori Poents by Robert Grnxes SATB Chorus and Orcl-restra(Piano/Vocal Score Available from Opus Music Publishers, Inc.)

Nocturnes (Rilke, Neruda, Agee) ...... ...... ...... SATB Chorus and Piano

O Conte, Let Us Sing Llnto the Lord ..........,......-.. SATB Chorus and Organ, Brass Quintet or Piano

O Nlagnurn Mrlsteriunr SATB or TTBB Chorus a cappella

Protler (Gioia, .front Tuo Sorrgs on Arnerican Poerrrs) ........... .......... Baritone and Piano

sure ort rhis sttiring Night øgee,l.;;;;;;;;; ;:;, ;,,Y;;:::?,;:lY::l:-*fi""'] llå ii:x:llbi Coritos ct Anror SA I B Chorus .r cappclla

Wtere Hn-oe tltc Actors Cone ............... .. Voice ancl Piano

All - Morten Lauridsen Recordings

" Lauridsen: Lux Aetenta," Los Angeles Master Chorale, Sinfonia Orchestra arrd Morten Lauridsen (piano),Paul Salamunovich conclucting, o11 thc Grammy-rrominated RCM CD 19705

"Lauridsen: Noctttntes," Polyphonv, Britten Sinfoni.r, Andreit, Lumsden (or:gan)and Morten Lauridsen (piano), Stepl-ren Layton conducting, on t{1'perior-r CD 67580

" Lau ri dsen : Lur A etem a," Pol,vphony, Britten Sinfonia,Stephen Layton conducting, on the Grammy-nominated Hyperion CD 67449

" Lauridsen: O Magntun Mysterium," Chamber Choir of Europe, Jdrg Halubek (organ)and Morten Lauridsen (piano), Nicol Matt conducting, on Hånssler Classic CD 98272

"LntLridsen: Nortluoest lourney," Donald Brinegar Singers and the Viklarbo Chamber Ensemblewith Ralph Grierson,.[ane Thorngren, Sunnv Wilkinson, Shelly Berg, James Drollinger, Anne Marie Ketchum

and Morten Lauridsen on RCM .12001

"Sure On This Shining Night," Voce and the Voce Ch:rrnber Artists,Mark Singleton conducting, r'oceinc.org

" Lnuridsen - Mid-Winter Songs," The Singers - Minnesota Choral ArtistsMatthew Culloton conducting, singersmca.org

u.s. $1.90

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