Notes of Daybreak

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Notes of

Daybreak

High Voice and Piano

K y l e

V a

n d e

r b u

r g



2

First Performance on October 6, 2008, by Kristin Whiteman, mezzo-soprano and Carlyle Sharpe, piano, at Drury University, Springfield,

Missouri

Notes of Daybreak is a four movement song cycle for high voice and piano, based on the poetry of Walt Whitman. The

texts for each of the four movements come from the Walt Whitman poem of the same name. Each movement is written in

a different style, allowing each piece to have its own feel and emotional impact. In every case, the text was relied uponheavily to shape the structure and melody. The accompaniment utilizes many techniques, arpeggios, snippets of the

melody, traditional chords and harmonies, octatonicism, and various rhythmic devices, to support the soloist.

The first song in the cycle was also the first to be composed. That Music Always Round Me was originally intended to be a

standalone song, rather than the first song in a cycle, however after writing this, I decided I’d like to write more. The

setting of the text for this song was begun in late December 2007, making this the only song in the cycle to be started

before 2008.

The second song, I Heard You Solemn-Sweet Pipes of the Organ , was actually the third song to be composed, and was not nearly

as easy as the first two. I struggled to find a unique tone, but after watching Stephen Sondheim’s Company , I was inspired

by the accompaniment to the song Another Hundred People . After deciding on a similar accompaniment, the song wroteitself.

Writing for voice rather than for instrumental ensemble poses a different host of problems. The third song, The Last

Invocation , existed in at least three different manifestations before it became the piece being performed tonight. Between

being unsure how exactly to set the text, and how to make the accompaniment fit the mood of the text, I was originally

unsure of how to go about writing this piece, but eventually I found that a mix of major sonorities of rolled chords suited

the piece well.

Finally, the cycle ends with I Hear America Singing , which took inspiration from Carlyle Sharpe’s I Hear the Dance-Music of All

Nations . This song changed the least from original idea to final product, as one could see from the original sketches. It is

also the most challenging of the set due to the crazy use of time signatures, which change nearly every bar.

For updated information regarding this work:

Duration: 10’20”

Engraved and Printed by NoteForge

80 Musk Lane

Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

http://www.noteforge.com



3

Texts

All texts taken from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

That Music Always Round Me

That music always round me, unceasing, unbeginning, yet long

untaught I did not hear,

But now the chorus I hear and am elated,

A tenor, strong, ascending with power and health, with glad

notes of daybreak I hear,

A soprano at intervals sailing buoyantly over the tops of

immense waves,

A transparent base shuddering lusciously under and through

the universe,

The triumphant tutti, the funeral wailings with sweet flutes and

violins, all these I fill myself with,I hear not the volumes of sound merely, I am moved by the

exquisite meanings,

I listen to the different voices winding in and out, striving,

contending with fiery vehemence to excel each other in

emotion;

I do not think the performers know themselves--but now I think

begin to know them.

I Heard You Solemn-Sweet Pipes of the Organ

I heard you solemn-sweet pipes of the organ as last Sunday morn

I pass’d the church,

Winds of autumn, as I walk’d the woods at dusk I heard your

long-stretch’d sighs up above so mournful,

I heard the perfect Italian tenor singing at the opera, I heard the

soprano in the midst of the quartet singing;

Heart of my love! you too I heard murmuring low through one of

the wrists around my head,

Heard the pulse of you when all was still ringing little bells last

night under my ear.



4

The Last Invocation

At the last, tenderly,

From the walls of the powerful fortress’d house,

From the clasp of the knitted locks, from the keep of the well-closed doors,

Let me be wafted.

Let me glide noiselessly forth;

With the key of softness unlock the locks—with a whisper,

Set ope the doors O soul.

Tenderly—be not impatient,

(Strong is your hold O mortal flesh,

Strong is your hold O love.)

I Hear America Singing

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe

and strong,

The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,

The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off

work,

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the

deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,

The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing

as he stands,

The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the

morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,

The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work,

or of the girl sewing or washing,

Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,

The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young

fellows, robust, friendly,

Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.



Copyright © 2008 Kyle Vanderburg, Vandemalioa Publishing (ASCAP)

All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. www.kylevanderburg.net

That

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mu sic- al ways- round me,

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un ceas- ing, un begin- ing, yet longun taught- I did not hear,

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But

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now the c ho rus- I hear and am e la- ted,- A ten or,- strong, as cend- ing- with

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pow er - and health, with glad notes of day break - I hear,

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so

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Kyle Vanderburg

(2008) Walt Whitman

That Music Always Round Me

to Kristin Whiteman

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vi o- lins,- all these I fill my self - with, I hear not the vol umes- of

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sound mere ly,- I am moved by the ex qui- site- mean

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ings,- I list en- to the diff er - ent-

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voi ces- wind ing- in and out, striv ing,- con tend- ing- with fie ry- ve he- mence- to ex

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do not think the per form- ers- know t hem

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selves but now I think I be gin- to know

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I

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sol emn- sweet pipes of the or gan- as

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last Sun day- morn

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I pass'd the church,

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Winds of aut umn,- as I

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walk'd the woods at dusk I heard your long stretch'd sighs up ab ove- so

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Kyle Vanderburg

(2008) Walt Whitman

I Heard You Solemn-Sweet Pipes of the Organ

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mourn ful,- I

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heard the per fect- I tal- ian- ten or -

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sing

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ing- at the

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op' ra- I heard the so pran- no- in the

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midst of t he q uar tet- sing ing;- Heart

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of my love! you

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too I heard mur mer - ing- low through one of the wrists a -

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round

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my head,

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Heard the pulse of you when

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all was still ring ing- lit

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tle- bells last

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night un der - my ear.

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From the walls of the pow er - ful- for tress'd- house, From the clasp of the

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knit ted- locks,

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from the keep of the well closed- doors,

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Let me be

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waf ted.- Let me glide noise less- ly- forth;

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Kyle Vanderburg (2008)

Walt Whitman

The Last Invocation

3

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Withthe key of soft ness-

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lock - the locks with

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a whis

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per -

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Set ope the doors O soul.

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Ten der - ly-

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be not im pa- tient

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- (Strong

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is your hold O mor tal-

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flesh, Strong is your hold O love.)

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I

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the var ied- car ols- I hear,

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of me chan- ics,-

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each one sing ing- his as it should be

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blithe and strong,

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The car pen- ter -

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Kyle Vanderburg (2008)

Walt Whitman

I Hear America Singing

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sing ing- his as he mea sures- his plank or beam,

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The ma son- sing ing- his as he makes rea dy- for work,

32

or leaves off work, The

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boat man-

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sing ing- what be longs- to him in his boat, the deck hand-

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sing ing- on the steam boat- deck, The

52

(2+2+3)

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shoe make- er - sing ing- as he sits on his bench, the hat ter - sing ing- as he

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stands, The wood cutter's- song, the plough boy's- on his way

66

in the morn ing,-

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or at noon in ter - miss ion- or at sun down.

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cresc.

The

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de lic- ious- sing ing-

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of the moth er - or of the young wife at work,

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or of the girl sew ing- or wash ing,-

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Each

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sing ing- what be longs- to him or her and to none

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else, The day what be longs- to the day at night the

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par ty- of young fel lows,- ro bust,- friend ly,- Sing ing- with

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op en- mouths

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their

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strong me lo- di- ous- songs.

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June 27 2008

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Documents

Notes of Daybreak