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About the Composer
Joshua Shank
Graphite Publishing
Blue! ‘Tis the Life of Heaven
A quietly expanding hymn
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Color Madrigals
SATB, a cappella
from the cycle Color Madrigals
“Blue! ‘Tis the Life of Heaven” is the second movement of Joshua’s 6-movement choral song cycle, Color Madrigals, and uses a poem by John Keats as its text. It is a quietly expanding hymn that is appropriate for high school choirs and above.
Composer’s Notes
Performance Notes
Because of the tight harmonies, little to no vibrato is desirable.
Take a breath only when indicated by a rest.
If a crescendo appears without a starting/ending dynamic it is based on the treatment of the text.
Program Notes
Of all the Color Madrigals, this text is the only one written about the actual color it takes its title from. Keats captures blue in all its forms by bringing the poem from the heavens to the ocean and finally back to the earth. Because of this, the poetry becomes more and more intimate as it progresses. I chose to write a gradually expanding hymn to create a sense of reverence for my own favorite color.
A special note: I am especially indebted to Matthew Culloton and Vicki Peters for supporting the creation of such a large work. They and their respective choirs gave all six pieces amazing premieres in three different “volumes” (red/green, purple/yellow and blue/orange).
Text
Answer to a Sonnet Ending Thus:
“Dark eyes are dearer far than orbs that mock the hyacinthine bell”
— J.H. Reynolds
Blue! ‘Tis the life of heaven, the domain
Of Cynthia, the wide palace of the sun,
The tent of Hesperus, and all his train,
The bosomer of clouds, gold, grey and dun,
Blue! ‘Tis the life of waters—Ocean
And all its vassal streams, pools numberless,
May rage, and foam, and fret, but never can
Subside, if not to dark blue nativeness.
Blue! Gentle cousin to the forest-green,
Married to green in all the sweetest flowers—
Forget-me-not, the blue-bell, and, that queen
Of secrecy, the violet. What strange powers
Hast thou, as a mere shadow! But how great,
When in an eye thou art, alive with fate!
– John Keats (England, 1795-1821)
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