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About the Composer
Benjamin M. Cramer
Graphite Publishing
O Beautiful End
A moving elegy in remembrance of a loved one.
SATB a cappella
This moving elegy is written in memorial of Weston Noble, Cramer’s teacher and mentor. The setting features mostly homophonic writing and moments of divisi.
Composer’s Notes
I wrote this piece when I was grieving the loss of one of my mentors and idols while at the same time preparing for the death of a family member. I’ve dealt with sudden loss before, but I can’t fully explain how hard it is to have to say goodbye to someone that hasn’t left yet. This poem helped me find solace, and gave me a new perspective on death and loss. I’m endlessly captivated by how the words make something so incredibly painful seem beautiful. The passionate frustration begging them to “Stand still” so that the moment of departure can be savored is utterly heart-wrenching to me. Ultimately, this text tells me that every life we encounter is on a greater journey, and all we can do is guide them to their next path. We can’t halt the journey, no matter how badly we want to–so we must embrace their departure.
– Benjamin M. Cramer, 2018
Text
Peace, my heart, let the time for the parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death but completeness.
Let love melt into memory and pain into songs.
Let the flight through the sky end in the folding of the wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hands be gentle like the flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment, and say your last words in silence.
I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way.
– Rabindranath Tagore (d. 1941)
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