Thanksgiving

Published by Santa Barbara Music Press as part of
the Mary Alice Stollak Choral Series
Catalog # SBMP631
 

Treble (SA) / piano
Secular text in English by Ivy O. Eastwick
Difficulty rating (1-5): 1.5
Duration:  3:00

 

listen to Thanksgiving Performed by the Michigan State University Children's Choir, Mary Alice Stollak, director

This piece was commissioned by Mary Alice Stollak, director of the Michigan State University Children's Choir.
Mary Alice requested that it be dedicated to the memory of Sarah Clay, the mother of MSU chorister Marjie Clay.
 

I feel so very honored to be able to write a memorial piece, especially when the Clay family fell in love with this text, which can easily be reinterpreted as Marjie's thanks to her mother for bringing her into the world.

I was striving to write a very simple piece, and not to get in the way of the wonderful simplicity and beautiful imagery of the text. The premiere, at the 2005 Michigan ACDA Fall Convention, was a truly touching performance.

When Santa Barbara decided to publish the piece, it took us enormous effort to find any biographical information on Ivy Eastwick, even in this day of the internet and Google. The most tantalizing factoid was a hint from one of her editors, now retired and himself a very senior citizen,  that she may have been a secret agent during WW II for the British government. As we could not really verify this fact, we didn't place it in the notes for the published piece- but I think I can say it here on my own website. It makes for some fun daydreams about a children's book author who leads an exciting and dangerous double life!


 

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TEXT
(from Cherry Stones! Garden Swings!)

Thank You for all my hands can hold--
apples red, and melons gold,
yellow corn both ripe and sweet,
peas and beans so good to eat!

Thank You for all my eyes can see--
lovely sunlight, field and tree,
white cloud-boats in sea-deep sky,
soaring bird and butterfly.

Thank You for all my ears can hear --
birds' song echoing far and near
songs of little stream, big sea,
cricket, bullfrog, duck and bee!