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Briefly It Enters, and Briefly Speaks
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SATB a cappella
Secular text in English by Jane Kenyon
Difficulty rating (1-5): 3 This piece is dedicated to Sherri’s friend Leslie Marino, who suggested that I read some of Jane Kenyon’s poetry. Jane Kenyon was just beginning to write poems of great spirituality and beauty when she died of leukemia at the age of 48. This poem’s greatness lays in the power of its imagery, and also in the fact that it will probably hold a slightly different interpretation for each person who reads it. My interpretation, and one which I try to imply musically, is that the “It”, (it is interesting than Kenyon decided not to just say “God” here- though certainly It” can mean “God” for many readers), is actually always present, and it is our own limitations or inattention that makes it seem as though “It” enters or exits during our lives, or only enters briefly. In other words, I take her title as being a red herring-- whether she meant it as one or not, I can’t say. Musically, there is a very soft, held D, which, in a sense, represents the presence of “It”, and which colors the harmonies of the music moving around it. I toyed with having this held pitch present throughout the entire piece, but decided against it. First of all, it seemed too simplistic and pedantic, as if I had to force my interpretation on all the singers and audience, and secondly, perhaps because it might be annoying to listen to all the way through! This piece will be premiered in June 2006 by a new consortium of young composers and conductors in New York City called C4, conducted by Joy Chia.
TEXT
I am the blossom pressed in a book,
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composer / conductor All materials and information on this site © 2008 Paul Carey and respective music publishers No part of this site or its contents may be reproduced without written consent. 
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