The Earth and I

Choral cycle: The Sun Went Down, The Sky Is Low, The Wind

2011 | SATB

An a cappella choral cycle that sets three Emily Dickinson poems, about 8 minutes long.

View and buy printable sheet music (PDF)

The title is taken from a line in the first song, but all of the poems are ruminations on nature and life, as seen from Dickinson’s unique perspective.

Commissioned by Dr. Adelaide Whitaker, who underwrote this commission from the Washington Master Chorale under the artistic direction of Thomas Colohan.

The Washington Master Chorale premiered the work on December 18, 2011 at the Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD.

Click here to read The Washington Post’s review of the concert.

The Perfected Life

2006 | versions for all voice types with piano

Poem by Emily Dickinson

Song 3 of The Perfected Life

The Sky Is Low

2011 | SATB

Poem by Emily Dickinson, about 2.5 minutes long.

Song 2 of The Earth and I.

View and buy printable sheet music (PDF)

Commissioned by Dr. Adelaide Whitaker, who underwrote this commission from the Washington Master Chorale under the artistic direction of Thomas Colohan.

The Washington Master Chorale premiered the work on December 18, 2011 at the Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD.

The Sun Went Down

2011 | SATB

Poem by Emily Dickinson, about 2 minutes long.

Song 1 of The Earth and I.

View and buy printable sheet music (PDF)

Commissioned by Dr. Adelaide Whitaker, who underwrote this commission from the Washington Master Chorale under the artistic direction of Thomas Colohan.

The Washington Master Chorale premiered the work on December 18, 2011 at the Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD.

The Wind

2011 | SATB

Poem by Emily Dickinson, about 3.5 minutes long.

Song 3 of The Earth and I.

View and buy printable sheet music (PDF)

Commissioned by Dr. Adelaide Whitaker, who underwrote this commission from the Washington Master Chorale under the artistic direction of Thomas Colohan.

The Washington Master Chorale premiered the work on December 18, 2011 at the Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD.

They Might Not Need Me

1995 | soprano/piano

Poem by Emily Dickinson

Song 2 of cycle Days and Nights

To purchase Phyllis Bryn-Julson and Seth Knopp performing this song, please click here

To purchase Sonya Baker and Vicki Berneking performing this song, please click here

Errata

Some newer editions may already have these corrections.

• The words printed in the older Theodore Presser score (and sung on the recording) are incorrect. My sincere apologies to Emily Dickinson and my thanks to mezzo-soprano Virginia Dupuy for catching this mistake. These are the correct words and they should be substituted:

They might not need me — yet they might — I'll let my Heart just be in sight — A smile so small as mine might be Precisely their necessity —

• m. 11, RH — should only be an accent on 2nd chord (no staccato accent)
• m. 16 and m. 18 have incorrect rhythms in the piano. It should read eighth, dotted quarter, half note in the RIGHT HAND.
• In very old editions, the last chord in the left hand may be incorrect. It should be G, D, and A.
• please take time in m. 58. You can also take time in m.74.

'Tis Philosophy

2011 | All voice types/piano

Poem by Emily Dickinson, about 1 minute in length

To Make A Prairie

2003 | soprano/piano

Poem by Emily Dickinson

Song 3 of One Bee And Revery

Wider than the Sky

2002 | soprano/piano

Poem by Emily Dickinson

Song 2 of Two Dickinson Songs

Errata

Some newer editions may already have these corrections.

"Wider than the Sky"

• mm. 1-2: in the piano, the C on the first beats should ring through the measures.
• m. 2: voice: the rest should be written as a whole rest.
• m.8: “push tempo a bit” should start on beat 2.
• m. 10: “relax tempo a little” should start on beat 1.
• m. 34: “bell-like” description should be added to the piano.
• mm. 39-40: piano — hold the pedal through these 2 measures.

Wild Nights

1995 | soprano/piano

Poem by Emily Dickinson

• Song 6 of cycle Days and Nights
• Song 7 of Come To Me In Dreams

To purchase Phyllis Bryn-Julson and Seth Knopp performing this song, please click here

To purchase Sonya Baker and Vicki Berneking performing this song, please click here

To purchase Marlissa Hudson and Marvin Mills performing this song, please click here

Errata

Some newer editions may already have these corrections.

• the opening dynamic for the singer should be a forte
• on p. 33 (the second page of the song) there is an incorrrect rhythm in the right hand piano part. This is in m. 15 of the song (which in older editions is incorrectly marked m. 25). The rhythms should be eighth rest, quarter chord, eighth rest, half note.
• in m. 37, the tempo should start a bit under a tempo and ramp up to speed, coming to a sudden halt on the eighth note before m. 41
• The measure numbers are incorrect in some earlier versions. Measure 13 was numbered measure 23 and the mistake compounded. This is now corrected.
• in m. 37, the tempo should start a bit under a tempo and ramp up to speed, coming to a sudden halt on the eighth note before m. 41 (which in older editions is incorrectly marked m. 51). In addition, from m. 39-40 (marked incorrectly 49-50 in older editions), there should be a crescendo (not a decrescendo) leading into the slow section.
• If you'd like, you can slide down an extra half step on the last glissando