In Praise of Light — Available for select pre-publication performances
Poetry by Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753-1784) Music by Tim Harbold for SA or SAB choir and piano 5.75' This work is available for select pre-publication performances. If you have a strong choir and can provide a decent recording, please contact me. PREVIEW SCORE BELOW |
Version for SA voices and piano:
Version for SAB voices and piano:
LYRICS*Soon as the sun forsook the eastern main
The pealing thunder shook the heav'nly plain; Majestic grandeur! From the zephyr's wing, Exhales the incense of the blooming spring. Soft purl the streams, the birds renew their notes, And through the air their mingled music floats. Through all the heav'ns what beauteous dies are spread! But the west glories in the deepest red. So may our breasts with ev'ry virtue glow, The living temples of the light below! Fill'd with the praise of all that gives us light, And draws the sable curtains of the night, Let placid slumbers sooth each weary mind, At morn to wake more heav'nly, more refined; So shall the labors of the day begin More pure, more guarded from the snares within. Night's leaden sceptre seals my drowsy eyes, Then cease, my song, till fair the sun will rise. The morn awakes, and wide extends her rays, On ev'ry leaf the gentle zephyr plays. The bow'rs, the gales, the variegated skies In all their pleasures in my bosom rise. See in the east the lustrous light of day! Whose rising radiance drives the shades away. So may our breasts with ev'ry virtue glow, The living temples of the light below! Fill'd with the praise of light. * Lyrics include minor edits to Wheatley's poetry, for accessibility to general concert audiences. The score also includes Wheatley's original words, which may be sung at the conductor's discretion. |
NOTESAmerica’s first African American published poet, Phillis Wheatley was born in West Africa, and sold into slavery as a young girl. She was purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston, Massachusetts, and unlike many slaves she was given a rigorous education. By age 12, Phillis could read Latin and Greek, and by age 14 she published her first poem. The publication of her first volume of poems in 1773 brought recognition in England and America, praise from George Washington, and emancipation from the Wheatleys. She continued to write poetry, and made efforts to speak against slavery. But even when freed, life in the late 1700s for Phillis and her husband was not easy, and she died impoverished in childbirth at age 31.
As a girl, Phillis Wheatley attended the historic Old South Church in Boston, where I am a member today. From its founding, Old South Church welcomed enslaved members, becoming a leading voice in the abolition movement, and continuing its expansive welcome today. In setting Wheatley’s poems, I hope to introduce singers and audiences to the remarkable story of the first-published African American poet. The work is meant for singers of all ages, but in particular, I've hoped to keep the music accessible to young singers, in hopes that they may be inspired by a poet who began publishing her works when she was their age. “In Praise of Light” combines two of Phillis Wheatley’s poems that celebrate the brilliant glories of sunset and sunrise. “A Hymn to the Evening” is set in its entirety, and I’ve also included several lines from “A Hymn to the Morning,” to bring the rhythms of the day full cycle. In style and substance, the language of Wheatley’s poetry can be challenging for today’s readers. But hopefully the musical setting can help with appreciation of the elements of Wheatley’s poems: In composing the music, I’ve tried to evoke the soaring grandeur of Wheatley’s imagery, the dancing rhythms of her iambic pentameter, and the ornate beauty and creativity of her phrases. |