Solitude

Program Notes:

Written in 2011, “Solitude” is an original composition by Canadian composer Stephen Smith on an excerpt of a poem by Canadian poet Lorna Crozier. Rich in imagery and harmony, the piece speaks about darkness and solitude, ending with a testament to music’s power to give us the strength to carry on.

Conductor Notes:

Elektra commissioned Stephen to write this piece for our Kindred Spirits project in the spring of 2011. The poem, by Canadian poet Lorna Crozier, describes the pitch darkness of lakeside at night, where “nothing moves through this dark, and ends with an uplifting section “but music does, and voices, and you go on”. Composed for SSAA and piano, the work is harmonically reminiscent of the 19th Century and has a sweep and momentum that make it a joy to perform. It has all of Stephen’s finest writing qualities, including gratifying vocal lines for all parts, first rate word stress, a beautiful and subtle piano part, and sensitivity to the poem’s moods. Because of the piece’s rich harmonic language, your choir must be very confident in subtle chromatic variations of their line.

Text:

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