Poet: Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)
Source: Winter Words
Date of Composition: 1953 (Mar. – Sep.)
Publication: Boosey & Hawkes, 1953
Voice Difficulty Level: Moderately Difficult
Subject: Story of the dead choirmaster’s burial.
Range: G4 – G5
Tessitura: Bb4 – Eb5
Tempo: Simply; 3/2
Duration: 03:05
Vocal Characteristics: Unaccompanied sections; independent vocal line; lilting melismas that descend; a character voice for the Vicar; a floated, legato section building to a full climax;
Piano Difficulty Level: Difficult
Accompaniment Characteristics: Chordal section; heavy arpeggiated figures to represent different characters; section of left handed eighth-notes with eighth-note chord interjections in the right hand; legato duple against triple in contrary motion between hands;
Additional Comments: Manuscript does not include numerical tempo marking; p. 23, the phrase “by the choirmaster’s grave,” has different text with the exact same music in the manuscript