Music>SATB Choral

The City and the Sea

The City and the Sea is a set of five settings on poems by E.E. Cummings. I’m writing two versions: one for SATB chorus and piano; and one for solo baritone and piano. The baritone solo version will be finished Spring 2012.

The entire set is based on white key clusters in the piano. I’ve started calling this the ‘oven-mitt’ technique, because the chords are played as if you are wearing mitts on your hands – the four fingers all bunched together and the thumb on its own. Here is an example from i walked the boulevard, the first piece in the set:

i walked the boulevard

Occasionally I break up the clusters and write the chords as arpeggios, as in this example from maggie and milly and molly and may:

maggie and milly and molly and may

I’ve sort of fallen in love with the style and sound of these pieces, and I might end up writing a couple more to fill out the set even further. In the meantime, here are the five movements that now comprise The City and the Sea:

i walked the boulevard

i walked the boulevard

i saw a dirty child
skating on noisy wheels of joy
pathetic dress fluttering

behind her a mothermonster
with red grumbling face
cluttered in pursuit
pleasantly elephantine

while nearby the father
a thick cheerful man
with majestic bulbous lips
and forlorn piggish hands

joked to a girlish whore
with busy rhythmic mouth
and silly purple eyelids
of how she was with child

E.E.Cummings, 1894-1962

the moon is hiding in her hair

the moon is hiding in
her hair.
The
lily
of heaven
full of all dreams,
draws down.

cover her briefness in singing
close her with intricate faint birds
by daisies and twilights
Deepen her,

Recite
upon her
flesh
the rain’s
pearls singly-whispering.

E.E.Cummings, 1894-1962

maggie and milly and molly and may

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles, and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

for whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea

E.E.Cummings, 1894-1962

as is the sea marvelous

as is the sea marvelous
from god’s
hands which sent her
forth to sleep upon the world

and the earth withers
the moon crumbles
one by one
stars flutter into dust

but the sea
does not change
and she goes forth out of hands and
she returns into hands
and is with sleep…

love,
the breaking
of your
soul
upon
my lips

E.E.Cummings, 1894-1962

little man in a hurry

little man
(in a hurry
full of an
important worry)
halt stop forget relax

wait

(little child
who have tried
who have failed
who have cried)
lie bravely down

sleep

big rain
big snow
big sun
bug moon
(enter us)

E.E.Cummings, 1894-1962

43 Comments

  1. Shannon (Hume) Shogr on April 14, 2010 at 6:33 pm Reply

    Can't wait to hear Carnell sing the solo baritone version!

     

  2. Wesley Hotzfeld on May 6, 2010 at 2:00 am Reply

    You should also put the recording of Denver University singing "Maggie and Milly and Molly and May" on this page. I mean, I know it's on the blog, but it would be nice to have each "CIty" piece on one page.

     

  3. Chris on May 24, 2010 at 8:34 am Reply

    Thanks for posting the recording of "Maggie and Milly and Molly and May". Very beauiful.

     

  4. Brian on September 24, 2010 at 5:35 am Reply

    When will the solo baritone for this be released?? i'm looking to use it for my senior recital.

     

  5. Jamie Garrard on September 27, 2010 at 1:07 pm Reply

    All the songs are magnificent, as followers of your work have come to count on, but "Maggie and Milly and Molly and May"…wow. I haven't FELT such music in a long time. I listened to it several times just now, while reading the lyrics. First of all, you're working with a moving poet. The poem is heartbreaking. But as I listened to it, I got chills during every verse, sometimes several in a row. The very last line of the song/poem is the most gut-wrenching. I have been a long-time fan, but this may become my favorite piece.

     

  6. Baker Purdon on October 5, 2010 at 12:55 pm Reply

    Are these in print yet??? I am absolutely DYING to buy the baritone solo version!!!!!

     

  7. Robert Jimenez on October 17, 2010 at 1:39 pm Reply

    When will the solo baritone version be released? I would LOVE to sing this song and have it in my repertoire!

     

  8. Ryan F on November 2, 2010 at 6:39 am Reply

    Question!!! Even though you're writing it for baritone, do you think a tenor could sing this set? Or do you plan on having multiple keys for this set? It is really SO beautiful and I would love to sing it

     

  9. Nicole C on November 6, 2010 at 7:30 am Reply

    I love ee cummings and your songs and interpretations of them are exactly what hear when I read them. I love how not only in the singer's voices the tone of the poem is evident but in the instruments and silences between it all. I love how I can hear everything.

    By the way you capitalized and punctuated ee cummings name! Shame! But your music makes up for it

     

    • Eric on November 7, 2010 at 3:05 am Reply

      Nicole,

      Thank you so much for your kind words!

      With regards to E.E. Cummings name, and the capitalized letters: he not only signed his name with caps and punctuation, but made clear several times that he did not approve of his name being written "ee cummings." Publishers still do it, but I'll go with the man's word. ;-)

       

      • Nicole C on November 7, 2010 at 7:20 am Reply

        Woah! I didn't expect you to read my comment much less comment back!

        I did not know that! Ack, I feel stupid. I'm just going on my teachers' words from school and they were very upset that his name was capitalized and I've only seen his name not capitalized and punctuated. I'm glad you're going on his words then, rather than just some publisher's assumption that he wouldn't capitalize his name as well. I guess since you write music for his poetry on such a personal level, you would do the same with respect to his wishes as a writer. Anyways, thank you for replying! I love your music so much and it's inspired me many a times to write during a writer's block :)

         

  10. Brad on November 10, 2010 at 11:35 am Reply

    Is there any way to pre-buy this piece for solo baritone voice before its January release and even after that, where will it be available for purchase?

     

  11. Autumn Wind on November 18, 2010 at 11:39 am Reply

    Will there be (or is there) a piano and solo soprano sheet(s) that I can buy?

     

  12. Conor McCloskey on November 29, 2010 at 12:48 pm Reply

    I never thought I could fall even more in love with these poems. I particularly love the part "as small as a world and as large as alone" in 'maggie and mollie.' The music you put to this line released some nice chemicals in my brain :)

    Can't wait to sing this with you in March in NYC!

     

  13. Nick on January 2, 2011 at 2:34 pm Reply

    it's heeeeeeere!

     

  14. Nick on January 2, 2011 at 2:36 pm Reply

    Now that it's been released, where can i buy the sheet music for this cycle?

     

  15. Sebastian on January 4, 2011 at 10:51 am Reply

    where would we be able to purchase the solo baritone version??

     

  16. Brad on January 6, 2011 at 12:49 pm Reply

    Where is it available???

     

  17. Domnik on January 26, 2011 at 3:44 am Reply

    I am dying to know where this is. If the solo baritone version is for sale I need it. Where can I purchase it?

     

  18. Mike on January 28, 2011 at 11:06 am Reply

    Looks like they got pushed back to Spring 2011… ):. Aw. I was hoping to use it for my auditions coming up. Oh well. Hopefully for a recital, then!

     

  19. Celia Tow on January 31, 2011 at 9:18 am Reply

    Is there an audio recording of As Is The Sea Marvelous? I can't find it anywhere.

     

  20. Jacob on January 31, 2011 at 10:28 am Reply

    Where can I purchase sheet music the baritone solo The city and the sea? I would love to use it for auditions and add it to my repertoire.

     

  21. Celia Tow on February 23, 2011 at 11:12 am Reply

    I have another question – in the printed out score I have for Little Man In A Hurry, for the sopranos the "down-now-now-now" etc. on the sheet music the notes are written as middle C, but in the recording they seem to be singing the C an octave higher, can you clarify which one it's supposed to be?

     

  22. Chris on April 18, 2011 at 1:54 am Reply

    Where can I order the solo baritone version?

     

  23. Ellen on May 19, 2011 at 2:31 am Reply

    Eric – Do you have any pieces for Solo Alto/Mezzo Soprano? Love your music, our Chamber group is currently performing a Boy and a Girl, and Animal Crackers.

     

  24. Caitlin on June 4, 2011 at 2:34 pm Reply

    My boyfriend wrote me a poem to the tune, rhyme scheme and rhythm to Maggie and Millie and Molly and May for my birthday. Your music inspires so many people, it's amazing. Thank you for the music :)

     

  25. Nick on June 9, 2011 at 6:54 am Reply

    Still eagerly awaiting the release of this cycle. I'm determined to have a copy. :)

     

  26. tws on July 29, 2011 at 6:12 am Reply

    Is the solo version available in print yet?

     

  27. Jesse Warren on September 8, 2011 at 8:58 pm Reply

    Excuse me sir, but where might I find this Solo Baritone version I have been hearing so much about?!? :O

     

  28. Spencer Duggan on September 17, 2011 at 12:53 pm Reply

    Can we have an update about the Baritone version?

     

  29. Lawson Daves on October 20, 2011 at 6:40 am Reply

    I was also wondering if the baritone version was in print yet and if it was where I would be able to find it.

     

  30. Krys Cooper on October 20, 2011 at 10:33 pm Reply

    Hi – are these settings available for high voice (ie soprano)? Would love to perform them…I have sung many of your choral works and just love all of them.

    Cheers,

    Krys Cooper

     

  31. Chris on November 29, 2011 at 3:57 am Reply

    When can we expect the solo baritone sheet music to be released?

     

  32. Adam on January 13, 2012 at 8:44 am Reply

    In my college chorale this quarter, we’re performing as is the sea marvelous. It’s such a gorgeous piece. I can’t wait to perform it :)

     
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