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The City and the Sea
Browse CatalogSATB & Piano
Note from Composer
The City and the Sea is a set of five settings of poems by e.e. cummings. I originally wrote for SATB chorus and piano, and I’ve also written for solo baritone and piano. 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:
Occasionally I break up the clusters and write the chords as arpeggios, as in this example from 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.
The Text
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
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.
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
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
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
Duration
10 minutes
Year of Composition
2009-2010
Licensing
Purchase
US: Hal Leonard
UK: Musicroom
World: Music Shop Europe
Digital: SheetMusicDirect
Baritone & Piano
Note from Composer
This piece is not yet published and therefore not available for performance.
The City and the Sea is a set of five settings of poems by e.e. cummings. I originally wrote for SATB chorus and piano, and I’ve also written for solo baritone and piano. 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:
Occasionally I break up the clusters and write the chords as arpeggios, as in this example from 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.
The Text
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
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.
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
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
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
Duration
10 minutes
Licensing
Music Catalog
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- Deep Field
- Enjoy the Silence
- Equus
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- hope, faith, life, love
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- I Hide Myself
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- i walked the boulevard
- i will wade out
- Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine
- Little Birds
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- Lux Aurumque
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- Sleep
- Sleep My Child
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- The Gift of the Magi
- the moon is hiding in her hair
- The River Cam
- The Sacred Veil
- The Seal Lullaby
- The Star-Spangled Banner
- The Stolen Child
- This Marriage
- Three Flower Songs
- Three Songs of Faith
- Very Soon
- Water Night
- What If
- When David Heard
- Winter
- With A Lily In Your Hand
- You Rise, I Fall