A Whitman Triptych: I. O Setting Sun

O Setting Sun is based on a text adapted from Walt Whitman's much longer poem Song at Sunset. The baritone soloist acts as narrator, singing noble recitatives praising the sun and the hour of its setting, supported by commentaries in the chorus. A central section is fast and rhythmic with many changing time signatures. The final section is both serene and reverent, as "Nature continues, glory continues; O setting sun!"