Bude Zima/Krasny Maj

Bude Zima is a Czech folk song that I learned when I served as a missionary for my church in 1996. The words are: Bude zima, bude mraz! Kam se, ptaAko, kam schovas? "Schovam ja se do lesa. To je moje potAcha." English: Cold is coming, there will be frost! Where, little bird, will you hide? "I will hide in the forest. It is my consolation." When I decided to set it for choir, I looked for something to pair it with. I found an epic poem by Czech poet Karel Hynek Macha and extracted a few lines from it and created a new melody that matched the quality of Bude Zima. Krasny maj uplynul, pohynul jarni kvAt, a leto vzplanulo; - pak letne pAesel Aas, podzim i zima tez i jarno vzeslo zas; az mnoha leta jiz pAenesl Aasu let. from Maj by Karel Macha English: Beautiful May is passed, withered the bloom of Spring; The summer fire burns high, wanes, and as soon is gone, Autumn, and winter after; another Spring comes on, As time bears off the years on its unresting wing. translation by Edith Pargeter The result was an amazing pairing of the winter and the other seasons as the song becomes a tribute to the passing years. Set for SATB choir, oboe, cello, chimes, and woodblock. First performed by the University of Memphis Chamber Choir in April 2005. Score and parts included in the purchase.