Snow-Flakes

Using the theme of Longfellow's poem Snow-flakes, the poetic structure is reflected in the musical phrase structure, with the resolution withheld until the end of each stanza. The mournful harmonies, reflecting human loss and grief, are sung on a wordless syllable often accompany the main melodic line in various sections of the choir, who intone the full text. The mood of the madrigal is intensely sorrowful, as the speaker searches the sky for signs of God's presence in the face of his grief.