Under the Wide and Starry Sky

This collection of three songs all connect to the theme of the sea. The first two movements are set to poems by English poet Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), most famous for his books "Treasure Island" and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." The first movement is based on a poem from his collection "A Child's Garden of Verses" which follows three children, who, (though in the garden) imagine themselves as pirates at sea. This movement has proven very popular with both high school and collegiate choirs as it includes opportunities for singers to stomp, clap, and glissando as they travel abroad. The text for movement 2 "Under the Wide and Starry Sky" is taken from a poem that RLS wrote early in life and was ultimately inscribed on his tombstone on the island of Samoa. Harmonic sections of it were lightly inspired by the compositional style of American composer Phillip Glass. Separate parts for violin and cello are available upon request.