Quietus for SSAA [5']
with strings and harp or with piano
A setting of a desolate poem written by Thomas Jefferson, this mournful work blends voices with instruments to weave a lyrical web.
When one by one our ties are torn,
And friend from friend is snatched forlorn,
When man is left alone to mourn,
Oh! then how sweet it is to die!
When trembling limbs refuse their weight
And films slow gathering dim the sight,
When clouds obscure the mental light,
‘Tis nature’s kindest boon to die.
– Thomas Jefferson