SSAT SATB Secular #3, Vol. 23

When I Am Dead, My Dearest – a Madrigal of Love
Christina Georgina Rossetti, one of the most important women poets writing in nineteenth-century England, was born in London December 5, 1830 – 1894
Partial lyrics:
When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.

St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues is a popular American song composed by W. C. Handy in the blues style and published in September 1914. It was one of the first blues songs to succeed as a pop song and remains a fundamental part of jazz musicians’ repertoire.  The song was an outstanding success. The form is unusual in that the verses are the standard twelve-bar blues in common time with three lines of lyrics, the first two lines repeated.  In addition, it has a 16-bar bridge written in a habanera or tango rhythm. St. Louis Blues for choir and piano begins in a medium rock style, before morphing into a New Orleans Groove style.  The music sways, syncopates, and imitates, and all enjoy playing ‘together in harmony.’

Sunset St. Louis
Sunset St. Louis for SATB choir is inspired by Sara Teasdale’s poem of the same name, and we are reminded of the uniqueness of St. Louis. The musical themes are reflective of the city’s natural and artificial structures. As the piece begins, consider gazing upon the sunset as it shines upon the Arch and Mississippi River, reflecting light to create amusement and amazement. As the themes develop, imagine the St. Louis of the past while you ride on a boat and gaze upon the city as it shimmers in the sunset. Through the text of St. Louisan Sara Teasdale, the piece creates a picturesque view of St. Louis, its structures, rich history, the rivers, and its cultural influences.