I recorded the guitar, piano and string parts working alone for a few hours, then invited Holly over to sing the vocal. This, along with Holly's tremendous encouragement and feedback, allowed me to finally finish these lyrics and record the song in time for her aunt's memorial service. Upon reading the original words attributed to Mary Frye, I found the line I am in each lovely thing, which is omitted in the traditional version. Holly's mother sent her an email saying that this poem was her aunt's favorite, and does she know where she could find the complete poem for her memorial service? There it sat for years until Holly's aunt passed away in the Spring of 2003. The original poem, however, does not make a complete song lyric, in my opinion, so I worked a bit on the second stanza, got stuck, and put the song on the back burner. The piece sets the poem as written, using gentle cluster chords supporting elements of Jewish scales in the middle section as a homage to those forced from their homes and to all those separated from their loved ones throughout history.I stumbled across a greeting card many years ago with a popular version of this poem, took it home and immediately set it to music. Margaret’s mother was ill but she was unable to return to Germany to visit her due to the growing unrest at the time and following her death Margaret was devastated that she never had the chance to “stand by my mother’s grave and shed a tear”. Written in 1932 in response to the heartbreak of Margaret Schwarzkopf, a German Jew staying with Mary in Baltimore, USA. This is a setting of Mary Elizabeth Frye’s only accredited poem of the same name. Soprano Solo (from within choir) and SSAA (some divisi) ALSO Soprano Solo (from within choir) and SATB
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