This atmospheric and evocative work creates a world of dazzling light, utter darkness, desolate solitude and joyful delight. Sounds of wind and falling tears are woven throughout, with haunting whispers and vocal effects. The song opens and closes with tender repetitions of the phrase “shelter this candle,” Edna St. Vincent Millay’s reminder to protect the bonds of community during our darkest times.
The chamber ensemble plays a major role in this piece, with a significant introduction and dramatic interludes.
Item | Instrumentation/Voicing | Duration | Level | Audio | Peruse | Delivery Method (Print vs. Digital) | Price | Quantity |
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SEA-080-00 | SATB, oboe, horn, cello, harp - Conductor's Score | 15' | A | https://www.seafarerpress.com/sites/seafarerpress.advantagelabs.com/files/works_variant_audio_files/recording-alexander-shelter_this_candle.mp3 |
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Sheet Music | $18.00 | |
SEA-080-00DEL | SATB, oboe, horn, cello, harp - Conductor's Score | 15' | A | https://www.seafarerpress.com/sites/seafarerpress.advantagelabs.com/files/works_variant_audio_files/recording-alexander-shelter_this_candle.mp3 |
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Licensed PDF | $18.00 | |
SEA-080-01 | SATB, oboe, horn, cello, harp - Choral Part | 15' | A |
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Sheet Music | $4.50 | ||
SEA-080-01DEL | SATB, oboe, horn, cello, harp - Choral Part | 15' | A |
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Licensed PDF | $4.50 | ||
SEA-080-02DEL | SATB, oboe, horn, cello, harp - Instrumental Parts | 12 | A | Sheet Music | $10.00 | |||
SEA-080-02F | SATB, oboe, horn, cello, harp - Instrumental Parts(Click on PDF icon to download parts) | 15' | A | Free PDF | $0.00 |
Millay's dark but candlelit cavern is nothing less than our own beautiful but imperfect world, where our losses and hardships may leave us overwhelmed by grief or despair. During times like these, leaving the cave is not an option - however, sheltering our communal candle is.
"Using text from Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem "To the Wife of a Sick Friend," Alexander managed to sculpt light in sound, evoking the troubled winds of fate that threaten the flickering candle of life. The piece begins with the instrumental quartet, building steadily with each instrument weaving in and out of the texture until suddenly, they are joined by the whispering chorus characterized as the threatening wind. The [Kansas City] Chorale's rock-steady technique and vocal unity made their entrance in this piece and the subsequent clear-toned vocalization some of the most exquisite moments of the concert." - KC Metropolis (Kansas City, MO)
"[Shelter This Candle] yokes a somber Edna St. Vincent Millay poem to gentle, ethereal music that leaves one feeling inspired and peaceful." - Kansas City Star (Kansas City, MO)
Premiere: VOICES Chorale / Lyn Ransom (Newtown, PA; Princeton, NJ)
Kansas City Chorale / Charles Bruffy (Kansas City, MO)
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