Premiered by Modern Sound Collective in 2024.
VIEW PERUSAL SCORE:
MSC0017 – Gratitude – SCORE PERUSAL PDF
PROGRAM NOTE:
My setting of Montgomery’s “Gratitude” aims to reflect the poem’s powerful portrayal of the emotions felt in a close friendship. When writing the piece, I mainly focused on two of the most basic musical building blocks, melody and harmony, to musically support Montgomery’s imagery, while keeping the texture simple and rhythms natural to ensure the text is clearly delivered. This is one of my favourite poems, and it is my sincere hope that my setting only adds to the effect given by Montgomery’s beautiful text.
ORIGINAL TEXT:
Gratitude
by L.M. Montgomery
I thank thee, friend, for the beautiful thought.
That in words well chosen thou gavest to me,
Deep in the life of my soul it has wrought
With its own rare essence to ever imbue me,
To gleam like a star over devious ways,
To bloom like a flower on the drearest days
Better such gift from thee to me
Than gold of the hills or pearls of the sea.
For the luster of jewels and gold may depart,
And they have in them no life of the giver,
But this gracious gift from thy heart to my heart
Shall witness to me of thy love forever;
Yea, it shall always abide with me
As a part of my immortality;
For a beautiful thought is a thing divine,
So I thank thee, oh, friend, for this gift of thine.
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