The Dark and Shining Tide – SSAA, flute and piano (or with string quartet or string orchestra)

The Dark and Shining Tide (2016)

SSAA, flute and piano (or with string quartet or string orchestra)

This short poem is by Dunedin-based poet Elena Poletti. I had known Elena in my days at university, and upon rekindling a connection years later she kindly sent me some of her poetry.

The starting point for this work was the ‘ocean drum’ - an instrument like a large tambourine filled with metal beads. When moved around, a convincing imitation of the rise and fall of ocean waves is created. Elena’s poem seemed ideally suited to this instrument, and this setting is the result. It is a lullaby text. Much of the accompaniment is quite repetitive and rhythmic, with the accompaniment also aiming to depict the rise and fall of the ocean swell.

“The Dark and Shining Tide” was written for Cantare (Westlake Girls High School, Auckland) and conductor Fiona Wilson. The request was for a piece that had an ensemble accompaniment. So, the work has an accompaniment for flute, percussion and string quartet, which could also be played using string orchestra.

Note: The accompaniment exists in two versions - a full score (flute, percussion and string quartet (or quintet)), or flute and piano only. Either version can be used for concert performances.

The text, a lullaby, begins:
Let yourself go
My littlest one,
let yourself slide
out on the dark shining tide.

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To purchase this score, please contact the composer. Contact details in the channel bio.

Please note that this score has been reformatted for YouTube. Purchased scores are printed in standard A4/Letter portrait format. The YouTube video recording is the full scoring, with the video showing the reduced scoring for ease of reading.

For more information visit dbhmusic.co.nz