Winter Stars

This setting of Sara Teasdale's poem, Winter Stars, was one of the earlier pieces I ever wrote, completing it in the Spring of 2010 at the age of 17.  The text describes the awesome beauty of the consistently burning stars and their contrast to the turbulence of the ever-changing, often cold earth and the life that inhabits it. Sara Teasdale was known to find great comfort from her lifelong illness in the fact that no matter what happened on earth by day, the stars would always reveal themselves at night just as they had before through all existence. The stars at the time of the winter solstice have long intrigued many cultures, as the three bright stars of Orion’s belt appear in the east, directly aligned toward the eastern horizon at this time of year.

Sara Teasdale tragically ended her own life at the age of 41, leaving behind only her words for us to learn from. Her tragic story inspired me, and I tried to paint this text with as much attention to the meaning and sound of the words as I could.

SATB A Cappella, w/ Divisi.  

Winter Stars 

by Sara Teasdale

I went out at night alone; 

The young blood flowing beyond the sea 

seemed to have drenched my spirit's wing,

I bore my sorrow heavily.

But when I lifted up my head 

From shadows shaken on the snow, 

I saw Orion in the east 

Burn steadily as long ago.

From windows in my father's house,

Dreaming my dreams on winter nights,

I watched Orion as a girl 

Above another city's lights.

Years go, dreams go, and youth goes too; 

The world's heart breaks beneath its wars,

 All things are changed, save in the east, 

The faithful beauty of the stars

2010

ca. 4 mins 30 seconds

https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/winter-stars-20691058.html