SATB choir. 4 mins.
Selection from Sauntering Songs: a concert-length cantata on the theme of walking, commissioned by Skylark Vocal Ensemble.
Lyrics by Nell Shaw Cohen.
Perusal Score
Performance score available for purchase. Please direct inquiries to Nell Shaw Cohen at nell@nellshawcohen.com.
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Program NOte
“Further Out, Deeper In” is a choral selection from Sauntering Songs: a concert-length cantata on the theme of walking, commissioned by Skylark Vocal Ensemble. My lyrics for this piece were inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s essay “The Blue of Distance,” Robert Macfarlane’s book “The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot,” and my own emotional and spiritual responses to walking through landscapes.
Text
Lyrics by Nell Shaw Cohen
…the winding of a footpath,
the leading line that draws you out and onwards into the land;
the thread of retracing footsteps,
of the journeys you can never know;
the winding footpath.
The winding footpath.
Drawing you further out,
Luring you deeper in.
…the secrets of a forest,
the covering shade that draws you out and onwards into the wood;
the darkening understory
of the canopy you’ll never know;
the secret forest.
The secret forest.
Drawing you further out,
Luring you deeper in.
…the edge at the horizon,
the reaching sight that draws you out and upwards into the sky;
the distance of boundless spaces,
of the places you can never go;
the vast horizon.
The vast horizon.
…the thread of retracing footsteps,
the darkening understory,
the distance of boundless spaces…
The winding footpath.
The secret forest.
The vast horizon.
Performance History
Visit the Sauntering Songs page for performance history.