Dappled Things SATB Choir & Piano Hannah Haynes

Dappled Things is a song cycle based on selected poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins and it was composed in 2015. It was originally dedicated to the tenor, Matthew Todd and the pianist, Archie Ewing. The first performance was given at St John’s Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh in August 2015 as part of the 2015 ‘Just Festival’ by the baritone, Tembu Rongong and the pianist, Philip Coad, who also collaborated to record the song cycle for the CD, “Dappled Things” (2015). This current version was re-scored for choir and piano in November/December 2023, and is dedicated to the Linton Singers and to their conductor, Murray Campbell. I hope that you enjoy this new version. I had fun playing around with the word-painting. Hannah Haynes Scottish Borders, December 2023 Choristers Part:    Score: £14.25 + p&p 33.33% Discount for 8 or more copies purchased at the same time

Other publications by Hannah Haynes

Dappled Things
SATB Choir & Piano
Hannah Haynes

Dappled Things is a song cycle based on selected poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins and it was composed in 2015. It was originally dedicated to the tenor, Matthew Todd and the pianist, Archie Ewing.

The first performance was given at St John’s Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh in August 2015 as part of the 2015 ‘Just Festival’ by the baritone, Tembu Rongong and the pianist, Philip Coad, who also collaborated to record the song cycle for the CD, “Dappled Things” (2015).

This current version was re-scored for choir and piano in November/December 2023, and is dedicated to the Linton Singers and to their conductor, Murray Campbell. I hope that you enjoy this new version. I had fun playing around with the word-painting.

The original song cycle comprised 5 songs: God’s Grandeur, The Habit of Perfection, As Kingfishers catch fire, Pied Beauty and Heaven-Haven. My own heart is a later composition, which was written to encourage a friend going through a rough time. It involves a small part for solo soprano, and also optional parts for clarinet and pedal harp. The clarinet part starts off using the more melancholic timbre of the A clarinet, and switches to the Bb instrument when the character of the music changes. My own heart can be added into the original song cycle, either at the end, or alternatively, in between As Kingfishers catch fire and Pied Beauty. If you are performing My own heart without a harpist, I imagine you would choose to finish half way through bar 64, and omit the dream-like ending. There’s also the option to omit this song altogether.

I am sometimes asked why I did not set the full poem of The Habit of Perfection. (I left out the section commencing, ‘Palate, the hutch of tasty lust, desire not to be rinsed with wine’.) My thought was simply to make the music a little shorter and less repetitive: so I left out the lines I resonated with the least. If you feel I’ve detracted from the shape and flow of the poem (which arguably, by leaving out one of the senses, I have), then feel free to adapt the music accordingly - for instance by repeating an earlier section of music and adding in the missing words.

Also, I obviously can’t speak for Gerard Manley Hopkins, but speaking for myself, if you find the less-than-inclusive language for the Divine and for humanity jarring to the extent that you feel it might be a barrier preventing people from fully enjoying the piece and being able to engage with it, then going forwards, from my own point of view, I would feel happy if you felt free to change it to what would best suit your own musicians and audience. As seems to be the primary message of My own heart: compassion is the order of the day, and to my mind at least, that should override other considerations.

Hannah Haynes, West Linton, Scottish Borders, 13th December 2023

Title:	Dappled Things
Contents:	Song Cycle
Composer:	Hannah Haynes
Instrumentation:	SATB Choir & Piano
Level:	Intermediate
Format:	A4 Stapled Score
ISBN:	9790570464296
Our Ref:	SM0738
Publisher:	Creighton's Collection
Edition/Year:	First Edition December 2023
Origin:	UK