The Darkling Thrush (2018)
Baritone and Piano
This song is a setting of a poem by Thomas Hardy for baritone and piano. The poet, upon reflecting on the bleakness of winter, then describes hearing a thrush chirping in the winter twilight. The poem, originally titled as ‘By the Century’s Deathbed, 1900’ resonated strongly with me, not just for its natural atmosphere and mood, but also for its symbolic meanings behind its subject matter: against the cold, bleak winter landscape of the mind, there will always be a tiny bit of hope emanating from an untainted source.
PERFORMANCES:
Première: 31 June 2018 - King’s College Chapel, Aberdeen - Ross Cumming - baritone, Jeremy Coleman - piano