G-8071 * ELDER * BALLADE TO THE MOON, LM Music Wear. JOE MILLER, EDITOR BALLADE TO THE MOON WORDS AND MUSIC BY DANIEL ELDER FoR SATB VOICES AND PIANO A WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE SERIESFrom the Composer “Ballade to the Moon” is the first in a cyele of nocturnes for mixed chorus and piano, exploring observational and psychological experiences associated with love, nature, darkness and light. The texts are original and approach these themes in different ways; this piece depicts a moonlit wall through ‘woods and fields, while exploring the love felt for the narrator's surroundings. The beauty of the text fs in its obscuriy-the narrator could be referring to nature or to a romantic attraction. The night seems to call, “Come, dream in mel” Under deep forest cover, the narrator entreats the stars, “O share ehy light!” until che twinkling stars gleam in the open meadow, luring, “Come, sing with mel” Love for the surrounding dusky beauty causes the narrator to weep with joy, with only the moon as Cover Sylleloles Each stanza consists of four lines of iambic tetramette followed by a separate four-word cal den the final dhree Hines (the ast being a teffain). This recall the form ofthe fourteenth-centuy ballades of French poet and composer Gullume de Machaut hence the tide ofthis piece. (On mocai ihe] wander fe, ny id sour tng of the. Wh midge dicks been Conn, eam in me! Ho bea thin Joe Adhere upon he ee! dhe weep why beset be moon "path es dc fore my sight. ad yet yt with pte delight trod osward rough the eked ae tenet he yoy 0 big O sate yb “Thve woods thi weary wake 1000 nave el fac woods moons, Teep thor Benen te moon Aad athe diene hot es, sy beet bets eer pi “Though hen bang ees with se Come sing the! The winking hy est ft ane (Oana eae hy has oon? 1 wee with oy beneath the moon. A brief comment about the woods stanza (“These woods, theis weary wanderer soon / in awe and fearful wonder swoon”): This refers to the (sometimes overwhelming) feeling of blanketed silence and darkness experienced by the pensive narrator while traveling along the sylvan path Most sections of this piece may be taken with a sense of rubato—though never overdone. However, daring the piano interludes, a more romanticized interpretation is welcome. Slight tempo alterations casually imply changes of 10 ro 15 beats per minute. In passages where the divisi is uneven, parts may be te-voiced. Daniel ElderBALLADE TO THE MOON 1 Danie Elder (b.1986) | sdasio Misterioso « = 66 (On moon-lit night 1 wan der fie. _— (On moonlit night. 1 wander fie ; Feri of itt isan deemares ise lation ofthe U.S. Code ot Law G-8071 "Shh ensonse nd ontario! to crminaspossouion Ns one eresvempo soe ee thee With —mid-night dark-ness bec a _ poco alas mp 2 = thee vee es ws with midnight dark-ness —beck-on ing 2 ogi ae age = a = po Sule dwrde a a Sy SSS coats G‘Tempo I wf, 5 == How Wi fal tis i =e How beau = situ, mf How beau = tful, ‘Tempo anf +S this hie [And here, up onthe = = T 7 And he, % onthe dune,pi : ane si as ‘weep with you be-neath the moon. gt : ° ‘weep with joy be-nesth the moon. | i ee poco rit pos eee = 5 ot ny oe —— = = | and yet ay ——» ay is datk before my sgt, aon yet my fet with ni 5 a = ee “The pth lies dak be fore my’ sigh, an yot my fet with = = eS > a 2 fs enfod on ward through the black-ened vale, ‘on ward through the black-ened vale, \ On Zs es “ the starry sky 50 De = neath the star-ry sky 0Poco Rubato their wea fer wea Pit: Mosso, Poco Rubatoweep with joy weep with joy weep with joy weep with joyi And asthe dark-ened BP pocoatirs “Though B poco alae my ert beats ev = er rap-id-ly.— Though poco atarg. tse Thovsh poco alas. wap poco atae. &— gi heav = y hang my eyes With sleep, al heavy hang my eyes with sleep heav = yang my eyes with sleep, heav = y hang \ +r-24 oe sy soul, my singing soul» my. sing - ing soul, my singing \Ssoulg— ‘xempo to thee,(tt The winking sky casts forth its tan: a pnp ne DS: = The win-Kling sky casts forth its tneT weep with joy ee weep with, joy 1 2 1 weep with joy ‘> Molto Meno Mosso