Peace

This is a choral setting of a 1918 poem by Alfred Noyes, "Peace".

Give me the pulse of the tide again

And the slow lapse of the leaves,

The rustling gold of a field of grain

And a bird in the nested eaves;

And a fishing-smack in the old harbour

Where all was happy and young;

And an echo or two of the songs I knew

When songs could still be sung.

For I would empty my heart of all

This world's implacable roar,

And I would turn to my home, and fall

Asleep in my home once more;

...

There is peace, peace, where the sea-birds wheel,

And peace in the breaking wave;

And I have a broken heart to heal,

And a broken soul to save.

In my life, finding peace has not been easy, and it has required great patience and waiting. This is reflected in the slow lilting tempo. This work is dedicated to Dr. Charles Norris who helped instill in me a deeper appreciation for choral music.

The piano sound is Kontakt's August Förster Grand and the vocals were modeled in Synthesizer V Studio Pro.