Christopher, I promise I'll look at this properly when my exams are over (Thursday! whoo...) but I love the tone you create, it's exactly right for the lyrics (I can't say there's anything wrong with them I notice, I think they're very charming). The lovelily, yet subtly energetic end is a great example of this, you convey the change that this encounter has brought about beautifully - something I think you're really skilled at, looking at your opera. I thought the only place your focus for this slipped was bb.20-21 - I love the concept, but I feel like we need an extra modulation in the last four beats of b.21 so that the emphasis isn't lost, somehow. I thought it was going to Db here; that in itself could be made more interesting though, if you played around with it as you so obviously have to get the interesting movements throughout. I can't explain it well, but I wonder if you see what I mean.
I love the accompaniment figure - executed skilfully, reminds me a lot of Bob Chilcott / Richard Rodney Bennet. And my favourite thing about it is how singable the melody is, it's lovely - there's a rare melodic quality of brightness and meaningfulness there that you don't come across in many songs; look at Warlock's 'Yarmouth Fair' for an example of what I mean, again it's hard to explain but it's very theatrical anyway. Something to do with the way you use sequences rhythmically and come down thirds onto the sixth after dramatic moments. I would love to sing this... if I was a girl.
I'd probably sing it anyway lol. And I agree with DrPangloss, it's certainly self-contained in a really pleasing, self-satisfying way - like a short aria from an opera.
Er. Stuff that about not looking at it properly now, I guess. Lol. I've said a lot of positive things on YC so far, all of them genuine, but one of my favourite things I've seen so far is the way you treat words. It's lovely, and feels effortless and beautiful.
(Now I really better go and do some bloody revision haha).