An Irish Airman Foresees His Death

This is a piece I uploaded in many forms back in the second epoch of the forums, now uploading final performed version for perusal and profound appreciation from all of you fine folks. This choral work is a setting of the poem of the same name by W.B. Yeats. The text is as follows:

I know that I shall meet my fate

Somewhere among the clouds above;

Those that I fight I do not hate,

Those that I guard I do not love;

My country is Kiltartan Cross,

My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,

No likely end could bring them loss

Or leave them happier than before.

Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,

Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,

A lonely impulse of delight

Drove to this tumult in the clouds;

I balanced all, brought all to mind,

The years to come seemed waste of breath,

A waste of breath the years behind

In balance with this life, this death.

Within the work I juxtaposed the many contrasting lines with clashing sonorities, such as major and minor triads of the same root (most prominently featured at the end). Here are the original program notes:

An Irish Airman Foresees His Death is a setting of the poem of the same name by William Butler Yeats. Throughout the poem lines are paired in contrasting ideas, and I have endeavored to emulate that in the setting, most prominently by the use of major and minor triads of the same root note simultaneously, to signify the "good" and "bad" ideas overlapping each other. The end of the poem makes use of this same chordal idea on the words "death" and "life", though which word is set to which triad changes, signifying the uncertainty of which is more desirable to the poem's speaker.

Performed by the East Carolina University Chamber Singers, April 2011

I know almost nothing about choral music (except that it sounds pretty), but I really enjoyed this piece. I liked the use of the different major and minor chords and the alternating of the "love" and "hate", and the "life" "and death". I thought that was so cool! Just listening this is a really impressive piece. Nice job! Maybe this can inspire me to begin composing choral works..

Magnificent!

I just finished your very good setting of "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by noting that one thing I would like to see is a use of less conventional techniques. This definitely fits the bill. I loved every minute of it.

only one word i have for this. wow

I agree with all previous comments. The chords are great in this. The very end felt like it was just dissipating into the galaxy... I don't know why but it just seemed very space-y to me. Good job for sure!

Heckel