Thursday, January 26, 2012

Velvet Shoes


A song, by American composer Randall Thompson, about a winter walk. The poem is by Elinor Wylie:

Let us walk in the white snow
          In a soundless space;
With footsteps quiet and slow,
          At a tranquil pace,
          Under veils of white lace.

I shall go shod in silk,
          And you in wool,
White as white cow's milk,
          More beautiful
          Than the breast of a gull.

We shall walk through the still town
          In a windless peace;
We shall step upon white down,
          Upon silver fleece,
          Upon softer than these.

We shall walk in velvet shoes:
          Wherever we go
Silence will fall like dews
          On white silence below.
          We shall walk in the snow.

3 comments:

Dorian Speed said...

Randall Thompson did.Croatians, right?

INTRRESTING. My Kindle apparently has auto-correct. I meant Frostiana.

But maybe he also did Croatians, or Croatoan. I'm not a music historian.

Anyway, if he's who I think he is, I'm pro-him.

Pentimento said...

Yes. Frostiana. Also that beautiful, short choral "Alleluia." Yes, pro-him all the way.

Dorian Speed said...

Yes. I got to do both pieces as part of a community chorus several years ago and I just adore them. So warm.