Sail Fast!

"Song of the Future" by Sidney Lanier (1842-1881)

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SATB choir, with piano, violin, cello, and percussion

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Commissioned for the Allegro Choral Academy (Minneapolis, MN) on its 10th Anniversary;

Gregory Douma, Artistic Director

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Available now through Walton Music (WW1737)

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Sail Fast! is a vibrant, dramatic setting of the poem "Song of the Future" by nineteenth-century American author and musician Sidney Lanier.  To the surprise of many, the text has nothing to do with water—it is not a boat that "sails fast" in Lanier's poem, but a dove, carrying the speaker's hopes and dreams "through the sun's strange beams."  The piece is kinetic and constantly moving, with surprising harmonic twists, theatrical melodic lines, interesting string obligati, and a driving piano accompaniment.   Your choir and audiences will love this piece!

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