April National Poetry Month

Today is the last day of 2011 National Poetry Month. In honor of poetry and music the Seattle University Choirs are performing a program called Inspired! this week-end. All of the pieces of music they sing are inspired by poetry and were set to music at a later date.

I was inspired by many, many of the pieces and the poetry behind the pieces. Here are a few of my favorites:

Summer Again by Alfred Lord Tennyson, music by Ernst Krenek

"Summer is coming, summer is coming,
I know it, I know it, I know it.
Light again, leaf again, life again, love again,"
Yes, my wild little poet.

Sing the new year in under the blue,
Last year you sang it as gladly,
"New, new, new, new!" Is it then so new
That you should carol so madly?

"Love again, song again, nest again, young again,"
Never a prophet so crazy!
And hardly a daisy as yet, little friend,
See, there is hardly a daisy.

"Here again, here, here, here, happy year!"
O warble unchidden, unbidden!
Summer is coming, is coming, my dear,
And all the winters are hidden.

We have had a horrible cold and wet spring in the Northwest.  I think everyone at the concert gave a big Amen to this poem about summer coming!

I Have Had Singing text by Fred Mitchell, music by Ron Jeffers

The singing.
There was so much singing then,
and this was my pleasure too.
We all sang,
The boys in the fields,
The chapels were full of singing, always singing.
Here I lie.
I have had pleasure enough.
I have had singing.

Apparently Fred Mitchell was an 85-year-old Welch farmer. When asked about the bleakness of his life on very inhospitable land his reply became this poem. I, too, have found music to help me transcends life's bumps and turmoils.