Three Songs for
Three Songs for
Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice
Embedded Files
SATB choir, tenor saxophone, percussion
Duration: ~12'
Three movements
Language: English
Text by Nora Farley
To purchase sheet music, contact the composer
Program Notes
Program Notes
Every year since 2021, I have written a song or chant for my family to celebrate the Winter Solstice. This piece is a choral arrangement of three of these songs that, when sung in order, traces the journey through the longest night of the year. "Look to the Stars" is an evening song, showing preparations made as the sky darkens to bid the old Sun farewell. "The Longest Night Comes and the Sun is Dead" is a vigil song, depicting the long night of stories, songs, waiting, and hoping for the light to return. "On Solstice Morn" is a piece for singing up the new born Sun at dawn on the shortest day.
Recording credit: Ava Hawkins, Nora Farley, Jacob Carroll, Killian Grider, voices; Elijah Hall, percussion; Marlena Boedigheimer, tenor saxophone, Nelson Walker, recording engineer
1: Look to the Stars
1: Look to the Stars
Look to the stars, the earth is turning
face towards home, the hearth is burning,
far in the west the Sun is dying
hold, hold, hold
Old wise owl and snow soaked rabbit tell their young
the Sun is dying, hold
Turn your face to winter's cold,
sing, for on this night
the Sun is dying
hold, hold, hold
Softly the moon shines on this longest night
in darkness the Sun is dying,
hold, hold, hold
2: The Longest Night Comes and the Sun is Dead
2: The Longest Night Comes and the Sun is Dead
The longest night comes and the Sun is dead
all life sleeps in the cradle of the Earth
bitter wind blows and the last leaf falls
shiver in the longest night
*Rest, dying Sun, in the flames of our hearth,
rest that spring may come again
all is not winter, all is not lost
the light shall be reborn*
A candle flame lit in the dead of night
casts its glow over softly falling snow
kindling a story in your open hand
tales of the longest night
Candles in the night, sharing the light
shadows from their glow, softly falling snow
Story in your hand, wisdom of the land,
tell us of the darkness, tell us of the light
**
The boundless Earth borne on her axis turns
turns away from the distant winter Sun
spinning through the steps of their sacred dance
bring us to the longest night
Axis of the Earth, turning to rebirth,
dancing as one, waiting for the Sun
**
3: On Solstice Morn
3: On Solstice Morn
Earth, forever turning Earth,
O lovely Sun, forever burning Sun
The cradle cry of the newborn Sun
heralds the dawn on Solstice Morn
the Goddess blesses the life begun
singing her joy on Solstice Morn
The King of Oak, his battle won
gives thanks to the Sun on Solstice Morn
the King of Holly, his service done
abandons his throne on Solstice Morn
Creatures of winter and all their kin
dance over the Earth on Solstice Morn
creatures of summer, asleep within
dream of the light on Solstice Morn
Oh, we Pagans of northlands raise a call
to sing in the shortest day of all
the land, the sea, and the sky above
bask in the glow of the young Sun's love
Out of the dark, Sun dawning,
out of the winter, light reborn and
oh, the light is here, dawning
returning into the springtime,
warmth returning
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