There Will Come Soft Rains

SATB divisi a cappella, Octavo There will come soft rains' would suit experienced choral groups as a concert piece, particularly for occasions of contemplation, remembrance, war and peace, and perceptions of the natural world.if in several guises throughout the piece, from crystalline fragility to radiating strength. The text is profound; Sara Teasdale's poem (subtitled 'War time') juxtaposes the tranquil cycle of nature and personified awakening of Spring against the suffering of mankind, with a simultaneous sense of comfort and unnerving indifference. Musically, this is evoked through a central moment of descent into harsh dissonance, from which the opening melody emerges, seemingly unchanged. Though the piece closes with a light, hopeful sound, there is an unsettling undertone.