MusicSpoke | Artist Owned Sheet Music™

About the Score

This piece was commissioned by Mary Alice Stollak, director of the Michigan State University Children's Choir. Mary Alice requested that it be dedicated to the memory of Sarah Clay, the mother of MSU chorister Marjie Clay. I was honored to be asked to write a memorial piece, especially when the Clay family fell in love with this text.

I was striving to write a very simple piece, and not to get in the way of the wonderful simplicity and beautiful imagery of the text.

There are some hints on the internet that the poem's author, Ivy Eastwick, may have been a secret agent during WWII for the British government!

TEXT

Thank You for all my hands can hold-- apples red, and melons gold, yellow corn both ripe and sweet, peas and beans so good to eat!

Thank You for all my eyes can see-- lovely sunlight, field and tree, white cloud-boats in sea-deep sky, soaring bird and butterfly.

Thank You for all my ears can hear -- birds' song echoing far and near songs of little stream, big sea, cricket, bullfrog, duck and bee!

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