Come, sullen night

Jennifer Bastable sets a poem of profound melancholy in this SSATB setting. The text, deeply personal and expressing a night of sorrow that colours all time, is treated with a rich, imitative texture, typical of the English partsong tradition. The composer skilfully captures the speaker's plea for darkness to conceal their inner turmoil, and the subsequent, weary resignation to whatever time may bring, as no dawn can dispel their pervasive grief. The setting's four-part harmony provides a full and resonant sound, ideal for a choir seeking to explore themes of lament and introspection through carefully crafted vocal writing.