Where Thou Art - That - is Home -

Based on an Emily Dickinson poem of the same name, "Where Thou Art - That - is Home" is a beautiful, lush chorale for solo marimba.

Program Notes

The title of this work comes from the poem bearing that title by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), one of the towering figures of American literature. I was in the middle of writing another piece for my wife, Anna, and during this process still searching for an appropriate title. By some miraculous intervention, she started posting some of her favorite quotes and sayings around this time on social media, and this came across my screen one day. The meaning in the title is self-evident, and the poem described what I was trying to say perfectly.

Where Thou art — that — is Home
Cashmere — or Calvary — the same —
Degree — or Shame —
I scarce esteem Location's Name —

So I may Come —
What Thou dost — is Delight —
Bondage as Play — be sweet —
Imprisonment — Content —
And Sentence — Sacrament —
Just We two — meet —

Where Thou art not — is Woe —
Tho' Bands of Spices — row —
What Thou dost not — Despair —
Tho' Gabriel — praise me — Sire —

Grade Level: 3
Copyright: 2018
Number of Players: 1
Duration: 3:45
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Category: Solo Works

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Instrumentation

Marimba (5.0-octave)