The text follows a journey from the "silver thread on darkened dune" to the final surrender into sleep: ericwhitacre.com
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: With a finished piece he couldn't legally distribute, Whitacre faced the prospect of "burying" one of his best works. The Rebirth of the Lyrics
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The piece was originally set to Robert Frost’s "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." However, the Frost estate refused to grant permission for the use of the text until the poem entered the public domain.
To save the music, Whitacre asked his long-time collaborator Charles Anthony Silvestri to write new lyrics that matched the exact rhythm and syllable count of the Frost poem. Silvestri wrote the "Sleep" lyrics in a single evening, focusing on the theme of "surrendering" to rest. Practical Review for Performers The text follows a journey from the "silver
The Architecture of Rest: An Analysis of Eric Whitacre’s "Sleep" I. Introduction
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No discussion of "Sleep" is complete without mentioning Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir 2.0, which featured 2,052 singers from 58 countries singing "Sleep." This project catapulted the piece into the mainstream. If you search for the you are likely preparing to sing along with that iconic YouTube video. To save the music, Whitacre asked his long-time
The piece requires incredible breath control. Moving from a true pianissimo ( ) to a soaring fortissimo (
Rising to the challenge, Whitacre approached his frequent collaborator, poet and historian . Silvestri was asked to write an entirely new poem that would fit the existing music’s structure while even incorporating key words from the Frost poem, such as "sleep". Silvestri succeeded brilliantly, and the new version of “Sleep” (2001) was born, which Whitacre has noted he actually prefers to the original. This poignant new text later took on an even deeper meaning for Silvestri after the death of his wife. Today, Silvestri's poem is the sole official version of the piece.
| Ensemble | Publisher / Arranger | Link | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Hal Leonard (HL.4002140) | Shop on Sheet Music Plus | | String Orchestra | Available from various retailers | Search "Sleep Eric Whitacre string orchestra" | | Brass Band | Obrasso Verlag (arr. Sandy Smith) | Shop on Obrasso | | Brass Quintet | Available from various retailers | Search "Sleep Eric Whitacre brass quintet" |
Sweet dreams.