Work
A Birthday Offering
for SATB choir and piano
Borrow/Hire:
To borrow items or hire parts please email SOUNZ directly at [email protected].
About
When the 90th birthday of Betty Somerville was approaching, members of Auckland Choral were asked to sing at a special birthday gathering as a surprise. Betty had been a long-time member of the choir, maintaining a strong active involvement behind the scenes after retiring as a singing member.
In searching for a suitable text for a piece to mark the occasion, I found that almost all birthday poetry fell into one of two categories – it was either tied to a specific age, or was incredibly saccharine and trite. I finally chanced upon Richard Wilbur’s “For K.R. on her Sixtieth Birthday” which contained more general sentiments and wishes. The K.R. of the title is the poet Kathleen Raine, and the reference to William Blake in the poem notes her devotion to that poet’s work.
Difficulty note
Suitable for school choirs
Dedication note
Dedicated to Betty Somerville on her 90th birthday
Text note
Written by Richard Wilbur