To Blossoms

 "To Blossoms", a poem by Robert Herrick, is a beautiful way of saying that life's short. I decided to put the first stanza to music, which is scored for violin, viola, cello, bass, oboe, horn, timpani, and SATB choir.

To Blossoms

by Robert Herrick

(1591-1674)

Fair pledges of a fruitful tree,
Why do ye fall so fast?
Your date is not so past,
But you may stay yet here awhile
To blush and gently smile,
And go at last.
        
What, were ye born to be
An hour or half's delight,
And so to bid good-night?
'Twas pity Nature brought ye forth
Merely to show your worth,
And lose you quite.

But you are lovely leaves, where we
May read how soon things have
Their end, though ne'er so brave:
And after they have shown their pride
Like you, awhile, they glide
Into the grave.

https://poets.org/poem/blossoms

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"3-6-10" Improvisational Exercise

    This exercise illustrates the important role that the major/minor 3rd interval can play in your improvisations. I'm calling this exercise the 3-6-10 exercise. The "3" represents a (major/minor) 3rd. The "6" represents a 6th, which is merely an inverted 3rd. The "10" represents a 10th, which is merely a 3rd with an octave inserted between the interval. So what we're basically doing in this exercise is playing with variations of the 3rd.

    So much can be improvised with these intervals alone that I think this exercise might be a great starting point for those who either want to start improvising and don't know where to start, or for those who know how to improvise and simply want to revisit the basics for a little fun.

    How does it work? Well, everything you improvise should be an interval that's either a 3rd, a 6th, or a 10th (major or minor). Ignore every other interval. I demonstrate what I mean in the companion video below. Even though the sheet music for my improvisation is attached below, I recommend coming-up with your own improvisation so that you can build-up your own improvisational arsenal. So have fun exploring these intervals and see what you can produce!

 

Sheet Music