Day break

Imagine a summer evening, with the last rays of the sun giving way to a starlit night, then the joyful anticipation of dawn and the rising sun. This is the scene William Aubrey Williams conjures in his partsong Day break. The text, set in English, moves from the gentle closing of day, through the magic of night, to the vibrant arrival of morning. Sung by an SATB choir, the music reflects these shifts, offering rich harmonic possibilities for a mixed-voice ensemble. As a secular glee, it is ideal for occasions where a bright, evocative setting of nature's cycles is desired, perhaps at a concert in the late spring or summer.