Dreams of Gold

“Dreams of Gold” is scored for double chorus (SSA(A) and SATB), strings, and piano and is the third movement of a larger work, “Wintertide,” which is also available on this website. The poems all portray the essence of winter nights as a time of comfort and exploration of love’s delights, warmed and illuminated by golden firelight, culminating in the observation that love and its pleasures, though considered trivial, certainly help to pass the long winter nights! The music sets texts of Robert Bridges, William Morris (with a few edits of my own), and Thomas Campion.

Dreams of Gold
Couplet from “Of the Wooing of Hallbiorn the Strong” by William Morris (edited by the composer)
. . .
Nights long I lay my love beside;
And dark are the days of wintertide.
. . .
Poem XI by Robert Bridges (partial)

When the winter eves are early and cold,
The firelight hours are a dream of gold.
And so I sit here night by night,
In rest and enjoyment of love’s delight.

Poem XII from “The Third book of Airs” by Thomas Campion

Now winter nights enlarge
The number of their hours;
And clouds their storms discharge
Upon the airy towers.
Let now the chimneys blaze
And cups o’erflow with wine,
Let well-turned words amaze
With harmony divine.
Now yellow waxen lights
Shall wait on honey love
While youthful revels, masques, and courtly sights
Sleep’s leaden spells remove.

This time doth well dispense
With lovers’ long discourse;
Much speech hath some defense,
Though beauty no remorse.
All do not all things well;
Some measures comely tread,
Some knotted riddles tell,
Some poems smoothly read.
The summer hath his joys,
And winter his delights;
Though love and all his pleasures are but toys,
They shorten tedious nights.

1 - Conductor Score (Full Score)

1 - Piano

4 - Violin 1
4 - Violin 2
3 - Viola
2 - Violoncello
2 - Double Bass