A Cinquain of Cinquains (2023)

Karen Beaumont (b. 1965) — A Cinquain of Cinquains (2023) for organ

This work is inspired by the poetry of Adelaide Crapsey (1878–1941). Crapsey is credited with inventing the American cinquain, an aphoristic five line poetic form. Each section of this work responds (with matching brevity) to one of Crapsey’s cinquains, printed below.

0:00 | 1. Prologue

0:50 | 2. November Night
Listen…
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp’d, break from the trees
And fall.

1:13 | 3. Release
With swift
Great sweep of her
Magnificent arm my pain
Clanged back the doors that shut my soul
From life.

1:45 | 4. Snow
Look up…
From bleakening hills
Blows down the light, first breath
Of wintry wind…look up, and scent
The snow!

2:21 | 5. Shadow
A-sway,
On red rose,
A golden butterfly…
And on my heart a butterfly
Night-wing'd.

3:16 | 6. Saying of Il Haboul
(Guardian of the Treasure of Solomon
And Keeper of the Prophet’s Armour)

My tent
A vapour that
The wind dispels and but
As dust before the wind am I
Myself.

4:10 | 7. Epilogue

American organist Karen Beaumont (b. 1965) received her degree in Music History from the University of Wisconsin and studied organ with Gerre Hancock, John Behnke, Jeffrey Peterson, and Carol Haakenson. Beaumont has performed as a recitalist in numerous venues throughout the USA and the UK. From 1988 to 2011 she provided the organ and choral music for St. James Episcopal Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her album of classic French noëls was released on the Pro Organo label in 2020. Her musical compositions have been published by Lorenz, Leupold Editions, Fagus-Music, and SMP Press.

Published by SMP Press

https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/a-cinquain-of-cinquains-digital-sheet-music/22549455?aff_id=88095