Crossing The Bar – Resource Pack
By: Craig McLeish
This is Craig’s specially commissioned piece to support the RNLI’s bicentenary celebrations in 2024. It will be available as a free download from ChoirCommunity for the duration of the year’s celebrations!
Tennyson wrote this poem in 1889, while crossing the Solent from Aldworth to Farringford on the Isle of Wight, apparently while recovering from a serious illness. The extended metaphor he uses really spoke to me about how close we are to death whenever we are on the sea, and how extraordinarily brave anyone is who risks their own lives while trying to save others. Tennyson asked his son Hallam to put “Crossing the Bar” At the end of every collection of his poems.
It is even more poignant for me as it felt very fitting to dedicate this to my brother Tom, who died earlier this year from pancreatic cancer.
It’s a calm 4 part piece in homophonic style with a few harmonic twists, and might work as a short poignant encore after a bigger song.
In order to download the resource pack, you just need to register an account with us (which is also completely free and only takes a few minutes).
Reviews
Sublime
This piece has a quiet beauty and a reflective feel. Gorgeous chords which suit the text perfectly. Full of interest but accessible to choirs who might not be used to singing more ‘choral’ pieces as it’s less than 2 1/2 mins.
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