Lyrics for Winter Poetry Concert
1. ALL
“Won’t You Join The Dance?” Poetry by Lewis Carroll
Bop bop, bop bop, bop bop, bop ba-da-da,
Bop bop, bop bop, Oo-oo-oo.
(Cad. & Con. At the same time)
(Cadet) “Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
“There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle – will you come and join the dance?”
(Concert) Bop, bop, bop, bop ba-da-da,
Bop, bop-bop, ooooo (alto: bop ba-da-bop,)
Bop, bop-bop, They all advance,
Ooooooo, will you come and join the (alto: dance?”) (Sop: Bop ba-da-bop-ba)
Oooooooo.
(Cad. & Con. S): Will you, won’t you (ALL) will you won’t you (Con A: will you)
(ALL:) won’t you join the dance?
(Cad. & Con. S): Will you, won’t you (ALL) will you won’t you (Con A: will you)
(ALL): won’t you join the dance?
Bop bop, bop bop, bop bop, (cad. & Con A: Oooo) (Con S: bop ba-da-da,)
Bop bop, bop bop, Oo-oo-oo.
(Cad. & Con. At the same time)
(Cadet:) “You can really have no notion how delightful it will be when they
Take us out and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!”
But the snail replied, “Too far, too far1” and gave a look askance –
Said he thanked the whiting kindly,
(Concert:) Oooh, oooh, ooh, shoop, shoop, out and throw us. (alto: Bop
ba-da-dop)
Bop, “Too far!” Bop, Bop ba-dop, thanked him kindly,
(Cadet) But he would not join the dance.
(Concert) Bop bop, bop bop, oooh ooh ooh.
(Cad. & Con. S): Would not, could not (ALL) would not could not (Con A: would not)
(ALL): would not join the dance.
(Cad. & Con. S): Would not, could not (ALL) would not could not (Con A: would not)
(ALL): would not join the dance.
(Cad) “What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied.There is
( Con S): “What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied.
(Con A):”What matters it how far we go?
(Cad): another shore, you know, upon the other,(+Con S) ‘pon the other, (+Con
A) ‘pon the other side.
(Cad): The further off from England the nearer is to France --
(Con S): Further off from England, nearer is to France –
( Con A): nearer is to France –
(All): Then turn not pale, beloved snail,
(Cad): But come and join the dance, come and join the dance.
(Con S): come and join the dance, come and join the dance.
(Con A): come and join the dance.
(All): Will you? Won’t you? (clap clap) Won’t you join the dance?
Will you? Won’t you? Won’t you join the dance?
Will you? Won’t you? Won’t you join the dance?
Will you? Won’t you? Won’t you join the dance?
Will you? Won’t you? Won’t you join the dance?
2. CONCERT CHOIR
“Morning” Poetry by Emily Dickinson
Will there really be a morning? Is there such a thing as day?
Could I see it from the mountains if I were as tall as they?
Has it feet like water lilies? Has it feathers like a bird?
Is it brought from famous countries of which I have never heard?
(S) Will----------------there be----------such a thing as day?
(A) Will there really be a morning? Is there such a thing as day?
(S)Could-----------I see--------------------if I were as tall as they?
(A) Could I see it from the mountains if I were as tall as they?
ALL: Oh, some scholar! Oh, some sailor! Oh, some wise man from the skies.
Please to tell a little pilgrim where the place called morning lies.
Oo oo oo ooh-------------------, Oo oo oo ooh-------------------,
Will there really be a morning?
3. CONCERT CHOIR
“Boats Sail on the Rivers” Poetry by Christina Rossetti
Boats sail on the rivers, and ships sail on the seas;
But clouds that sail across the sky (S) are far more lovely (A) Far more lovely,
(ALL) Far more lovely than these.
Oh how lovely are the ships that sail the seas,
But clouds high above them (S) are far more lovely (A) far more lovely,
(ALL) Far more lovely than these.
(A) There are bridges on the rivers, as lovely as you please;
(S) But the bow that bridges heaven and overtops the trees,
(S) and builds a road (A) and builds a road
(S) from earth to sky, (A) from earth to sky,
(S) and builds a road (A) and builds a road
(S) from earth to sky, (A) from earth to sky,
(S) Is far more lovely (A) Far more lovely
(ALL) Far more lovely than these.
(A) Boats sail on the rivers, and ships sail on the seas; but clouds that sail
across the sky
(S) Oh how lovely are the ships that sail the seas, but
clouds high above them
(S) are far more lovely (A) far more lovely (S) are far more lovely (A) far
more lovely
(ALL) far more lovely than these.
4a. CADET CHOIR
TWO STEVENSON SETTINGS: “The Moon” Poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson
(S) Tick tock….(etc)
(A) The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
(ALL) On streets and fields and harbor keys,
And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.
(S) Tick tock….(etc)
(A) The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
The howling dog by the door of the house,
(ALL) The bat that lies in bed at noon,
All love to be out by the light of the moon.
But all of the things that belong to the day
Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way;
And flowers and children close their eyes
Till up in the morning the sun shall rise.
(S) Tick tock….(etc)
(A) The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
The howling dog by the door of the house,
(ALL) The bat that lies in bed at noon,
All love to be out by the light…. of the moon.
4b. CADET CHOIR
TWO STEVENSON SETTINGS: “Pirate Story” Poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson
Three of us afloat in the meadow by the swing,
Three of us abroad in the basket on the lee.
Winds are in the air, they are blowing in the spring,
And waves are on the meadow like the waves there are at sea.
(Round, S then A)
Where shall we adventure today that we’re afloat,
Wary of the weather and steering by a star?
(S) Shall it be to Africa, (ALL) a-steering of the boat,
(ROUND) To Providence, or Babylon, or off to Malabar?
(Unison)
Hi! But here’s a squadron a-rowing on the sea –
Cattle on the meadow a-charging with a roar!
Quick, and we’ll escape them, they’re mad as they can be,
The wicket is the harbor and the garden is the shore.
(Round, S then A)
Three of us afloat in the meadow by the swing,
Three of us abroad in the basket on the lee.
(S) Winds are in the air, (ALL) they are blowing in the spring,
(ROUND) And waves are on the meadow like the waves there are at sea.
At sea, like the waves there are at sea.
5. ALL
“Wintersong” Poetry by Emily Bronte
(Con) Wintersong, (Cad) Wintersong,
(ALL) Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away, lengthen the night and shorten
the day.
Ev’ry leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.
(Cad) Winter, a chill is in the air, in frozen beauty non compare.
The wintry world glistens bright. It gleams and sparkles in cold delight.
(Con) Wintersong, (Cad) Wintersong,
(Con) (S=Ooh) (A) I will smile when wreathes of snow blossom where the rose
should go.
(A=Ooh) (S) I will sing when night’s decay ushers in the winter day.
(Con) Wintersong, (Cad) Wintersong,
(Sing Cad & Con parts together:)
(Cad) Winter, a chill is in the air, in frozen beauty non compare.
The wintry world glistens bright. It gleams and sparkles in cold delight.
(Con) (S=Ooh) (A) I will smile when wreathes of snow blossom where the rose
should go.
(A=Ooh) (S) I will sing when night’s decay ushers in the winter day.
(Con) Wintersong, (Cad) Wintersong,
(Con) Wintersong, (Cad) Wintersong,
6. CONCERT CHOIR
“Baby Song of the Four Winds” Poetry by Carl Sandburg
(distant wind sounds)
Let me be your baby, south wind, south wind.
Rock me, let me rock, rock me now, rock me low, rock me warm.
Let me be your baby, south wind, south wind.
(bigger wind sounds, right to left, then left to right)
Comb my hair, west wind. Comb me with cowlick.
Or let me go with a pompadour.
Come on, west wind. Make me your baby.
(big wind with thunder crashes)
North wind, (S, then A echo) shake me/ where I’m foolish/
Shake me loose and change my ways/
shake me/ where I’m foolish/
Shake me loose and change my ways/ Shake me loose and change my ways/
Shake me/shake me.
(Unison) Cool my ears with a blue sea wind. I’m your baby, make me behave.
And you, east wind, what can I ask? A fog comfort? A fog, to tuck me in?
Fix me so, and let me sleep. I’m your baby, and I always was.
(one last burst of wind sounds, and fade)
7. CADET CHOIR
“Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” Poetry by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know, his house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here to watch his woods fill up with snow,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer to stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake, the darkest evening of the year,
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake to ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
(Alto, then S echo) and miles to go before I sleep, before I sleep.
8. ALL
“Ring Out, Wild Bells” Poetry by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, the flying cloud, the frosty light.
The year is dying in the night. Ring out, wild bells, and let it die.
(S) Ring out the old, ring in the new (A) Ring out the old, ring in the new.
(S) Ring, happy bells, across the snow (A) Ring, happy bells, across the snow.
(S) The year is going, let it go (A) let it go.
(ALL) Ring out the false, [REST] ring in the true.
Ring out the old, ring in the new. Ring happy bells across the snow.
The year is going let it go. Ring out the false-------ring in the true.
(ROUND, S then A) Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, ring out, wild bells,
to the wild sky.
(Together) Ring out, wild bells, and let it die.
9. ALL
“Peace On Earth” Poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
(SOLO) I heard the bells one quiet day. Their old familiar songs did play.
And mild and sweet the words repeat of peace on earth, good will to all.
(ALL) I though how as the day had come, the belfries of the world as one
Had rolled along the unbroken song of peace on earth, good will to all.
(ALL Cad & Con A) And in despair (Con S: Oo oo oo oo) I bowed my head (Oo oo
oo oo)
“There is no peace (oo----oo oo) on earth,” I said.
(ALL) For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to all.
The pealed the bells more loud and deep: “Peace is not dead, nor doth it sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth------good will to
all.
Good will to all.”