Choral(/Vocal) Piece of the Day, Installment 17: She Gave Him All Her Heart

Choral(/Vocal) Piece of the Day, Installment 17: She Gave Him All Her Heart.

This is an unabashedly tonal setting in English translation of a secular text about the passionate love between a blonde, mustached man and a beautiful woman with chestnut-colored hair which was written by the late Israeli poet, Zallman Shneour. It is a great choice for love-themed concerts such as those which occur on or around Valentine's Day.

The ECS Publishing Group catalog number for each of the four versions follows the description of each voicing; click on those links to see partial PDF samples of each score, or to purchase performance copies: TTBB chorus and piano, 6624; SATB chorus and piano, 6625; Tenor voice and piano, 6626; Baritone voice and piano, 6627.

Click here to listen to a performance of the version for SATB chorus and piano by the Philovox Ensemble, Jane Ring Frank, conductor, Scott Nicholas, pianist.

Click here to see and hear the composer’s YouTube music video for this version.

TEXT

She had a very dainty hand

Which no one dared to touch

A pair of lips... fine scarlet

Fashioned only for a kiss.

Her cheeks were very rosy

Abiding golden splendor

And in those very rosy cheeks

Trembled ever a mysterious desire.

Thus in such a clear night

When shadows, like a thicket, enveloped her

Then she gave to him her heart,

She gave him all her heart.

In her black eyes were light and shadow joined

And above her brow there moved

The freshness of youth full of charm.

But the blonde moustache

Wiped away that youthful dew

And in simple laughter

Did the blonde moustache remove it.

Both held each other hand in hand,

A shadow broke forth, sun had set

Then she gave to him her heart,

She gave him all her heart.

She had curls of chestnut

Which covered both her shoulders

And a chest white as marble.

The scent of summer and burning fire.

It was an evening, an evening so clear

Then they both walked silently

Through the small forest and through the vale

Then in the evening, then it was night

Softly did each shadow kiss;

Then she gave to him her heart,

She gave him all her heart.

—Zalman Shneour (1857–1959)

The poem She Gave Him All Her Heart by Zallman Shneour from the poetry collection titled Poems and Poets of Israel is used by permission of the Zalman Shneour Literary Trust and is © copyright 1967 by the Trustees of Boston University. All rights reserved.