Nina C. Young - Not Waving But Drowning

Not Waving But Drowning

Instrumentation: solo viola, piano, mixed choir SSAATTBB (min 8 voices)
Duration: 10:50
Year Composed: 2009
Text by Stevie Smith (with permission)

World Premiere: Premiered November 2010, Marcin Swoboda, viola; Thomas Carr, piano; Michal Novotny, conductor; St Peters Church, Montreal

Performance materials here, or upon request.
View score on Issuu

Nina C. Young · Not Waving But Drowning (2009) for viola, piano, and mixed choir

Not Waving But Drowning
Stevie Smith

Nobody heard him, the dead man.
But still he lay moaning;
I was much further our than you thought
And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he's dead.
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
They said.

Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead one lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.

11/16/22