three cummings by Tom Schnauber

Three settings of poems by E. E. Cummings

Originally for treble choir, flute, harp, and harpsichord, this is the version for treble choir, flute, and piano.

Performed by the Manitou Singers led by Sigrid Johnson.

i.
maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and
milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea

ii.
O the sun comes up-up-up in the opening
sky(the all the
any merry every pretty each
bird sings birds sing
gay-be-gay because today’s today)the
romp cries I and the me purrs
you and the gentle
who-horns says-does moo-woo
(the prance with the
three white its stimpstamps)
the grintgrunt wugglewiggle champycumpchomps yes
the speckled strut begins to scretch and
scratch-scrutch
and scritch(while
the no-she-yes-he fluffies tittle
tattle did-he-does-she)& the
ree ray rye roh
rowster shouts
rawrOO

iii.
in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
whistles far and wee
and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it’s
spring
when the world is puddle-wonderful
the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing
from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
it’s
spring
and
the
goat-footed
balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee
“

Contains tracks

• maggie and millie by Tom Schnauber
• o the sun by Tom Schnauber
• inJust- by Tom Schnauber