When All Falls Silent

This unaccompanied work is harmonically rich and written with frequent divisi. Homophony predominates along with instances of antiphonal writing between men’s and women’s voices. This poem bespeaks a poignant universality of human experience yearning to achieve peace and harmony. It opens a path toward beauty and the exploration of what we can hear when we are open and quiet enough to listen.

When all falls silent,
And the breath of life
Flows from the source
And calms the stormy sea,
My heart-song,
Always sung but seldom heard,
Rises from the mist,
Calling, calling…

Then, slowly,
I turn my gaze,
Drawn toward beauty
And the song’s amber light;
I open my soul,
And I am at peace,
I am in harmony,
Listening, listening…

Copyright© Charles Anthony Silvestri.
Used by permission.