Sarah Quartel's A Winter Day

Choral Artists of Michigan
Jim Watson, Artistic Director
Hannah Watson, Collaborative Piano
Melody Mieczkowski, Cello
Recorded Live at the Winter Day Choral Festival, February 3, 2023

1. Timid Star (0:00)
2. A Winter Dawn (2:42)
3. Into Morning (5:45)
4. A Winter Day (8:53)
5. Snow Toward Evening (12:19)

We begin, with 'Timid Star,' in the dark stillness before dawn, where 'a shy white star' shivers as it shines on frozen fields below. In 'A Winter Dawn,' color floods the sky and a triumphant sunrise rings through the music. 'Into Morning' takes us back to exciting childhood days out on the land in knee-deep snow, or outings with treasured family members where a great dark horse would pull the sleigh through the nearby woods; the 'tang of frost' in 'A Winter Day' would leave us refreshed and laughing. As the work comes to a close, so does the day. Stillness returns and falling snow covers any evidence of the day's activities. The sky returns to darkness once more.