Morning (for soprano and string quartet)

Morning (Love Sonnet XXVII) by Pablo Neruda

Naked you are simple as one of your hands;
Smooth, earthy, small, transparent, round.
You've moon-lines, apple pathways
Naked you are slender as a naked grain of wheat.

Naked you are blue as a night in Cuba;
You've vines and stars in your hair.
Naked you are spacious and yellow
As summer in a golden church.

Naked you are tiny as one of your nails;
Curved, subtle, rosy, till the day is born
And you withdraw to the underground world.

As if down a long tunnel of clothing and of chores;
Your clear light dims, gets dressed, drops its leaves,
And becomes a naked hand again.

  • David Braid
    Author
  • David Braid (composer)
    Name of Band or Artist
  • Pablo Neruda
    Author of text
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    same title: Morning
  • Length:
    12 minutes 33 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2012
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Student Project:
    No
Artist Biography

David Braid – Composer

David Braid’s work has been performed internationally in Europe and the Americas and
broadcast on BBC Radio 3. UK performances include Wigmore Hall, The Purcell Room, Wilton’s
Music Hall, 1901 Arts Club, amongst others.
Steve Reich said of David Braid’s work: “Morning - Integration of voice with string quartet
beautifully done – particularly first entrance. Writing for instruments is solid and sounds very
good to me. Very honest stuff”. The string orchestra version of this work was premiered in
Moscow in 2014.
David studied at The Royal College of Music, taking joint-first study in Composition and Guitar,
later undertaking graduate study in Composition at The University of Oxford and The Cracow
Academy of Music.
David is the recipient of a number of awards including The John Longmire Prize for Composition
and the Jack Morrison Prize for Guitar (both RCM); plus recently winning the Edinburgh
University Brass Band Composition Prize (February 2017).
Recording of David’s second CD of chamber/instrumental/vocal works will be released in
summer 2017. Recently completed works include his 3rd Symphony.
His works for brass, woodwind and percussion are published by Experianza Music, his works for
lute are published by Paris-based Le Luth Doré, and works for guitar and flute are published by
Les Productions d'OZ.

www.davidbraid.net

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Artist Statement

A versatile and prolific composer of instrumental, chamber, orchestral, vocal and choral music - committed to creating works that form/reflect a new direction in music which, following historical precedent, has strong public appeal while maintaining the very highest standards of compositional craft: “The future of music is a beauty that both reflects and transcends its own time”.