The Cloak, the Boat, and the Shoes 
This atmospheric, sensitive piece for solo SATB (or small vocal ensemble) with optional string quartet was written by Timothy Raymond for the 2017 Lower Machen Festival. The contemporary harmonic language, with distant echoes of Britten, Holst and Howells, and the delicate, often sensuous textures combine to make a work of considerable expressive power that perfectly captures the essence of W. B. Yeats’s poem. Around six minutes long, it is a welcome addition to the rich repertoire of British vocal music

‘What do you make so fair and bright?’

‘I make the cloak of Sorrow:
O lovely to see in all men’s sight
Shall be the cloak of Sorrow,
In all men’s sight.’

‘What do you build with sails for flight?’

‘I build a boat for Sorrow: 
O swift on the seas all day and night
Saileth the rover Sorrow,
All day and night.’

‘What do you weave with wool so white?’

‘I weave the shoes of Sorrow: 
Soundless shall be the footfall light
In all men’s ears of Sorrow, 
Sudden and light.’

  Music example (pdf)