Full Description
for SATB, solo cello, and piano
The Cloths of Heaven is a three-movement work by Michael Higgins that blends a richly textured sonority and pastoral sound-world with jazz-infused harmony. Each movement sets a different text by W. B. Yeats: The gentle opening movement, 'Where my Books Go', is full of comfort and warmth; 'He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven' explores the dichotomy of love as both beautiful to behold, yet perilously delicate; and in the closing movement, 'When you are old and grey', both words and music move from soft romanticism to regret. Higgins masterfully illuminates the nuances and underlying tensions of each text, with the lyrical solo cello woven throughout the texture as an additional voice in the storytelling. An alternative accompaniment for string quintet or string orchestra is also available.
