The sick rose

Getting started

With this eight-part work set to the beautiful text by William Blake, Marcel Ponseele wins the third edition of the Vic Nees Composition Competition.

The conductor may optionally arrange the choir in a double choir SATB - SATB. From measure 13, the word 'whoo' should be used as an onomatopoeia for the howling storm. The ascending glissando in measures 24-25 should be performed by the choir quickly, almost hysterically, while the descending glissando in measure 33 should be executed as slowly as possible.