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Hi, I was searching for the song lyrics to Eric Whitacre's piece "Sleep" when I ran int your journal. Do you by chance have the words? I had the pleasure of meeting him, perform his pieces and have him conduct us last semester at the university that I go to. I know the words are actually a poem that his friend wrote about his children. If you could give me those words, that would be great. My email address is sglau@loyno.edu. Thanks!

Sincerely,
Sheri

Posted by: Sheri at September 29, 2004 06:50 PM

The evening hangs beneath the moon
A silver thread on darkened doon
With closing eyes and resting head
I know that sleep is comming soon
Upon my pillow, safe in bed
A thousand pictures fill my head
I cannot sleep my minds a flight
And yet my limbs seem made of lead
If there are noises in the night
A frighting shadow, flickering light
Then I surrendor unto sleep
Where clouds of dreams give second sight
What dreams may come both dark and deep
Od flying wings and soaring leap
As I surrender unto sleep
As I surrendor unto sleep

Posted by: Elise at April 18, 2005 09:35 PM

The evening hangs beneath the moon
A silver thread on darkened doon
With closing eyes and resting head
I know that sleep is comming soon
Upon my pillow, safe in bed
A thousand pictures fill my head
I cannot sleep my minds a flight
And yet my limbs seem made of lead
If there are noises in the night
A frighting shadow, flickering light
Then I surrendor unto sleep
Where clouds of dreams give second sight
What dreams may come both dark and deep
Of flying wings and soaring leap
As I surrender unto sleep
As I surrendor unto sleep

Posted by: Elise at April 18, 2005 09:36 PM

This piece really spoke to me. I'm a freshman at West Junior High, where Craig McCualey is my chorale teacher. A friend of mine in a grade above me sent me this song, sung by FreeState Highschool Chamber Choir and it is the most amazing piece of music I've heard yet. This masterpiece certainly has a mind of its own. I love listening to it, over and over. I only hope once I reach the Highschool level, I will be able to sing along in one of your works.

Posted by: Madeleine Mcgeorge at January 5, 2006 08:44 PM

i had the awesome pleasure of singing this song with 150 people at the 2005 winter music symposium at Florida state university- i finally downloaded it and am so glad i found your page because now i can sing along! Sleep is the most beautiful choral work i have ever heard, maybe one day i'll get to sing it again- sigh........

Posted by: Kat at January 22, 2006 06:21 PM

Our marching band (Richland High School) played this song on the field as our lyrical piece and it was the most magnificent pieces that I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. It's a true and honest song that touches everyone that hears it.
-becca

Posted by: Becca at February 21, 2006 09:45 PM

I really love this song. Our school Agincourt C. I. sang it 2 years ago and again we sang it this year at Eric Whitacre's Concert fully dedicated to him and his music performed by University Choral and instrumental ensembles but we were lucky to be part of that Concert...Eric whitacre have also conducted and personally did a workshop for our Agincourt Singers who sang Sleep and our Winds Symphony who played Lux Aurumque which is also an excellent peice...our school loves eric whitacre and his music since Agincourt mainly focuses on The French Immersion program (which most of the musician in our ensembles are) and the Music department...again it was a pleasure to work with Eric and it was just a once in a life time thing

Posted by: Jeremy at July 27, 2006 10:16 AM

hey um i dont mean to b a bother but those arent all the words.
im a student at everglades high school and my concert choir sang that last year at the all-state competition for FLA and won

Posted by: chris at July 29, 2006 02:38 AM

I absolutely love this song, both the vocal and band versions. My band director at my school (Hanford High School) had us play this peice this year around the middle of the year, and one day he asked us to take it out one day. We hadn't played it in awhile, but I think that was the day we played it the best. I saw tears come to his eyes and when he cut us off at the end, he announced that his grandfather had died the day before, and that hearing us play the song was a closer of sorts for him.

Every time I hear the song, it always brings me back to that moment, when time just seemed to stop. It's that touching for me.

Posted by: Alex at August 2, 2006 06:29 PM

I too and from West Junior High and I absolutely love this piece. I get so pulled into the emotion and feeling when I listen to a beautiful a capella choir sing this. Eric Whitacre is truly amazing.

Posted by: Paige Trimble at February 17, 2007 02:53 PM

Our concert band at Shadow Ridge HS did this song for band festval, and two of the judges really liked it, and the other didn't really know what was going on... anyway I loved playing it. :]

Posted by: Renee at March 11, 2007 10:43 PM

If you have the rest of the words, would you post them?
I'll echo everyone and say this piece is gorgeous. I also love October and Cloudburst. I did Cloudburst at Governor's School for choral music in 2005. Amazing.

Posted by: Christina at December 4, 2007 11:45 PM

That's so strange. I sang this piece at Governor's School summer before last, as well as Whitacre's "Five Hebrew Love Songs," which is also quite beautiful.

Posted by: Katherine at January 28, 2008 07:54 PM

I don't want anyone thinking that I don't like his music-- it's phenomenal-- but Eric Whitacre is a serious douchebag. I worked with him personally on the premier of that particular work (Sleep) at the ACDA Convention in Hawaii (I forgot the year... 2001? 2002?) and though he did show some very interesting insight as to how he thought his work should be performed, he also had countless moments that can only be described as "boneheaded." Because our director (William Hall) opted to take things in a more musical direction, Eric decided to give the right to premier the work to BYU's choir. The day of the performance. Without telling us. It was a nightmare.

But Yeah, Sleep is a great piece. Listening to it right now!

Posted by: Haemon at February 8, 2008 05:59 PM

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