After Many Springs
Unaccompanied SSAATTBB choir and baritone solo
Rocky Mountain Chamber Choir Call For Compositions 2026: From Page to Voice
First Place Winner
Unaccompanied SSAATTBB choir and baritone solo
Rocky Mountain Chamber Choir Call For Compositions 2026: From Page to Voice
First Place Winner
Langston Hughes’ poetry describes so vividly the lens of childlike wonder in which we see the world when we are younger, which fades with age. When I learned of this poem, I was struck with the opportunity for text painting, and used each line of text to create a soundscape, using small motifs that are passed around the choir. After the baritone solo sings "Am I to old to see the fairies dance?", these motifs begin to fade out of perception as the poem comes to a bittersweet end, leaving only the memory of youthful imagination.
"Daniel's setting of 'After Many Springs' by Langston Hughes was the most set of all the poetry we received and there were MANY wonderful settings. It was Dan Ahlgren’s that most stood out to me. With appropriate influences from the world of jazz, Dan found sincere and subtle ways of finding the depth in Langston Hughes’ poem. The rich harmonic progression patterns gave the piece structure and life, while also promising some familiarity, which felt extremely appropriate for the reminiscence in the text. After I played through it the first time, it left a lasting impression on me and I couldn’t forget it. "
-- Rocky Mountain Chamber Choir
Rocky Mountain Chamber Choir - Live stream July 19, 2026
After Many Springs
Now,
In June,
When the night is a vast softness
Filled with blue stars,
And broken shafts of moon-glimmer
Fall upon the earth,
Am I too old to see the fairies dance?
I cannot find them any more.
Langston Hughes, "The Weary Blues" (1926)
After Many Springs
Copyright © 2026 by Daniel Ahlgren; All rights reserved.