Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Fall~Summer's back is broken~Soft Rain, part 1

I guess it is officially fall, at least on the calendar, and I do hope for an Indian summer. But Saturday it drizzled rain all day. A rare and happy occasion in the West Desert.

All day I sang a song in my head, which we are singing in our choir, the Choral Arts Society of Utah Master Chorale. It is called "Soft Rain" by Janet Cox and Douglas Cox, arranged by Douglas Cox and Jay Welch. Jay is LDS and used to direct the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He also started and lead the Mormon Youth Chorus for several years. I cannot find a recording of it anywhere on the internet. Sterling, my conductor said the Mormon Youth Chorus might have it on a recording, but I cannot find it anywhere.

But here are the words. (Keep in mind as you read the poem, that the choir and piano sound like a rain storm as they start softly, then keep getting more intense, and then finish pianissimo.)

added later: I belong to the Choral Arts Society of Utah. I recorded this and finally figured out how to put it on You Tube, then to embed it onto this blog.

Our choir director is also the local Weatherman for KUTV Channel 2 in Salt Lake. Before he starts, he turns to the audience and says, "It's going to rain"


(women) Rain falls
soft rain at my window
Every butterfly has hurried away
All the honeybees have called it a day
And the columbine are bending their heads
in the rain

Rain falls
soft rain making puddles
for the children's feet
the puddles are sweet
And the skater-bug fleet finds small pools a treat
And the columbine are bending their heads
in the rain.

(men)
While the rain is falling there's a quietness about the world;
While the thunder is calling there's a quiet hush about the world
A time to remember the beautiful things,
To look for tomorrow and your fondest dreams

(women)
While the rain is falling there's a quietness about the world;
While the thunder is calling there's a quiet hush about the world

(men and women)
A time to remember the beautiful things,
To look for tomorrow and your fondest dreams

(men continue singing)
While the rain is falling there's a quietness about the world;
While the thunder is calling there's a quiet hush about the world
(as women sing)
Rain falls, soft rain making puddles
For the children's feet,
The puddles are sweet
And the skater-bug fleet
Find small pools a treat
And the columbine are bending their heads
in the rain.
Rain falls
soft rain through the tree boughs
Bringing ev'ning birds a quick friendly bath
washing afternoon dust from my wide garden path
And the columbine are bending their heads
in the rain.

(men and women)
A time to remember the beautiful things,
To look for tomorrow and your fondest dreams.

(men)
While the rain is falling there's a quietness about the world;
While the thunder is calling there's a quiet hush about the world

(women)
Rain. . . falls. . .
soft rain at my window. . .
I will go outside where sleepy rain blows. . .
Feel the wet on my face. . .feel the wet on my clothes. . .
And like the columbine. . .
I want to bow my head
in the rain. . . . . .

to learn more about my choir, The Choral Arts Society of Utah, visit our web site
www.casu.org

Added later: I received a very sweet note from Jay Welch's daughter and she sent me a copy of this song, so now I can sing along whenever I want.

This Saturday rain cooled things off a bit, and after one of those days in the fall, it just doesn't get as hot anymore. The garden is finally producing prolifically, which is always wonderful, but hard to have a frost and have it just die after it just got started.
In the summer we use a whole house fan every night. This is a 3' square fan that is mounted somewhere in the middle of the house in the ceiling and vents into the attic. Every night we open all the windows a tiny bit (about 2-3 inches) and when we turn that fan on, it sucks the curtains in about a foot. All the cool night air is pulled in, circulated around the house and vented out the attic, which is cooled off by morning. It really keeps the house cool in the summer.

I mark my seasons by when I turn that fan on and off. I think I began turning it on about June. And this last week we tried it before bed, but turned it off in the middle of the night. I think it was about Wednesday. Thursday, I removed all the box fans from the rooms, and our bedroom windows. And today, sadly, I turned on the heat. I have it set at 64 degrees. Monday I covered the tomatoes with blankets.
::sigh::
it really is fall.

I am including a link to the other post I did on Soft Rain here.

23 comments:

Sailor said...

Aaahh.... and for once I didn't mention that they days are getting shorter!! It took a bit of dicipline to keep quiet too. But you are a girl for all seasons, and I look forward to another one with you.

Anonymous G said...

Hi Annie!

I love the rain. What a lovely poem.

~Anonymous G

RisibleGirl said...

I love the rain too, so I guess it's a good thing I live in the rainy state (Washington)!

I wish BER liked to sleep with the windows open. I love the fresh air, especially in the fall. He doesn't like the noisy birds in the morning- so I guess he wins.

Gabby said...

I sang this song in 1972 at a Music Festival in Los Angeles CA in the Long Beach Arena with several thousand youth. I was clearing out my empty nest and came across the program, googled the lyrics and found you. There were several songs from that performance that were quite lovely arrangements. I enjoy your book list. Regards.

Annieofbluegables said...

Gabby, if you come back to see me again, please let me know more about you. Do you still sing? If so, do I have a choir for you. . . located really close to you.
We meet every Tuesday night at Taylorsville High at 7pm. I serve on the board of directors of this choir and it is an amazing choir. Sterling Poulson conducts it. We will be singing in the Rotunda of the State Capitol building on Saturday the 5th of January 2008 at 2 pm. If you are interested in a choir, maybe you should join us on Tuesdays after the first of the year.
regards
a

Anonymous said...

Hi Annie of Blue Gables

I ran into your blog when I was searching for the words to the song you mentioned. Soft Rain. I remember singing it when I was in a girls choir in Jr. High. It just came to my mind today and I thought I would try to find it. I only remembered some of the words but they led me to you. Thanks for posting the words here. I loved singing it.
You must be an Anne of Green Gables lover too!

Thanks again!

JulieK

David N. Cox said...

I sang the song "Soft Rain" in 1971 at June Conference in the Special Events Center at the U. I have the music, and our family has sung it ever since. I love it. It's raining today, and I just wanted to play it again.

Then I did a search, and only your blog came up. I wish I could tell the composers how much that song has meant to me. I'm glad you posted it!

Anonymous said...

Hi! I've been searching for this music for ages! We used to sing it at Girl's Camp. Google's a wonderful thing! But the only hits were your blog and an article from the LDS Ensign article in 1972 about its performance at a conference. If you or poster David Cox or your choir director have the music, can you let me know the publisher? Maybe I could contact them to get a copy. Thanks so much! It's such a lovely song... lkrichardsatpoboxdotcom

Anonymous said...

I too, found your blog by googling the lyrics to soft rain...we used to sing this at Brighton LDS girls camp. It was a tradition to "make rain" and then sing this song. We did it both years as campers,and we did it when I was a counselor several years later...so I think it has stuck as a tradition...I too love the rain, but live in dry Arizona where we don't get much. The past few night we have had wonderful rain storms, so that's what brought it to mind. Thanks for sharing, the choir sounded great. Brought back that "nazukashi kimoshi" or nostalgic feeling of camp in the Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Annieofbluegables said...

The publisher is Shawnee Press, Inc. Nashville TN
I hope you can find a copy.

Welcome said...

hey, i also googled "soft rain" and was led to your blog. my parents led a number of youth in the ID area from the book "Sing a New Song" published in 1971. It included "soft rain" and others that my family and i grew up singing. i am now looking high and low for a copy of this book. it sounds like those who performed it at youth conferences around that time probably had the same book - printed by Western Music Press in Ut. could you help?

Anonymous said...

Soft Rain... I remember singing that song as a teenager in Ward Choir. I always loved it. Thanks for posting it, and the words.

Art King said...

Hi;
I found your blog by searching for the lyrics; "Rain falls, soft rain at my window". I was in a 16-member small choir while in High School and we sang this song. It has run around my head many times over the years and I so enjoyed reading all the lyrics again, and hearing your choir sing it. Thank you for the posting!
Art King

Phil Norris said...

Every time I hear about columbine sprouting I think of them "bending their heads in the rain". My older sister sang it in a jr.high girls choir. To hear it again flooded me with memories of hearing that performance and the director, Bruce Walker. My sister's performance was in 1972. Mr. Walker became my choir director at Meridian High School (Meridian, Idaho) in 78/79 and 79/80. He was and is a gifted teacher. He moved to direct vocal music at a local community college at the close of the school year 1980. Hearing the beautiful song and harmonies made me cry. Not tear up, but fully cry for the feelings and pleasure that only, so far as I know, comes from beautiful and touching music. I was back in those wonderful choirs and hearing the blended voices and feeling the fun and pride of live performance. You gave me a great look back. Thanks so much for putting the video online.
Phil Norris
Boise, Idaho
Meridian High School 1981

Phil Norris said...

Every time I hear about columbine sprouting I think of them "bending their heads in the rain". My older sister sang it in a jr.high girls choir. To hear it again flooded me with memories of hearing that performance and the director, Bruce Walker. My sister's performance was in 1972. Mr. Walker became my choir director at Meridian High School (Meridian, Idaho) in 78/79 and 79/80. He was and is a gifted teacher. He moved to direct vocal music at a local community college at the close of the school year 1980. Hearing the beautiful song and harmonies made me cry. Not tear up, but fully cry for the feelings and pleasure that only, so far as I know, comes from beautiful and touching music. I was back in those wonderful choirs and hearing the blended voices and feeling the fun and pride of live performance. You gave me a great look back. Thanks so much for putting the video online.
Phil Norris
Boise, Idaho
Meridian High School 1981

Mom E. said...

I alos have been looking for the lyrics and sheet music for "Soft Rain", which I did not know the title of, and I found your blog! I heard my sister's High School choir sing this sometime between 1974 to 1976. I brought me so much comfort and so much calm, I have sung it many times when it has rained since. I have always loved the rian and the thunder and lightening storms. I am so excited to look for the music now! thank you so much for all the informaiton about its publication and for putting it on your blog! I was trying to find the words actually for a blog post I am doing about the rain, so now I can credit who wrote the song! And I will send a link to your blog. HOpe you are still blogging...
Hearts, Betsy

Mom E. said...

Annie,
I posted my post with some of the lyrics to this song at Betsy's Heartstrings blog. Thanks so much for having this on here. I also ordered the music. My family will LOVE singing this song.
Hearts to you!
Betsy

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for posting this. Like so many have stated, they couldn't find the words and music, and it is too beautiful to lose. Our ward sang it for a pioneer day program in about 1976 but I couldn't remember the name, just the words, 'soft rain on my windows, and the columbine is bending its head in the rain'. For the first time since beginning my search I found it by including the words about the columbine. It does bring back fond memories, and is a song I very much enjoy. Thanks for sharing the words and the video. Beautiful!!!

sjwalch said...

I sang this song 40 + years ago in a youth choir in California. I have always remember the phrase "and the columbine are bending their heads in the rain". That little melody has stuck with me all these years. So, whenever I see columbine, that little part of the song comes back to me, and of course, i have to sing it. I love that you posted this. It was so fun to sing along with the whole song.

Rey Thompson said...

Recent rains in SLC reminded me of this song which I performed in high school. Thanks for posting your performance. It enhanced my memories!

Annieofbluegables said...

thank you for visiting my blog and for your kind comments.

Unknown said...

I still have the songbook.

Unknown said...

I still have the songbook.

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