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Report: Eric Whitacre – "Sleep" (PDF Resources)

1. Overview of the Work

• Composer: Eric Whitacre (b. 1970)
• Title: Sleep
• Year of Composition: 2000 (originally conceived as an instrumental work, later set to text)
• Genre: Contemporary Choral Music (SATB choir, divisi)
• Duration: Approx. 5–6 minutes
• Notable Feature: The piece was originally written as an instrumental Adagio for Strings (inspired by Samuel Barber). When Whitacre sought permission to set Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” to the music, the Frost estate denied permission. Poet Charles Anthony Silvestri then wrote original text, Sleep, to fit the existing music.

Whitacre initially set Frost's poem without securing legal permission. When the Frost estate denied use of the text, Whitacre was devastated. Silvestri’s "Sleep":

Originally, Whitacre composed the music for a setting of Robert Frost’s iconic poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." The piece was commissioned by Julia Armstrong in memory of her parents, who shared a deep love for the poem. sleep+eric+whitacre+pdf

The story behind Eric Whitacre 's "Sleep" is one of the most famous tales in modern choral history—a journey from a legal "disaster" to a masterpiece of atmospheric music. The Commission and the "Perfect" Poem Report: Eric Whitacre – "Sleep" (PDF Resources) 1

Upon my pillow, safety blessed
Beyond the toll of weary rest
I dream in shadow and in light
My waking thoughts are put to flight Composer: Eric Whitacre (b

Silvestri’s poem captures the liminal space between waking and dreaming: