The Passing of the Hours (2019)
Music by Javier Márquez
Poem by Ella Higginson (1863-1940)
All Parts live performance 2025
Soprano
Alto
Baritone
Lyrics:
The hours steal by with still, unasking lips -
So lightly that I cannot hear their tread;
And softly touch me with their finger-tips
To find if I be dreaming, or be dead.
And yet however still their flight may be,
Their ceaseless going weights my heart with tears;
These touches will have wroght deep scars on me -
When the light hours have worn to heavy years.
About The Passing of the Hours
Javier Márquez, is a piano and composition 2008 graduate of Salem State University and a 2014 composition graduate of UMass Amherst. A native of the Dominican Republic, Javier discovered the joy of making music at a young age when a friend introduced him to piano. He began composing and leading choruses near his hometown of Bonao during high school. Javier is currently on the music staff at St. Peter’s church in Salem, MA. His compositions have premiered with various groups throughout the region. Ella Higginson was an American poet and writer known for her lyrical and nature-inspired works that often reflected the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. She began publishing in the late 19th century and gained recognition for her poetry collections, short stories, and essays. In addition to her literary output, she was active in literary circles, promoting poetry and mentoring younger writers.