Autumn Leaves

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First Performance

November 2022

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Ensemble

Soprano and Piano

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Duration

4 minutes

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Program Notes

Julia Presho Hamilton lived from January 20th, 1855 to April 8th, 1932.

She was my great great great grandmother. 

My mom got this poem from her grandpa and sent it to me thinking it would be perfect for me to set. 

It took me a few years to find a setting that would be good for it, but I am happy to have a piece that is tied together through my family. 

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Jaclyn Breeze, 2022

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Autumn Leaves by Julia Presho Hamilton

O, beautiful, beautiful Autumn leaves

Brought thoughts of you, my memory weaves, 

Ye, who so lovely, so fair and gay,
Ye, o bright leaves are passing away. 

 

Fair are your colors of crimson and gold.
Fairer than diamonds or rubies untold

Fairer than wild flowers of April or May

yet, O bright leaves, ye are passing away. 

 

Summer is past with its scorching heat.

The shady wood was a cool retreat. 

The leaves were so verdant and now are so gay

And which so surely are passing away. 

 

Our summer is passing, the summer of life

With its toils and sorrows, cares and strife

Mid the thoughtless and careless, the idle and gay

We, too thoughtless mortals are passing away. 

 

The leaf will soon fall from the parent tree

The birds cease to warble their sweet melody.

Stern winter will come, when the bright foliage gay

Has fallen and faded and all passed away. 

 

Let us remember we fade as a leaf

With our toils and our sorrows, our cares and our grief

Let us earnestly each of us seek heaven today

And that glory immortal that fades not away. ​​

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