Tin, Christopher - All That Could Never Be Said
Movement IX from "The Lost Birds"
Instrumentation: SATB (divisi) a cappella
With a simple melody inspired by children's songs, All That Could Never Be Said is a setting of Sara Teasdale's poem In the End. Showcasing her signature pairing of nihilism and pastoral beauty, the poem is an exploration of regret: it suggests that the consequences of our inaction are final and absolute. There are no second chances to speak up or to act, and all our missed opportunities will be lost to us until we're reunited with them in death.