San Martino
Dedicated to my Nonno & Nonna, San Martino captures the experience of village life on an autumn day in the small towns of Trentino, Italy. It is scored for SATB divisi a cappella, with two-part soprano, alto, tenor, and bass splits.
"San Martino" was written in the late 1800s by the poet Giosuè Carducci. Inspired by his vivid imagery, I wanted something that sounded fresh and crisp, reflecting the qualities of autumn. I eventually found the B Maj7(no3) chord, which led me to construct the slow, dissonant opening, setting the mood for the rest of the piece.
DURATION
4 minutes
VOICING
SATB divisi a cappella
DIFFICULTY
Intermediate
YEAR
2026
LANGUAGE
Italian
Audio Sample
San Martino • Argyle Secondary Chamber Choir
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San Martino
Text by Giosuè Carducci (excerpt)
Original
Tra le rossastre nubi
stormi d'uccelli neri
com'esuli pensieri,
nel vespero migrar.
Translation
Among the reddish clouds
flocks of black birds
as exiled thoughts,
in the twilight migrating.
Performance
Please note this is the April edition of San Martino; the current version has updated, clearer notation but retains the original structure.
