La Canción del Caminante

(SATB choir, piano; SA choir, piano in A-flat Major)
(TB choir, piano in B-flat Major)

Program Notes

Antonio Machado (1875–1939) is considered one of the greatest Spanish poets of the twentieth century. Though he received minimal formal training—a fact that would impair his self-confidence throughout his life—he published seven major collections of his poetry, focusing on themes of spirituality, time and memory. The text for La Canción del Caminante is drawn from Machado’s 1912 collection, Campos de Castilla, and emphasizes a message of courage and self-realization in the face of uncertainty. This universal, relatable theme underscores the importance of individuals making a difference in their own way. It is a powerful realization that everyone forges their own path, and that the paths others have trodden may not be right for everyone. Machado’s story ends as another casualty of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). He perished in southern France after contracting pneumonia while fleeing from the violence that was ravaging the country he loved.

Occasionally, the stressed syllable of a Spanish word does not fall on a strong beat. When this occurs, performers should follow the accentuation of the language. A tenuto mark indicates where the stress falls.

La Canción del Caminante [Visit Santa Barbara Music Publishing!]

Original Spanish text