SALUTATION by Ēriks Ešenvalds
Text: Rabindranath Tagore

In one salutation to thee, my God, 
let all my senses spread out
and touch this world at thy feet.

Like a raincloud of July hung low 
with its burden of unshed showers,
let all my mind bend down at thy door
in one salutation to thee.

Let all my songs gather together 
their diverse strains into a single current
and flow to a sea of silence
in one salutation to thee.

Like a flock of homesick cranes flying 
night and day back to their mountain nests
let all my life take its voyage to its eternal home
in one salutation to thee.

THE PASSING OF THE YEAR by Jonathan Dove 
1. Invocation 
Text: William Blake
O Earth, O Earth, return!

2. The narrow bud opens her beauties to the sun
Text: William Blake

The narrow bud opens her beauties to 
The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;
Blossoms hang round the brows of morning, and
Flourish down the bright cheek of modest eve,
Till clust’ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And feather’d clouds strew flowers round her head.

The spirits of the air live on the smells 
Of fruit; and joy, with pinions light, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.

Summer is icumen in Lhude sing cucu
[Summer has arrived, Loudly sing, cuckoo]

3. Answer July
Text: Emily Dickinson

Answer July — 
Where is the Bee — 
Where is the Blush — 
Where is the Hay?

Ah, said July — 
Where is the Seed — 
Where is the Bud — 
Where is the May — 
Answer Thee — Me — 

Nay — said the May — 
Show me the Snow — 
Show me the Bells — 
Show me the Jay!

Quibbled the Jay — 
Where be the Maize — 
Where be the Haze — 
Where be the Bur?
Here — said the Year — 

4. Hot sun, cool fire
Text: George Peele
Hot sun, cool fire, temper’d with sweet air,
Black shade, fair nurse, shadow my white hair:
Shine, sun; burn, fire; breathe, air, and ease me;
Black shade, fair nurse, shroud me and please me:
Shadow, my sweet nurse, keep me from burning,
Make not my glad cause, cause of [my] mourning.
Let not my beauty’s fire
Enflame unstaid desire,
Nor pierce any bright eye
That wand’reth lightly.

5. Ah, Sun-flower!
Text: William Blake

Ah, Sun-flower! Weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the Sun,
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller’s journey is done:

Where the Youth pined away with desire,
And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow
Arise from their graves, and aspire
Where my Sun-flower wishes to go.

6. Adieu! Farewell earth’s bliss!
Text: Thomas Nashe

Adieu! Farewell earth’s bliss!
This world uncertain is:
Fond are life’s lustful joys,
Death proves them all but toys.
None from his darts can fly:
I am sick, I must die — 
Lord, have mercy on us!

Rich men, trust not in wealth,
Gold cannot buy you health;
Physic himself must fade;
All things to end are made;
The plague full swift goes by:
I am sick, I must die — 
Lord, have mercy on us!

Beauty is but a flower
Which wrinkles will devour:
Brightness falls from the air;
Queens have died young and fair
Dust hath closed Helen’s eye:
I am sick, I must die — 
Lord, have mercy on us!

7. Ring out, wild bells
Text: Alfred Lord Tennyson

O Earth, O Earth, return!

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
   The flying cloud, the frosty light:
   The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
   Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
   The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
   For those that here we see no more;
   Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
   The faithless coldness of the time;
   Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
   Ring out the narrowing lust of gold
   Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.