For Two-part Treble Chorus and Piano
Words by Abraham Koplowicz
Music by Stanley M. Hoffman

The Clock was completed June 13, 2015. It is a bitter-sweet setting of words by Abraham ("Abramek") Koplowicz (b. 1930, Lodz, Poland, d. 1944, Auschwitz-Birkenau) as translated by Sarah Lawson and Malgorzata Koraszewska. In addition to original music, this piece also includes a substantial amount of familiar musical quotations: Big Ben's chimes combined with the traditional melody from the Jewish High Holidays, possibly the first time those two elements have ever appeared in a piece of music simultaneously. -Stanley M. Hoffman


Beginning with quotations from Big Ben's chimes and a traditional melody from the Jewish High Holidays, this piece is scored for two part treble voices, piano, and an "optional mechanical clock sound." The text describes the workings of a clock in whimsical ways ( "tireless little gears and springs ") and the vocal lines are lyrical and easy to learn. The piano part completes the effect, sometimes measured and steady, sometimes whirring fantastically. The result is a charming piece for children's voices.
Duration: 3:00

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