- Written in 2023, the a cappella choral piece Autumn originated as a solo piano piece. It was featured on Gjeilo’s EP, Seasons, released in 2020. Gjeilo was inspired by Vestmarka, a “tranquil national park that nearly borders the doorstep of my childhood home in Norway.”
- The choral version was commissioned by Highland Chamber Choir and sets lyrics by American poet Charles Anthony “Tony” Silvestri.
- Gjeilo provided Silvestri with pictures and personal memories from Vestmarka to create the work’s text.1
Feel the falling air,
The light becoming golden;
Trees their colors wear,
Deep and all-enfolding.
The autumn leaves embracing;
But soon they all must fall,
The summer green erasing,
To answer winter’s call.
And here once again
Familiar paths I wander;
Through the westmark wend
The living earth I ponder.
Though fading days are colder,
And soon the darkness long,
My spirit-fire grows bolder,
And in my heart a song.
Even when shadows lengthen,
I’m here where I belong.
Sources
- “AUTUMN,” Ola Gjeilo, accessed December 12, 2025, https://olagjeilo.com/sheet-music/choral-satb-a-cappella/autumn/.
Cut IDs
27606