Composition
Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art, Op. 10
Alternative title: 璀璨明星，作品 10
Text by: John Keats
Language: English
Year of composition: 2021
Instrumentation: voice (all), piano
Duration: 2½ mins
Dedicatee: Daniel Kuk 谷瑋昭
Related work: transcription for piano
Premieres:
World premiere:
Neil Latchman (ten), Lance Mok (pno)
2023 Apr 29・St Mary's, Ealing, London, UK
American premiere:
Rex Man (cttr), Jimmy Cheung (pno)
2023 Jun 11・Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, USA
Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art is a setting of John Keats’s sonnet. The poem inspired the most tonal work in the composer’s oeuvre to date. The song is set to a modified AABA form with a coda ending in a deceptive cadence as the sonnet deviates from the ideals of eternal love to contemplating death, and thus love’s mortality. The stable pulse and tonality echo the tranquillity of the night and the steadfastness the poet vowed to his love. The song is available in E major, C major, and A major, and was also transcribed by the composer for piano solo as his Op. 10a.