Sleep
"Sleep" by Eric Whitacre (2003)
United States Navy Concert Band and Sea Chanters Chorus
conducted by Capt. Brian O. Walden
Originally a strictly choral composition, Whitacre transcribed a version for band with optional SATB chorus which we present here. The text was conceived by Whitacre friend, Charles Anthony Silvestri and loosely based around themes in the poem "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost. Originally, Whitacre had set the text of the Frost poem believing it to be "fair use" as other composers had previously set it to music. However, the holders of Mr. Frost's estate had decided to halt all usage of that particular poem only months prior to Mr. Whitacre's composition. Having to cease distribution and performance of the piece, the composition sat unperformed. With some distance and reflection, Mr. Whitacre decided to ask his friend Charles Anthony Silvestri to take up the challenging task of setting new words to an already composed piece using the same structure as the Frost poem and incorporating similar themes.
The choral version was used for Whitacre's highly-successful "Virtual Choir" in 2011 where people from all over the world video-recorded themselves singing a voice part, conducted by a video-recording of Mr. Whitacre. The participants then uploaded the video to YouTube and a mass choir was created using qualified submissions.
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🎧 About This Track
📖 How to Get the Most Out of This Audio
To fully enjoy "Sleep", we recommend the following approach:
- Set the Scene: Find a comfortable position, dim the lights if possible, and minimize distractions.
- Use Quality Audio: Headphones or quality speakers will enhance the experience significantly.
- Adjust Volume: Keep the volume at a comfortable background level - loud enough to hear, quiet enough to relax.
- Enable Loop: Click the Loop button above for continuous play during your session.
- Try the Mixer: Use our Ambient Sound Mixer below to customize the audio with additional sound layers.
This 5:50 track is ideal for overnight sleep sessions. With 162.1K views, it has become a trusted choice for thousands of listeners worldwide.