In the Spaces of Thought

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In the Spaces of Thought was composed in its entirety during a single day in November 2014 and revised in December while I was living in Bennington, Vermont.  The text is by Henry David Thoreau and taken from his essay “A Walk to Wachusett” (1843, public domain) about his trip to the top of Mt. Wachusett, which lies in central Massachusetts not far at all from where I grew up.  I was reading this account when the following lines resonated with me:

In the spaces of thought are the reaches of land and water, where men go and come.  The landscape lies far and fair within, and the deepest thinker is the farthest traveled.

For this setting, I made two small changes to the text, changing “go and come,” to “come and go.” and “farthest” to “furthest.”

These lines highlight the influence of eastern philosophy on Thoreau’s thought, of looking deep within one’s self as opposed to exploring the world around us.  They also remind me of George Harrison’s lines in the Beatles’ song “The Inner Light” which also come from eastern philosophy: “The farther one travels the less one knows.”  

Premiered April 12, 2016 by the Algonquin Regional High School Chamber Choir, Katherine Waters-conductor, in Northborough, MA.