That Time of Year is an a cappella setting of one of Shakespeare’s most poignant sonnets (No.73) for soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass soloists, or SATBarB choir.

The frequently subdued dynamics and wide vocal range require a firm degree of control. The soprano line is particularly demanding, because of its high, but often very quiet notes. The overall mood is one of gentle melancholy – sometimes almost sombre in tone – influenced by the weight of the three male voices (against the two female lines), and this is frequently matched by the archaic-sounding harmonies. The “quasidistant” middle section (marked “tranquillo e misterioso”) comprises a group of phrases from which the singers are free to choose, but all are calculated to sound well
together.

During this middle section, there is an option for the baritones and basses to move to the front centre of the stage, while all the other singers retreat backwards, and further out, to form a distant wide arc – and “ghostly” effect.