Acrostic Song (from Final Alice, 1974-75) - David Del Tredici (b. 1937)

David Del Tredici is one of the major American composers of the late 20th century whose return to tonality and lyricism helped re-energise art music in the post-serialism era. His deep fascination with the works of Lewis Carroll, particularly Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, became a defining thread of his career. The large-scale work Final Alice (1974-75), for soprano (amplified), folk-group and large orchestra, is a major milestone of that “Alice” series. Acrostic Song appears in the concluding aria of Final Alice, and subsequently the piece has been arranged for many forces, including SATB chorus.

The term 'acrostic' refers to the poetic form of the underlying text: the initial letters of each line of the seven-verse epilogue poem spell out ALICE PLEASANCE LIDDELL, referring to the real-life Alice for whom Carroll wrote.

The text is drawn from Carroll's epilogue to Through the Looking-Glass. In musical form, Del Tredici sets the poem as a kind of lullaby or farewell — the culmination of the Alice-works' narrative arc. The effect is both whimsical and poignant: the imagery evokes night, dreams, departure and transformation, and the acrostic form gives an additional layer of reflection and memory.

Although the piece has its roots in a major orchestral-solo work, the music is direct, lyrical and deeply expressive. Del Tredici's embrace of tonality (rather than strict modernist atonality) allows for warmth, clarity and emotional immediacy. Indeed, his comment (in other works) that he “couldn't imagine setting a Carroll text to dissonant music” points to his deliberate return to melody and tonality as expressive tools.

In Acrostic Song, the choral writing flows as if suspended between a dream state and a hymn-like calm. The harmonies are rich but never heavy-handed; melodic lines intertwine, the text is sensitively declaimed and there is a strong sense of arching line and resolution. For the choir, balancing blend, dynamic subtlety and the sense of unfolding narrative is essential.

Acrostic Song offers an opportunity for the choir to engage with 20th century American composition that is lyrical and accessible, yet sophisticated. It connects literature (Carroll's poem), poetic form (the acrostic) and music in a meaningful way. While technically approachable for many skilled choirs, it invites a depth of interpretation and musical sensitivity — phrasing, dynamics and text-understanding all matter.

For the audience, the piece evokes wonder, nostalgia and a gentle but profound farewell. It speaks of a journey, of memory, of transformation — all set in a musical world that combines clarity with emotional depth.