Watch this “scrolling score” video to see the sheet music while an audio demo plays. A separate piano-only MP3 audio track is available below for rehearsal and performance use.

Morning Snow Is Softly Falling – Free SATB Choir Music Download

Nathan A. Smith, Composer and Lyricist

SATB Choir with Piano (and Optional Children’s Choir)

Dedicated to my eldest brother who died soon after birth, this evocative intermediate work for SATB choir and piano is available entirely for free for non-profit use by church, school, and community choirs.

“Morning Snow Is Softly Falling” is a lyrical, atmospheric work suitable for intermediate choirs. Featuring flowing melodies and rich, evocative harmonies, it offers an engaging opportunity for ensembles to explore emotional storytelling and delicate, nuanced textures.

Though appropriate for any concert, this piece is an excellent highlight for a winter or holiday concert. The song brings comfort to those who feel the loss of loved ones who have passed.

Inspiration

This work was born of a winter morning’s stillness—that unique quiet that only falling snow can bring. While looking out at a fresh snowfall, Nathan was struck by a profound sense of peace. Yet, he also reflected on how, during the holiday season, that same stillness can sometimes amplify the absence of those we’ve lost.

This piece offers a perspective of comfort: that death is not a finality, but a transformation. This song reminds us that the veil between this world and the next is thin, and that those we love never truly leave us. We hear in the lyrics a mother and father comforting their dying child with a promise that there is a place of peace, joy, and being reunited with loved ones.

Technical Details & Pedagogy

This piece is a perfect selection for a winter, holiday, or December concert, providing a reflective, lyrical contrast to more upbeat seasonal repertoire.

• Difficulty Level: Grade 2.5 Easy-Intermediate — Ideal for high school, church, or community choirs.
• Vocal Ranges: Conservative and Supportive — Sopranos peak at a healthy E5. Basses require a resonant low F#2. The Alto part features a few E5 peaks, and Basses briefly hit a D4, but these are intentionally put in unison with other parts to provide the singers with maximum ensemble support and confidence.
• Melody & Phrasing: Intuitive and Lyric — The work relies on stepwise motion and natural, speech-like phrasing that facilitates quick memorization and allows the ensemble to focus on tone and blend.
• Texture & Harmony: Rich and Accessible — Lush, contemporary harmonies provide a “professional” cinematic quality. The piece features beautiful “echo” effects and staggered entries — particularly the soaring “A-way” lines in the Soprano — without the complexity of dense polyphony.
• Duration: 5 1/2 to 6 minutes
• Tempo: Quarter Note = 120
• Voicing: SATB with Piano and Optional Children’s Choir
• Voice Ranges:
  • Soprano: E4 – E5
  • Alto: A3 – E5
  • Tenor: D3 – E4
  • Bass: F#2 – D4
• Optional Children’s Choir: Consider adding a children’s choir to this piece by having them sing soprano (or soprano and alto) at rehearsal letter [F], the second time through at [C], and the closing phrase at [G]. The range is specifically tailored to the treble “sweet spot” (E4​ to E5​.)
• Pedagogical Uses:
  • Phrasing & Breath Control: Excellent for teaching long, connected legato lines and staggered breathing.
  • Text Painting: Students can explore how the piano’s “falling” motifs and the choral dynamics mirror the imagery of snow and emotional transformation.
  • Dynamic Articulation: Challenges the ensemble to maintain intensity and pitch support in very soft (pp) passages.

Lyrics

Come away and see, my darling
Quiet covers all around
Morning snow is softly falling
Come away so you can see

Come away with me, my darling
Night has passed and dawn has come
Tears are gone and fears are calming
Come away with me, with me

There’s a land of endless light
All that darkens fades from sight
All that’s wrong, reborn to right
We can live in love’s delight
We can live in love’s delight

Come away, so free, my darling
Footsteps fresh in fallen snow
Paths are new, tomorrow’s calling
Come away where we’ll be free
Away / Come away and see, my darling
Away / Morning snow is softly falling
Away / Come away with me, my darling
Away / Tears are gone and fears are calming
Away / Come away, so free, my darling
Away / Paths are new, tomorrow’s calling
Us away….

Come away and be, my darling
Dance in sparkling crystal light
All is pure, with joy enthralling
Come away and be at peace

There’s a land of endless light
All that darkens fades from sight
All that’s wrong, reborn to right
We can live in love’s delight
We can live in love’s delight

Morning snow is softly falling