Category: Choral Music
Instrumentation: SATB and piano, or children's chorus or 2 treble voices and piano
Duration: 7–8 minutes
Text / Source: Poems by Sara Teasdale
Publisher: Alymar Publications

Songs:
A Chart of a Small Sea
The House of Dreams
A Prayer

Songs of Life is a three-song choral cycle with piano, available for SATB chorus or for children's chorus, or 2 treble voices, and piano. Commissioned by the Children's Choir of Carroll County, the cycle sets poetry by Sara Teasdale in a direct, expressive style suited to lower-intermediate to intermediate performers.

The three songs—A Chart of a Small Sea, The House of Dreams, and A Prayer—speak to the beauty and challenges of life. Together, they move through themes of selfhood, imagination, realism, gratitude, and wholehearted love of life. Baxter’s lyrical style, tonal clarity, and practical formal craft make the cycle accessible while still giving singers meaningful poetic and musical material.

Songs of Life is well suited for school, community, church, and youth choir programs, as well as concerts centered on poetry, personal growth, and affirming reflections on life. Its flexible voicing makes it useful for ensembles with varying resources, while the piano part supports clear ensemble singing and expressive communication.