To See

performed by Josh Gottry & Jeffrey Stevens

To See for bass voice and vibraphone
Publisher: Gottry Publications (2019)
Composed: 2019
Duration: 4′
Difficulty: Medium
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To See is a setting for bass voice and vibraphone of the first stanza of William Blake’s poem entitled “Auguries of Innocence.”

To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.

Over flowing arpeggiations in the vibraphone, the richness of the bass voice presents the text with little variation from the original, but frequently returning to emphasize the first two words of the poem, highlighting the perception of the impossible proposed by Blake.

The duet was premiered by Caleb Gottry (voice) and Josh Gottry (vibraphone) in 2019.


The overall technical simplicity of the part is great for students lacking chamber music experience, as it allows them to focus on playing delicately and musically together. – Brian Elizondo
Printed by permission of the Percussive Arts Society, inc.