I was about to set this Thomas Hardy poem when I installed a new sound card. After a week and a half trying to get it to work so I could, what I had in mind was pretty well gone. Since it was a Christmas song, the urge to do it was pretty well gone, too. However, if put it off for 10 or 11 months, everything would be gone. So I did this draft, to be taken up, perhaps, for next Christmas.

For the most part, it is not what I was imagining on the day I started the sound card adventure, other than the vocal line and the piano. So for now, it might be best to select the piano/voice part and mute the rest.

all best,
mgj

<center><table border=1><tr><td>The Oxen
The Oxen.not (221.0 k)</td></tr></table></center>