Welcome to Graphite: B.E. Boykin!

B.E. Boykin’s compositional career kicked into high gear in 2020 for several reasons. As a Black woman, the stories she chooses to tell through her music found a sudden resonance and urgency. Combined with the need for unity and community in the context of Black Lives Matter and the pandemic she was inspired to share her story through music. The story she tells is one of healing and finding metaphorical light in the global community. Her piano accompaniments urge the singers on, representing time and providing momentum.

“I hope that my music tells stories and this ties into the spiritual side of who I am. Music is the safest place for me emotionally and spiritually. It helps me to feel like a complete person and I want to share that authentic experience in my compositions. I wasn’t a serious composer until recently. The profession has Called me, and I’m answering that Call.”  – B.E. Boykin

Her work taps into many veins: unaccompanied sacred for treble voices, and mixed choir with piano accompaniment. Her understanding of the voices is clear in well-crafted vocal lines and tessituras that allow singers—especially altos—to explore the full color of the voice. Idiomatic and independent piano accompanists further enrich her scores. We hope you dive into her body of work and share it with your communities.

Check out B.E. Boykin’s pieces available from Graphite!

Stardust for SSA, piano, and djembe

In “Stardust,” the singers call for “a home where we can run” in memory of Ahmaud Arbery, “a home where we can pray” in memory of the victims of the Mother Emanuel shooting, “a home where we can breathe” in memory of George Floyd, and a home “to sleep and dream without fear” in memory of Breonna Taylor. When we sing, we pray twice, and it is my prayer that this piece stirs all who hear it to call for justice for the people of color taken from this world before their time and without concern for their humanity. “If we are only stardust, let your names reach to the sky above us. Like petals wafting on a breeze, we lift you up beyond our reach.” – Marcus J. Jauregui, choir director

“Stardust,” performed by the Pershing Middle School Treble Choir Houston ISD, under the direction of Marcus J. Jauregui, for their 2021 Texas Music Educators Association Convention performance. 

Holding the Light for SATB choir and piano.

“Holding the Light” is an expressive and powerful piece with an urgent message for our times. Her piano accompaniments urge the singers on, representing time and providing momentum.

Ave Maria for SSAA a cappella

Boykin’s “Ave Maria” is like a dramatic chorale. She explores the depths and heights of the treble voices, building to a glorious and ecstatic climax. Dramatic dynamics and sincere expression result in a powerful and moving composition.

O Magnum Mysterium for SSAA a cappella choir

Brief rests throughout this motet propel the work forward, as though the singers themselves gasp in wonder. Animated homophony transitions into a lyrical compound meter, evoking a gentle lullaby. The work concludes with a series of intense, reflective “alleluias.”

“O Magnum Mysterium,” recorded in May 2021 at St James Cathedral, Seattle by Seattle Pro Musica.

About the composer

B.E. Boykin (Brittney Boykin) is a native of Alexandria, Virginia. After graduating from Spelman College in 2011 with a B.A. in Music, Ms. Boykin continued her studies at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. She continued to compose music during her time at Westminster and was awarded the R & R Young Composition Prize just a few months shy of graduating. In May of 2013, Ms. Boykin graduated from Westminster Choir College with a M.M. in Sacred Music with a concentration in choral studies. A

mong her professional endeavors, Ms. Boykin is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She recently obtained her PhD from Georgia State University with an emphasis in Music Education.

Our Contributing Editor

Jonathan Campbell received his B.A. from Luther College in 1998, a Master of Sacred Music degree from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota in 2002, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting in 2015 at North Dakota State University. As a composer, Jon has received numerous awards and commissions, including a Faith Partner’s Residency through the American Composer’s Forum, as well as first place in the Morningstar College Choral Composition Festival. From 2004-2012, Jon conducted the Honors Choirs of Southeast Minnesota Chorale and in the spring of 2011, served as interim director of choral activities at Winona State University. At Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN he recently served as faculty conductor of the Cedar Singers male chorus and the Masterworks Chorale. Jon is founder and was artistic director of the Minnesota Renaissance Choir, and is currently Director of Music and Fine Arts at Claremont United Church of Christ and Lecturer in Music at Pomona College, both in Claremont, CA.