If Ever There Is (SATB a cappella) a wish for peace

If Ever There Is    SATB a cappella, no divisi, secular, duration 5 min.      $2.50

“If Ever There Is”  had its concert debut last Thursday by the Directors Chorus at the Southern Division ACDA Conference, with Francisco Núñez conducting, “If Ever There Is” was developed with Philip Brunelle, Vocalessence, and Francisco Núñez during last year’s Essentially Choral program.

“If Ever There Is” is a setting of “John’s Song,” by American poet Robert Creeley (1926-2005). The poem is dedicated to the poet John Taggart; the style of wordplay and repetition in it can also be found in Taggart’s poetry.  In 1967 Creeley signed a “Writers and Editors War Tax Protest,” an ad in which over 500 vowed to protest the Vietnam War by refusing to pay a 10% war tax. “If Ever There Is,” is entirely derived from the opening melody, made up of seconds and thirds; these intervals are almost exclusively used as the work unfolds. In the first half of the piece, the choir works together, sounding an insistent plea. In the second half, the parts move more independently. The score shifts from minor to major as the voices dream of a time when we can experience life without war. A powerful call for peace. “If ever there is…. no more war, dear brother, ….no more war”

The score and a recording can be found here: http://www.richcampbell.us/composer.htm