SSA

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choir

November 17, 2021 by Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts Leave a Comment

#74: Wednesday, November 17, 2021

“Controlled Burn” by Dessa and Jocelyn Hagen
SSA, string quartet, piano

This work is part of the Graphite Publishing Collaboration project – involving cooperative artistic endeavors from Dessa and Jocelyn Hagen. Dessa is a singer, rapper, and hip-hop artist; Jocelyn is a composer, theorist, and performer. Together, they created this piece titled “Controlled Burn.” I am mesmerized by it!

Jocelyn Hagen

The original work was commissioned for SATB choir and orchestra, for a massed music festival in Minneapolis Public Schools, 2014. For that voicing, accompaniment parts are available for full orchestra or mixed chamber ensemble. In 2021, the SSA arrangement was commissioned by The Women’s Chorus of Dallas (Melisa Imthurn, conductor) and Flower Mound High School Treble Choir (Mark Rohwer, conductor). The SSA version is accompanied by string quartet and piano. I’m not always a fan of SATB music re-scored for treble voices, but this arrangement was clearly done with care and attention to the usual challenges in texture, timbre, and tessitura.

Clocking in at 6 minutes, this is not a short piece, not something to add to your concert rep for a ‘last minute learn.’ But, its important to note that the choir does not sing the full 6 minutes; there is significant introduction and interlude material for the instrumental ensemble. So, it won’t take as long to learn as it first appears.

The text by Dessa is invigorating and engaging. I really *really* want to dig into the text with my singers. For copyright reasons, I won’t include the whole text in this blog, but I encourage you to read it here: https://graphitepublishing.com/product/controlled-burn-ssa-choral-score/ (scroll down to “Text”)

I often see a flagship collaboration or commission like this and realize immediately that its too difficult for my once- or twice-a-week ensembles. So often the really cool stuff is too complex and takes more rehearsal time than I have, while the accessible stuff is too young/cheesy or easy/boring (or slow…). But I am happy to report the vocal lines are singable, accessible, and within reach for a range of ensembles.

Much of the vocal writing is homophonic, with three-part harmony. Some unison phrases as well, that then break out into SSA harmony at the end. There is one 12-bar section near the end that is not homphonic. However, in that section each voice part shares one line of text, then holds an extended note while another voice part jumps in, etc. So, not complicated multi-part polyphony, so much as a gentle layering of musical/textual ideas, introduced one at a time.

There is plenty of syncopation and rhythmic interest in the voice lines, and many added accents, which supports the inherent rhythmicity in Dessa’s text. Given the frequent homophony, most of the rhythms happen across the choir, together. Personally, I’m looking forward to learning/reading the rhythms as a group, and then speaking the text in rhythm. Its an exercise we as directors do so often with our choirs, but not always with full intention. With a text that is so rhythmically-structured to start with, I really want to draw my singers’ attention to it, before we add pitches.

Tonal structure is not necessarily one for easy solfege. There are a number of accidentals, as well as triadic tonal centers in the voice parts that don’t always line up with the diatonic key signatures. I love the end result of the sound, and the 3-part triadic vocal parts make it reasonable to grab on to by ear, after some rehearsal. But, know that you can’t likely jump in on solfege easily with an ensemble.

The string and piano accompaniment adds harmonic structure in places where the voice are more rhythmic, and adds rhythmic intensity where the voices are more melodic. And the accompaniment adds tonal intricacy throughout. The instrumental-only intro and interludes run the gamut from driving and accented to smooth and lyrical. While the SATB piece is set for full orchestra or mixed chamber ensemble, the SSA version is for string quartet and piano – which makes it more accessible from a financial/space/logistics point of view, and also from a numbers/balance point as well.

We won’t start spring 2022 music until second semester begins, but I plan on having this in their folders from Day 1 of spring term. Happy Programming!

Title:	Controlled Burn
Composer:	Dessa; Jocelyn Hagen https://graphitepublishing.com/composer/dessa/ https://graphitepublishing.com/composer/jocelyn-hagen/
Date of Composition:	2021
Author:	Dessa
Language:	English
Listed Voicing:	SSA
Ranges:	S1: B3-G/A5 S2: B3-D5 A: G3-B4
Accompaniment:	String quartet and piano
Duration:	6:00
Publisher:	Graphite Publishing https://graphitepublishing.com/ https://graphitepublishing.com/product/controlled-burn-ssa-choral-score/

Until next month!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is Director of Choral Activities and associate professor of music at Hollins University, a women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia.
Email:
Bio: https://www.hollins.edu/directory/shelbie-wahl-fouts/

For a listing of all current and past blog entries by this author, click here.
For a spreadsheet of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choir

August 18, 2021 by Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts Leave a Comment

#72: Wednesday, August 18, 2021

“Where the Light Begins” by Susan LaBarr
Text by Jan Richardson
SSA, piano

Everyone’s choir plans are different and in flux right now (#coviddelta). No matter what your fall looks like though, I’m hopeful this selection will be universally helpful. It is a hauntingly beautiful piece, with relatable text (especially now!), fluid vocal lines, supportive piano accompaniment, (pleasantly) repetitive structure, and multiple avenues for music literacy tie-ins. I look forward to putting this on whatever concert I get to program first — whenever and wherever that happens to be.

H/T to Dr. Rachel Rensink-Hoff, associate professor and conductor of the Sora Singers at Brock University (Ontario, Canada), for introducing me to this piece. Rachel spoke about this selection during a recent “Forward Thinking” zoom meeting, a Covid-era weekly interactive series created by Elektra Women’s Choir and their artistic director Morna Edmundson. Whether your SA ensemble is college, community, or middle/high school, you absolutely must familiarize yourself with Morna’s and Elektra’s work, especially their repertoire resources. For more information, https://elektra.ca/community-engagement/forward-thinking/

The text for this piece is by poet and author Jan Richardson. She is a United Methodist minister, and the full poem was originally an Advent/Christmas blessing, from her book Circle of Grace. Composer Susan LaBarr was commissioned to write this piece of music by the Henry Middle School Varsity Treble choir, for their performance at 2019 National ACDA (Amanda Rasom, conductor).

LaBarr adapted the text, making it less specific to Christmas and more relatable to peace and inner light. In the octavo’s “About The Work” notes, LaBarr writes:

“This text, while originally written about Advent and the anticipation of Christmas, uses wonderfully universal words that relate to ideas of peace and hope. Jan’s blessing makes me think that within each of us is the ability to work towards peace. It doesn’t take a monumental action, just many little kindnesses that we can show to others every day which radiate out to bring light to the whole of humanity. When we love, accept, and care for all of our neighbors—despite our differences—we find that the light that the dark world so desperately needs begins in us.”

I really appreciate LaBarr’s adaptations; they keep many of the original intentions of the text, but allow the song to be accessible for many different settings and ensembles (including public schools, and concerts where Christian-themed texts may not be comfortable for all singers or audience members). The ideas of light, peace, inner strength, belonging, and community are at the forefront, which are all arguably universal themes. Especially in this current Covid climate, when some groups haven’t been able to make music together for going on 18 months and may still not be able to any time soon due to Delta variants, those themes are doubly heart-warming and heart-wrenching. I encourage you to read the texts at the links below.

TONALITY

This piece is in C major, with few if any accidentals. Everything is tonal and diatonic, which can be a boon when jumping back into music making after a long hiatus. I know my ensembles will need time to refresh their music literacy skills – and C major is a great place to do that. There are certainly skips and leaps – the work is not stepwise. But, the harmonic structure goes where you expect it to go, and the piano accompaniment is supportive. Melodic motives also return throughout the work, so once a phrase is learned, singers will see that material again.

VOCAL LINES & PHRASING

LaBarr’s vocal lines are flowing and moving. Great for tone-building as an ensemble. That’s another thing I know my ensembles will need to work on when we return to full group singing – being a team, singing a phrase together, making music as a collective cohesive unit. The lines move from unison to 2-part to 3-part, and there is very little 3-part polyphonic work; most of the design is homophonic or melody + echo/descant/countermelody. Perfect for supporting beautiful ensemble tone, balance, and blend after a long hiatus.

Additionally, the upper harmony or countermelody is often in the Sop1 part, while Sop2/Alto sing melody or homophonic harmony. So, the Soprano 1s get a chance to practice not being on the melody and/or not having the primary rhythm.

RHYTHM

The setting is a lilting 12/8 compound structure. A great opportunity to teach (or review) compound rhythmic literacy. Alternatively, the rhythmic patterns recur throughout the piece, so these could be taught by rote, depending on what teaching and learning aspects you are focusing on with this particular piece.

BRIEF FORM/STRUCTURE

To assist in programming decisions, teaching approaches, or rehearsing this piece, here is a brief layout of the song’s structure:

Intro
M3-9                     theme part A, unison
M10-13                 theme part B, unison
M14-19                 theme part B’, two part (S2/A on melody, S1 upper harmony, all same rhythms)
M20-26                 theme part A, two part (S2/A on melody, S1 on echo/different rhythm)
M27-35                 theme part B’, three part
—S1 same upper harmony as before, A on new lower harmony, S2 still on melody
M37-46                 new material, motivic with slight variations
—2m motive, unison
—Same 2m motive, 3part homophonic
—Same 2m motive, 3 part staggered entrances
—Same 2m motive rhythmically, 3 part homophonic, new chords
—Same 2m motive rhythmically, unison then 3 part homophonic, slight text change
M47-50/end       motivic call back to the opening theme part A, ends in unison

I don’t yet know when my first rehearsal will be, or where, or if I can have my full ensembles or only small groups. Or if there are even any live performances in our near future. But I do know that this piece will be on that first concert; I look forward to singing it with open arms and open hearts, whenever we finally have the chance.

Title:	Where the Light Begins
Composer:	Susan LaBarr https://www.giamusic.com/store/walton-music-editor
Date of Composition:	2018
Author:	Jan Richardson https://www.janrichardson.com/
Text Source:	Poetry published in Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessing for the Seasons, Wanton Gospeller Press, 2015
Subject(s), Genre:	Peace, light, belonging, inner strength, community
Language:	English
Listed Voicing:	SSA
Voicing Details:	Unison, 2-part, and SSA

Accompaniment:	Piano
Duration:	3:45
Publisher:	Walton Music, WW1820 https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/where-the-light-begins-print-ww1820 Publisher’s scrolling-music preview below:

Until next month!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

For a listing of all current and past blog entries by this author, click here.
For a spreadsheet of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choir

March 17, 2021 by Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts 1 Comment

#68: Wednesday, March 17, 2021

She Rises
by Catherine Dalton
SSAA double choir, a cappella

This is one of those pieces that I picked up at a conference 5 or 6 years ago, and have been wanting to do since. But I was always a little tentative about the combination of rhythm complexity and double choir together. Enter the pandemic. With shorter group rehearsals to allow for air change, and restrictions on practice room usage to one student only, my singers are doing more work on their own, outside of class, and away from each other. For my advanced group, one-on-a-part work makes a lot of sense this term.

I was initially hesitant to program this with only 9 students, but I played the piece for my singers and they were instantly hooked. To a one, they jumped at the chance for individual accountability and personal responsibility. And they loved the idea of something rhythmically challenging. (This semester’s advanced group is a unicorn – and I love them!)

It stretches me too, as a teacher. I’ve been solid at teaching them rhythmic music literacy in both simple and compound meter. But, I’ll be honest, I hadn’t pushed them to compound subdivision (and subdivision syncopation, and subdivision with dots), yet. Well, “yet” is here now. 🙂 We started the semester with compound meter boot camp – flashcards, worksheets, echoing, dictation, composition cards, the whole bit. I told them we couldn’t open the music until we could perform all of the rhythmic components separately. And wow have they stepped up.

We had a rehearsal earlier this week where we ran down our worksheet of all the different subdivision permutations, and they nailed it. Then I promptly handed out the music, assigned one-per-part, and we started reading. Lots of prep work to get us to the point of “open and read,” but so worth it. We are still taking baby steps with Dorian mode, but we’re getting there!

But, enough about my teaching approach. Let’s talk about the song! I’ve long been a fan of Catherine’s work, and this piece is no exception. Its energetic and tuneful, and feels like its constantly coursing with life. There’s a Celtic style folded into the writing – both rhythmic and tonal.

The poetry, also written by Catherine, focuses on the life cycle of the Sun. There are section headings in the work for “Night is ending,” “The Sun Appears on the Horizon,” “The Height of the Day,” “Color Floods the Horizon,” and “The Sun Disappears.” Each section of music speaks (sings?) to that particular point in the day. You can feel, and hear, all the moments: shafts of light through clouds, blazing midday, the briefest of pink light on the horizon. But, do not be fooled. This piece is not just about the Sun. It’s about energy, and life, and illumination – including the light and strength we find within ourselves.

The topic is all the more poignant because this past week there have been particularly beautiful sunrises over the Blue Ridge mountains. Breathtakingly glorious. I anticipate asking my students, in a few weeks, to take some time to snap some photos of the sun at various points in the day, and then share. Then we can arrange the photos in the order we best think goes with the song. Who knows – maybe that will be the visual backdrop for a recording we can share at the end of term?

Mode. The piece is primarily in D Dorian, with the occasional Bb tossed in (making it standard D natural minor). La minor has been a great option – la ti do re mi fi so la. Only one affected note. The choir was familiar with la-minor already, so the jump to Dorian has been fairly smooth. On the flipside, if you want to teach the pitches by rote, there is motivic repetition in terms of pitch patterns. So it sticks in the ear. (And there are part tracks available for purchase by third-party retailers, if you google.)

The double choir part. Truth be told, it’s not as scary as “SSAA/SSAA” might seem! There are a number of places in the piece that are traditional SA, or SSA, or SSAA, or even a few unison phrases. And in the double choir section, it is rare for a voice to be truly alone. Choir 1 S1/S2 might be similar. Or all sopranos, from both choirs, might be on the same rhythms, but different harmonic points of the chord.

This is an excellent lesson in analysis. Look up and down, who is your part paired with? Who sings the same pitches as you? The same rhythms? How long does that partnership last? When does it change? We did a little of that at our first handout of the music, just scanning up and down the staff, and I heard some “ohhh” moments. When they realize it isn’t as scary as 8-part looks. Think of it like a big group-dance number in a musical, or a courtly dance scene from Tudor England. Partners are changing constantly, but there’s a design and a purpose and an order to it. Plus, many of the motives in the big double choir section are phrases that have been heard before in the piece, so it’s not all new material.

The piece itself also has some intermittent vocal percussion – some rhythmic consonants and variations of vowels. From the programs notes that Catherine included in the front cover, these are perceptions of the ‘sounds the sun makes.’ Yet another aspect that my students are really enjoying.

So, if you have a small ensemble and are looking for a one-on-a-part piece, this is a great choice. Alternately, if you have an ensemble of any size and are looking for divisi with rhythmic complexity, or a chance to work on compound subdivision or Dorian mode, this selection is excellent for that as well. The energy is undeniable!

Title:	She Rises
Composer:	Catherine Dalton
Date of Composition:	2014
Text Author:	Catherine Dalton
Subject(s), Genre:	Sun, light, illumination, personal drive, inner strength
Language:	English
Voicing Details:	SSAA double choir (SSAA/SSAA); Not all of the song is double choir – some is unison, SA, SSA, and SSAA.
Ranges:	S1: (Choir 1) C4-A5; (Choir 2) C4-F5 S2: C4-E5 A1: A3-D5 A2: G3-D5
Accompaniment:	A cappella
Duration:	~3:40 total
Publisher:	Hickory Street Publishing (www.CatherineDalton.net)

Composer’s website, including perusal score, and audio by Vox Femina Los Angeles (Iris Levine, artistic director):
http://www.catherinedalton.net/works/she-rises

Atlanta Women’s Chorus Virtual Choir (Melissa Arasi, artistic director)
https://youtu.be/r8A4vYLB8nU

Until next month!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

p.s. As an aside, I’m currently pairing this song with “Cool Moon” (SSA by Richard Williamson). Click here for the blog post. So that’s a Sun-themed rhythmically-complex, 8-part divisi, modal piece to focus on individual work, and a Moon-themed rhythmically-simple, three-part, diatonic, easy-solfege piece to work on balance, blend, phrasing, and tone. So far so good!

For a listing of all current and past blog entries by this author, click here.
For a spreadsheet of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

January 1, 2021 by Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts Leave a Comment

#67: Friday, January 1, 2021

2021: The Year Ahead…

I suspect that many of us are in a similar place right now: still reeling from the challenges of the semester/quarter/season that just finished, and overwhelmed with contemplating the one that is very soon to come. On top of that, we find ourselves divorced from our regular year-end concerts, holiday performances, and religious musical traditions. And, quite possibly, spending hours in front of a computer doing music-adjacent work for a virtual song/project/concert, but without any of the actual community music-making that feeds us as musicians. And that’s just the choir-related part of things! Suffice to say, it’s been a rough 2020 all ‘round.

So…what should I write on this first blog of 2021, on New Year’s Day no less?

The old adage is: “The show must go on.” But I’d like to propose an update: “The show will go on.” Somehow, some way, music will find a way to continue. Group music-making of all kinds has been hard-hit this past year, choral music in particular. There are so many questions for the next months ahead, which vary drastically depending on your state, your type/level/age of ensemble, your audience, vaccine availability, etc. The “how” of things will look different for each choir and each director and each school or program.

But the bottom line is this – at some point in the future, it will be safe to sing again. And people will be drawn to that – singers and audience alike. The show, in fact, will go on. (Just thinking about that future concert, even just a future “normal” rehearsal, makes me tear up a little.) It is so hard to see that far forward right now, when we’re all in the middle of the weeds, but it will happen.

When that day finally comes, we need to be ready. For that inevitable beautiful, amazing, and magnificent future time, I have a few repertoire suggestions from past blogs. Uplifting, empowering songs for that first concert, or that first season. Works about the beauty of music and the beauty of life. It will take a lot of work and patience to rebuild our programs, but those first beautiful notes of group singing will be more than worth it. And I for one cannot wait.

“Breakable” by Jenni Brandon
Text by Annabelle Moseley
SA, piano

“I Started Out Singing” by Jocelyn Hagen
Text by Naomi Shihab Nye
3pt Treble, piano (or piano & string orchestra)

“Be Like The Bird” by Abbie Betinis
Text by Victor Hugo
5-part canon

“Leave My Heart Its Songs” by Dominick DiOrio
Poetry by Amy Lowell
SSA, piano, two violins, viola

“Kidsong” by Stephen Caldwell
Traditional text
SSA, piano

“Music of Life” by B.E. Boykin
Text by George Parsons Lathrop
SSA, piano

To see all my repertoire blogs [67 and counting!], click here.
To see a spreadsheet list of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.

Goodbye to 2020. Hello to a happy, healthy, and reinvigorated 2021.

Until next month!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

Music and Masks

December 4, 2020 by Donald Patriquin Leave a Comment

Until early 2021, I am gifting to conductors – in PDF format – fifty of my choral works exemplified in the two videos below. This is part of my 4C Project: Choirs and Conductors Combating Covid-19 which also focuses on two very safe Canadian and US Rehearsal/Audience and Singer’s masks for use or fundraising.

Why the combination of the two– masks and music? To answer, first the mask:

I am intensely interested in face mask physics as I was trained as a biologist and worked in the field briefly before taking the plunge into music generally, and composition, conducting, performing (organ) and education specifically. Biology has a great deal to do with physics, whether it is water flowing ‘uphill’ from the ground to the top of a tree or the evolution of the enclosed air layer in an egg that physically cushions its delicate contents when it falls from a hen’s hind end– to name just two of thousands of examples in the biological world.

Likewise, the construction of a safe mask has much to do with physics, which drew me to a two-month investigation of mask safety in general, and two specific mask types in particular. The first is the recent SING-SAFE Singer’s Mask created by Dr. Kym Scott, Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor at West Virginia University School of Music. This mask was tested at every step of its evolution – particularly for fit and filtration efficiency – by researchers in the university’s Center for Inhalation Toxicology.

The second mask, the ‘Solid Colours Canadian Toggle’ is a Canadian product which has more than kept up with recent recommendations for safe mask construction. I like to think of this colorful mask collection as Rehearsal & Audience masks. The ‘Solid Colours Canadian Toggle’ masks recently jumped up from 300 threads per inch – very common in off-the-shelf-masks – to 600, just about doubling mask efficiency. The patent-pending ‘toggle’ holding the four braided adjustment strings for each of the mask’s four quadrants, ensures excellent all-around fit.

Four ‘Solid Colours Canadian Toggle’ Masks

Also downloadable are four posters designed specifically for The 4C project by my colleague and me. These ARE both ‘different’ and persuasive, as they present the pandemic from the Covid-19 virus’ point of view. I find myself always washing my hands, as the sight of a mere piece of soap conjures up this scary image! As for parties– not right now, thanks!

At one point during the past summer, I introduced the two mask inventors to each other, and Canadian Toggle met Safe-Sing! Their creators, like their masks, were obviously a good ‘fit’ and the US-designed mask is now also being manufactured in Canada by the makers of the ‘Solid Colours Canadian Toggle’. All this and much more, including information on mask testing, may be found at https://madmimi.com/p/6767411/preview.

Where does music fit into all of this? Simple, really– it is a gift in appreciation of the choral community that has given me – and so many – so much. This community has been, to a large extent, devoid not only of music but funds to purchase it. There are fifty totally gratis works from the A Tempo Music Index (a catalog without prices) which may be downloaded immediately and performed at any time. These include the entire World Music Suite Three (except for two published by Cypress Choral Music), also a setting of Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep – dedicated in particular to those who did not survive Covid-19. Also included is a vibrant concert opener Tsimshian Welcome Chant (SATB, SSA & TTBB) from the Tsimshian First Nations of Canada’s Northern British Columbia and USA’s Southern Alaska, along with a short, nostalgic closing work A Gaelic Blessing.

Additional gratis music from the A Tempo Music Index may be chosen if you order masks.

All gratis A Tempo music is free only until early 2021, as the entire Index will be in the hands of a distributor – though still available from A Tempo Music – after that time.

World Music Suite Compilation

Tsimshian Welcome Chant

For further information, I may be contacted at .

The author’s views and opinions are his own, as are those of all ChoralNet bloggers. ACDA is providing comprehensive, expert-informed, regularly updated information about singing safety and best practices for rehearsals during this difficult time on the following web page: https://acda.org/resources-for-choral-professionals-during-a-pandemic/.

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

December 4, 2020 by Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts Leave a Comment

#66: Friday, December 4, 2020

“Music of Life” by B.E. Boykin
Text by George Parsons Lathrop
SSA, piano

A few months back, a fellow choral conductor suggested I look at the works of contemporary composer B.E. Boykin, and I am glad they did!

In listening to Boykin’s pieces for women’s/treble ensemble, “Music of Life” jumped out at me. I liked the sound, the tone, the style. I liked that there was frequent unison, but also some lovely harmony. I liked the text. I hadn’t yet seen a score to peruse, but I knew I wanted to investigate further.

Boykin self-publishes through her own site, Klavia Press. https://www.klaviapress.com/ “Music of Life” is one of seven treble selections listed there. Only thumbnails are listed; you cannot view perusals on this site. But, you can get a perusal pdf by emailing the customer service address.

The text is a beautiful homage to music, nature, and life. It is one of those feel-good-about-music texts you could use in most any concert, and in some sacred settings as well. Great for a MIOSM event. Post-Covid, when we can safely get back to singing in person, in large groups, with actual audiences, I expect everyone will be looking for pieces that celebrate music and art and singing. This will be a great option!

The selections opens with a brief piano intro, and moves into unison choir. Compound meter lilt, with flowing piano. Minor. All very ethereal and beautiful.

The first idea, and much of the second, is all unison, which makes this a great start-of-semester piece. Lots of opportunities to work on vowels and phrase-shaping, without chasing notes/parts. The second section includes some 2-part divisi, but returns to unison at the end of the phrase.

The third section is written in three parts, but scaffolded as in a partner-song, working up to tutti SSA. The note in the score says to sing this section multiple times – with each part presenting their line alone, and then all parts together. So, the end result is a lovely 3-part harmony with a polyphonic feel. But, much like a partner song, there is reinforcement of each line first, before singing together. [The music is marked Group 1, 2, & 3, but the ranges aren’t equal, so standard SSA works out well here.]

From there, the song moves into a nice solid homophonic SSA ending, closing in a strong major chord.

The work is in d-minor, with only diatonic notes (except that Picardy third in the final chord). It is easily learned on solfege, and a good piece to teach or reinforce minor-key reading. Ranges are limited. Melodic motion is often step-wise with tonic-triad leaps; there are few jumps of awkward intervals. Rhythms are all entry-level compound meter: eighths, quarters, and dotted quarters, with only the occasional tie.

My only complaint with this selection is the layout. There are some places where it goes between 2-note harmony and 3-note harmony, but all on the same staff. So, you will have to take a moment to assign which note the S2s sing, when there aren’t three pitches. Additionally, dynamics and phrase markings are absent. Arguably, this could be a great teaching moment for the ensemble, to work through phrasing and dynamic decisions corporately, and add them in together! Again, the song itself is lovely, but the printed layout isn’t 100% polished, which might lead to some extra moments needed for clarification in rehearsal.

Separate from considering the text or the music itself, which makes this a great piece on its own poetic and musical merits, I can see this piece fulfilling a number of needs when it comes to choosing repertoire:
–If your groups are primarily comfortable in unison, but you want to expand into some harmony
–If your groups are comfortable with multi-part music, but you want to re-focus their vowels and phrasing through unison work
–If your group sizes and part distribution and rehearsal plans are all over the map due to Covid, and you want a piece that will be successful even if your numbers/parts/modality keep changing
–if your groups are used to “harder” music, but you are looking for an anthem to bring them together and energize them
–if your groups are strong with minor solfege and compound meter, and you want a sight-readable piece for them
–if your groups are just beginning to explore compound meter and/or minor sight-reading, and you want a piece to tie-in to your literacy teaching
–if you have multiple groups of differing levels, and want a feel-good “music is amazing” piece they can all sing together

I could go on. I really do see many many scenarios in which this piece could be used – by groups of all sizes and levels. The text paints a beautiful picture. The music is hauntingly elegant. And the piece is neither childish-sounding, nor too difficult, which is its own sweet-spot for treble/women’s repertoire. I strongly encourage you to take a look at this selection for an upcoming concert. Plus, make sure to take a look at the composer’s other works for treble/women’s choir as well.

Title:	Music Of Life
Composer:	B.E. Boykin http://beboykin.com/
Date of Composition:	2015
Text Author:	George Parsons Lathrop (“Music of Growth” from Rose and Roof-Tree: Poems, 1875)
Subject(s), Genre:	Music, song, nature, earth, growth
Language:	English
Voicing Details:	Unison, SA, and SSA
Ranges:	S1: D4-F#5 S2: D4-D5 A: D4-Bb4
Accompaniment:	Piano
Duration:	~3:30 total
Publisher:	Klavia Press https://www.klaviapress.com

Performance Recording:
https://soundcloud.com/user-539063463/music-of-life

Until next month!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

For a listing of all current and past blog entries by this author, click here.
For a spreadsheet of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choir

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Music and Masks

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

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