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

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Week 16: Friday, July 6, 2018

“Simple Gifts” – traditional Shaker / Joseph Brackett, arr. Amy Dalton
SSAA, a cappella

A quintessential part of America’s musical heritage, “Simple Gifts” is a timeless hymn from the Shaker tradition, written by church elder Joseph Brackett. It was made known to a wider audience by Aaron Copland, who famously used the hymn as inspiration for a section of his ballet, Appalachian Spring. Since then, the song has become a part of the American folk tradition. This SSAA arrangement by Amy Dalton is a joyful adaptation for your women’s or treble ensemble.

Dalton’s arrangement sets the text and melodic material twice – first in A Major, then in D Major modulating to B Major. If you are looking for a chance to connect solfege and music literacy to your ensemble’s repertoire, this is a great opportunity. Since the same familiar melodic motives appear in three different keys throughout the piece, it’s the perfect time to work on movable-do and changing tonics. The first time my students worked on the piece, we learned only the initial four measures – just on solfege. Then they tonicized a new key and sang the same material again, which allowed them to practice adjusting their ears and getting quickly settled in a new tonic. This turned out to be an excellent learning opportunity for my students, putting their literacy skills to use in a hands-on way and working on intonation at the same time.

Once you get past the first four measures, the rest of song is “solfege-able” as well, with only a brief fi happening out of context. If your ensemble is ready to work on modulating through solfege, Dalton affords two perfect examples. The tune begins with so so do, which sets up any transitions very easily. In this case, do of A Major becomes so of D Major, and then mi of D Major becomes so of B Major. My students were skeptical at first that they could solidify the key changes and transitions without help from the piano, but they were over the moon to realize they could do it all by themselves.

For the first presentation of the text, in A Major, the voices primarily move homophonically, with a few brief exceptions. Harmony varies from 1- to 4-part, with only one measure of divisi in the S2. The second presentation of the text begins in D Major, where all altos have the sweeping melody line in unison, with S1/S2 sustaining the harmony above in lovely 3-part suspensions. These chords were a little tricky for my students to really settle into, but they became second nature with repetition. If you have a small ensemble, this may require some re-assigning of altos to the soprano lines. This ensures all the soprano divisi are covered and balanced, especially in the final measure as it modulates to B Major. The final section begins in four independent parts, breaking the melody down into short bits, overlapping and dovetailing from one voice part to another. You can really work here on balance, deciding what material is principal and what is background. Dalton’s setting then closes with a light airy touch, back in homophony as it started.

Rhythmically, the song presents minimal challenges, as the rhythms are limited to whole, quarter, half, and eighth notes. There are a few syncopations, but not many. The primary rhythmic concern is to keep the cut-time feel throughout the piece, with the half-note having the main pulse. Avoid treating this setting as if it is in 4/4. Numerous other arrangements exist of this song in 4/4 time, but Dalton’s choice of 2/2 lends a natural lilt and buoyant charm, which connects directly to the dance-like nature of the original hymn.

A primary obstacle to perfecting this song is the tone and style needed. Ranges for S1/S2 are almost entirely within the staff, but the line sits often between C#5 and E/F#5. For many singers, both beginning and experienced, this falls in the awkward passaggio between the upper mixed voice and the head voice. As the phrases often span the octave within just two measures, navigating the transition is key. Keeping the weight out of the lower parts of the phrases, and focusing on a lighter, floating sound, will help smooth the transition through the higher parts of the phrase.

Whether you gravitate towards this piece because of its numerous opportunities for direct application of music literacy skills or because it is a unique arrangement of an American classic (or both!), I am certain your singers and audience alike will find beauty in Dalton’s joyful setting.

Title:Simple Gifts
Source:traditional Shaker hymn, by Joseph Brackett
Arranger:arr. Amy Dalton
(https://sbmp.com/ComposerPage.php?ComposerNum=10)
Date of Arrangement:2000
Subject(s), Genre:Folk song, Americana
Language:English
Listed Voicing:SSAA
Voicing Details:SSAA, with some divisi
Ranges:S1: E4-F#5
S2: C#4-E5
A1: A3-C#5
A2: F#3-C#5
Accompaniment:a cappella
Duration:~1:40
Tempo:Half note=60, “Cheerfully, with buoyance”
Dedication:For the Brigham Young University Women’s Chorus
Publisher:Santa Barbara Music Publishing SBMP 302
Further descriptions and details, including program notes, audio, perusal score, and purchasing:

https://sbmp.com/SR2.php?CatalogNumber=302

Until next week!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is associate professor of music, Director of Choral Activities, and music department chair 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: Weekly Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

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Week 13: Friday, June 15, 2018

“The Striped Ones” – Mvt. 9 from Holocaust Cantata: Songs from the Camps
Folk tune, arranged by Donald McCullough
Polish text by Zofia Karpinska; English lyrics by Denny Clark
SSAA, a cappella

Note: By nature, I focus this blog on repertoire for the women’s/treble ensemble. Today is no exception, as the movement in question is set for SSAA. However, if you have a strong mixed ensemble with solid musical and emotional capacity (or SA and TB ensembles which can be combined), and a performance on which to present a full-length work, I highly encourage you to look at the larger cantata as well.

The Holocaust Cantata: Songs from the Camps is a 13-movement, 40-minute work for mixed chorus, SAB soloists, narrator(s), piano, and cello. Full orchestration is also available to rent. The ninth movement of the cantata is set for SSAA a cappella, and is entirely functional as a stand-alone selection. [For details on how to license just this movement, please see details below.]

From the publisher’s website (paraphrased from more complete notes on the composer’s site):

Based on original materials from the Holocaust memorial museum in Washington, D.C., this is an emotional musical journey through one of the bleakest episodes in human history. Working from translations of the original Polish and often starting with a single line of melody, McCullough has fashioned a haunting choral tribute to all whose lives were destroyed by the horrors of the Holocaust. What emerges is a sense of music’s life-affirming powers.

For a detailed description of the creative process (searching for melodies and texts, acquiring translations, creating singable English lyrics, and much more), please visit the Donald McCullough’s website, which has a full description of the cantata and program notes from the CD liner. These detailed program notes are a wonderful source of historical context as well as an exceptional view into how this work evolved. The links are below, along with others which speak more directly to this specific movement.

Movement 9 of the Cantata is titled “The Striped Ones,” referencing prisoners in the concentration camps and the striped uniforms they were made to wear. The text, originally in Polish, is credited to poet Zofia Karpinska, herself a prisoner. According to the score, the melodic and poetic material was originally related to a female prison song from Warsaw, which then became the Women’s Anthem of Majdanek [Majdanek/Lublin concentration camp, circa 1943]. Denny Clark’s translation of Karpinska’s poetry is flowing and lyrical, and McCullough’s harmonization is haunting, capturing both the poignant sorrow of the situation and the hope that was kept against all odds.

The text is strophic, comprised of three verses. The first verse describes the people – their clothes and shoes, their familial relationships, and the pride that they hold close. The second verse speaks of the physical – the barbed wire and watchtowers, the separation – as well as the hope still present despite the circumstances. The third verse notes the different backgrounds and histories between prisoners which could divide them, but stresses the need for unity and solidarity in order to survive. “…let nothing divide us, let all here unite, for we are the women marked with stripes.”

McCullough’s musical setting begins with verse one in two-, three- and four-part homophonic texture, in minor, with some parallel motion, some contrary. There are skips and leaps within the key, but also a good deal of stepwise motion. Each voice part alone is not complicated, and my students were able to learn the first verse in student-led sectionals, then come back together to combine their efforts.

Next, the SSAA homophony of verse one gives way to the SA imitation of verse two. The sopranos have the same melodic material as S1 in verse one, while the altos are set a fourth lower and off by a measure. No matter your ensemble’s comfort level with independent voice lines, this is a quality chance for them to be successful, as the lines are rhythmically and harmonically clear, and easy to distinguish from one another in rehearsal.

Verse three returns to homophony – similar to verse one and yet slightly more expansive in range. For the final phrase, quoted above, the setting is first vertical harmony, then a cascade of motivic repetition through each voice part, returning again to homophony to close. The song as a whole is moving and evocative, but the final phrase in particular is overwhelmingly so, in its melancholy and beauty.

This is a selection that would work well for groups of varying size and level. It can be done by an intimate group – even a quartet of soloists – or a large ensemble. And because the difficulty level of ranges and rhythms are compatible with almost any level of ensemble, the main rehearsal focus can be connecting the music to the text, and the text to real people and their history. When my students performed this selection, it was done by an intermediate-level group of 11 students, as part of a concert titled “Mindfulness & Music.” Throughout that semester they journaled, researched, and discussed our pieces – taking specific time to connect, both individually and as a team, to the material we were presenting. Even over a year later, students still mention this piece, and the impact it had on them as students, as musicians, and as people.

General description of the full cantata
https://www.donaldmccullough.com/products/holocaust-cantata-songs-from-the-camps/#tabs-1

In-depth program notes for the full cantata, from the CD liner
https://www.donaldmccullough.com/products/holocaust-cantata-songs-from-the-camps/#tabs-3

Music & the Holocaust: Majdanek
http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/places/camps/death-camps/majdanek/

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Lublin/Majdanek Concentration Camp
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005190

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Zofia Karpinska data record
https://www.ushmm.org/online/hsv/person_view.php?PersonId=4417535

Title:The Striped Ones (Movement #9, from Holocaust Cantata)
Source:Folk tune
Arranger:arr. Donald McCullough
(https://www.donaldmccullough.com/)
Date of Arrangement:1998
Text Source/Author:Original Polish text by Zofia Karpinska (1908-1945);
English lyrics by Denny Clark
Date of Text:~1943
Subject(s), Genre:The Holocaust, history, women’s history, remembrance
Language:English
Listed Voicing:SSAA
Ranges:S1: C4-F5
S2: C4-F5
A1: G3-C5
A2: F3-C5
Accompaniment:a cappella
Duration:~2:30
Tempo:MM=62, Moderato
Publisher:Hinshaw Music HMB219 (full work)
For licensing of this individual movement, contact Hinshaw Music Customer Service:
Publisher’s site for the full work, including recording excerpts and purchasing:
http://media.hinshawmusic.com/details.php?details=HMB219&pdf=0&image=1

Recording excerpt for this particular movement: http://media.hinshawmusic.com/musicsample.php?folder=HMB219&file=05%20Excerpts%20from%20Holocaust%20Cantata%20-%20The%20Striped%20Ones.mp3

Until next week!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is associate professor of music, Director of Choral Activities, and music department chair 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: Weekly Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

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Week 12: Friday, June 8, 2018

“Where There is Light in the Soul” by Elizabeth Alexander
With text from a Chinese proverb
SSA, a cappella

In this work, composer Elizabeth Alexander sets a poignant and beautiful Chinese proverb in a buoyant and well-crafted three-part selection:

Where there is light in the soul there will be beauty in the person.
Where there is beauty in the person there will be harmony in the home.
Where there is harmony in the home there will be honor in the nation.
Where there is honor in the nation there will be peace in the world.

The text helps create the framework for the piece. As Alexander mentions in her Composer’s Note in the score, each theme of the text becomes a musical motive or character within the piece.

When I decided to set this Chinese proverb to music, I offered myself a delightful musical challenge. Each of the five central concepts — light, beauty, harmony, honor and peace — is given a distinct character, using rhythm, harmony, melody and articulation. Each time these words make an appearance in the music, no matter how briefly, these musical “signatures” are present, woven into the fabric of the composition. [Composer’s Note from score]

The piece is listed as SSA, and, for the most part, the voice lines move as one rhythmic unit, with only slight echoes or syncopation altering the vertical harmonies. This gives the text remarkable clarity, while the overall soundscape flows smoothly and beautifully. Within these graceful lines, there is ample opportunity for text shaping, vowel unification, syllabic emphasis, and clarity of closing consonants. The most difficult text for beginners will likely be motivic repetitions of the phrase “will be peace,” in accomplishing a beautiful [i] vowel and a clean alignment of the closing [s] sound.

There is one major instance of independence between voice lines, coming on a phrase of the text “There will be peace.” For these few measures, the Alto line divides into upper and lower (A1 vs A2), creating four independent lines, in which each sing the text/motive in successive p layers, before rising to a fast crescendo to f on “Where there is light,” and just as quickly closing to a calm p chord on “soul.” Both in this short independent section, and in the rest of the song, the dynamics Alexander includes are keenly important to creating the overall beauty of the work.

Most of the rhythms are readable with limited rehearsal, except for those involving syncopation/sixteenths. And most of the pitches are readable via solfege in C Major, with the exception of a few altered tones. Because of the accessible writing style, her setting is one that can be accomplished by a large group of intermediate singers, or a small group of advanced singers, or a combination thereof.

In February 2018, my students at Hollins University performed this work as part of the inauguration ceremony for our incoming college president. The combined choir included senior voice majors from my advanced group, non-majors from my intermediate ensemble, and beginning students from my 100-level group. Since the performance was near to the start of spring term, we did not have a great deal of rehearsal time available. We focused our time on the non-diatonic pitches, the syncopated rhythms, and the SSAA measures, and then expanded outward to the entire song.

Along with judicious pencil marking to underscore consonants and dynamics, the accessible nature of the musical setting allowed all the students to feel successful and engaged, and yet did not come across at all “simplistic” in performance. Alexander’s setting is uplifting and exquisite yet provides clearly intelligible presentation of the text even in a large performance space.

This lovely affirmation is a solid addition to any concert, especially one that focuses thematically on the greater harmony we are hoping to foster in our singers’ lives and in the larger world. Also suitable for many worship settings and community occasions.

Title:Where there is Light in the Soul
Composer:Elizabeth Alexander
https://www.seafarerpress.com/
http://www.imp.coop/profile/ealexander
Date of Composition:2009
Text Source/Author:Chinese proverb
Subject(s), Genre:Peace, Justice, Inner Beauty
Language:English
Listed Voicing:SSA
Voicing Details:SSA, div briefly to SSAA
Ranges:S1 [G4-G5(A5)]
S2 [C4-E5]
A  [(F3)G3-C5]
Accompaniment:a cappella
Duration:~2:30
Tempo:76-80, with lightness and grace
Publisher:Seafarer Press SEA-070-02D
Further descriptions and details, including notes, audio, perusal score, and purchasing:

https://www.seafarerpress.com/works/where-there-is-light-in-the-soul
http://www.imp.coop/works/ealexander/where-there-is-light-in-the-soul-ssa-2

Until next week!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is associate professor of music, Director of Choral Activities, and music department chair 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: Weekly Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

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Week 11: Friday, June 1, 2018

“Now Let Me Fly!”
Traditional spiritual, arr. Stacey V. Gibbs
SSAA divisi, a cappella

Equally suited to a large festival chorus or a small-but-mighty advanced ensemble, this spiritual arrangement by Stacey V. Gibbs is a great addition to your women’s/treble repertoire list.

Known for his amazing choral arrangements of spirituals, Gibbs’ work is frequently programmed for All-States and Festivals, as well as regional and national conferences. So, it is no surprise that this piece would be an excellent selection for your large SSAA ensemble or festival chorus. The unexpected point with this selection though is that it can function equally well with a “small-but-mighty” ensemble (an advanced group of limited size). Often, arrangements like this one are excellent for a large choir but are difficult to pull off if you have smaller numbers. However, because of the frequent step-wise motion, motivic passages, and tight harmonies, a group of 8-16 strong singers could also confidently perform this selection.

I programmed this with my 12-person advanced group, and it was one of their favorites that semester. Challenging, with only one or two singers per part, yet attainable – and it gave them a great sense of accomplishment to do such a “big” arrangement with their smaller ensemble. So, no matter if you have a large ensemble or a small-but-mighty one, this spiritual arrangement is worth your time to review.

The main material is the traditional spiritual “Now Let Me Fly,” contrasted with Albert E. Brumley’s “I’ll Fly Away” from 1932. Gibbs comments on this choice of song pairing in the program notes, saying that “this setting celebrates overcoming life’s challenges and obstacles. The introductory hymn, ‘I’ll Fly Away’ serves as a catalyst from trial and longing to victory and triumph!” [composer’s notes, inside front cover of score]

Listed as SSAA divisi, the voicing often feels like SSA+SSA or SA+SA, with two main motivic ideas happening at once, and multiple voices/harmonies on each. The work begins with a slow opening in 3/4, with upper voices and lower voices contrasting each other, each group moving in tight thirds and fourths. The intro closes with a sonorous fermata, spanning nearly two octaves. However, because of the voicing and divisi, no part is more than a third or fourth apart from their nearest neighbor, which makes this not as scary as it seems for a smaller group!

After the intro, we move into the 4/4 section, marked “Rhythmically” / MM=132. Sometimes the voices are paired outer (S1, A2) vs. inner (S2, A1), and sometimes the pairs are upper vs. lower like the beginning. Either way, you generally have two contrasting ideas, each in 2-3 part harmony, or all voices are on the same material (in 4-5 part harmony). Every subsequent verse allows for contrast of dynamics and articulations, along with strong syncopations and tight harmony.

In the third section, the tempo slows, and the ensemble now moves rhythmically together on the same material, providing an excellent opportunity for text shaping and syllabic stress.

The final closing section is a layer-cake of four different lines, each with their own 2-3 part harmony. [For a smaller ensemble, this page may require some re-assigning of parts, to make sure everything is covered.] The layers build from the bottom, with A2 presenting their line alone, then adding A1, then S2, then S1. Once the structure is built, it can be repeated as desired. The arrangement ends with a dramatic 7-part fortissimo fermata spanning two octaves (with optional 8th-part [C6] to top things off, if you have a soprano or two comfortable in that range). All voices are no more than a fifth apart though, with many at a third or fourth.

The bottom line is that with this spiritual arrangement by Gibbs, you will find a strong addition to your concert programming. And whether you have a large festival chorus or a small-but-mighty ensemble, this setting is viable for groups of all sizes. 

Title:Now Let Me Fly!
Source:traditional spiritual, incorporating I’ll Fly Away (Brumley)
Arranger:arr. Stacey V. Gibbs
(https://www.carlfischer.com/composer/gibbs-stacey/)
Date of Arrangement:2014
Subject(s), Genre:Spiritual
Language:English
Listed Voicing:SSAA divisi
Voicing Details:SSAA div to 8
Ranges:S1: C4-A5 (C6) [tessitura to F5]
S2: A3-Eb5 [tessitura to C5]
A1: G3-D5 [tessitura to A5]
A2: F3-D5 [tessitura to F4]
Accompaniment:a cappella
Duration:3:10
Tempo:Freely, then Rhythmically/MM=132
Commissioning Ensemble:Choral Consortium: St. Olaf College (Sigrid Johnson), Saint Mary’s College (Nancy Menk), Lawrence University (Phillip Swan), Millikin University (Beth Holmes), Iowa State University (Kathleen Rodde)
Series:Jo-Michael Scheibe Choral Series
Publisher:Walton Music WJMS1137/HL00137951
Further descriptions and details, including notes, audio, perusal score, and purchasing:

https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/now-let-me-fly-print-wjms1137
https://soundcloud.com/walton-music/now-let-me-fly-arr-stacey-gibbs  

Until next week!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is associate professor of music, Director of Choral Activities, and music department chair 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: Weekly Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

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Week 8: Friday, May 11, 2018

“Shenandoah,” arr. Howard Helvey
Traditional American folk song
SSAA divisi, a cappella

If you are looking for close harmonies, flowing phrases, and a wide range of dynamics, this arrangement of the traditional folk song “Shenandoah,” will not disappoint. My “small-but-mighty” auditioned ensemble (12-14 singers) performed this selection last fall, and fell in love with it. That group really enjoys the challenge of tight vertical harmonies and one- or two-people per part, so this arrangement has become a favorite of theirs. Stacked/vertical harmonies abound in this arrangement, giving the ensemble a chance at 4-, 6-, and 8-part divisi, without numerous independent melodic lines to manage.

The first verse (“O Shenandoah…”) begins in E Major, unison, and then expands into two-, then four-part vertical harmony. All the pitches in this verse are diatonic, so solfege is a great tool to use here. All rhythms are half, quarter, or eighth notes. This verse could be sight-read by an advanced-reading-level ensemble, or be perfect for “at-level” transfer of music literacy skills for an intermediate-reading-level group.

The second verse (“I long to see…”) moves to C Major, still primarily diatonic with one added fi.  The S2s have a lovely moment on the melody, with counter melody/harmony from the S1/A1/A2s. The first divisi beyond four-parts happens on “we’re bound away” – where additional vertical harmony notes are added for a 6-part chord. Outside of melody vs. harmony, there is still minimal independence of lines.

For the third verse (“Tis sev’n long years…”), the melody moves around from part to part, phrase by phrase. This is an excellent teaching opportunity for helping singers recognize when they do and don’t have the melody, what role they play in the harmony at a given point, and how that all affects the balance of voices in an ensemble. Harmony expands on this verse beyond strictly diatonic to include more altered pitches, which makes solfege trickier, but the tight dissonances are well worth the work. The “we’re bound away” on this verse layers and builds to a beautiful, rich, 8-part fermata. Especially if you are in a resonant performance space, that phrase can give you chills.

After another lovely motivic series of ebb-and-flow building to 8-part vertical harmony, the song closes softly and calmly with a clean, clear, C major chord. All in all, a beautiful-yet-accessible setting of the familiar tune, with a style that really brings out the best in your treble voices.  

Title:Shenandoah
Source:Traditional American folk song
Arranger:arr. Howard Helvey (http://howardhelvey.com)
Date of Arrangement:2015
Subject(s):Folk song, Americana
Language:English
Listed Voicing:SSAA divisi
Voicing Details:SSAA div to 8 vertical harmony
Ranges:S1: B3-A5
S2: B3-E5
A1: G3-C#5
A2: F3-C#5
Accompaniment:a cappella
Duration:~3:15
Tempo:~56, 60, 63. Expressively.
Publisher:Heritage Music Press 15/3239-H3
Further descriptions and details, including notes, audio, perusal score, and purchasing:

https://www.lorenz.com/choral/school/shenandoah-8    

Until next week!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is associate professor of music, Director of Choral Activities, and music department chair 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: Weekly Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

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Week 4: Friday, April 13, 2018

“She Who Makes Her Meaning Clear (Gamba Adisa)” by Joan Szymko
Text by Audre Lorde
SSAA div, hand percussion

Commissioned for the 25th anniversary of MUSE: Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir, this song celebrates the amazing power that is present when we recognize our fears, and dare to overcome them. [Over the years, MUSE has commissioned a multitude of exceptional new works for women’s/treble voices, often with a focus on social justice and activism. I encourage you to peruse their repertoire and commission list. This work is also part of a series by composer Joan Szymko called “Dare to Be Powerful: Bold Repertoire for Women’s Voices.”]

The primary text is from Audre Lorde, a self-described “black feminist lesbian mother poet.” Lorde wrote this excerpt in her Cancer Journals while undergoing treatment for breast cancer:

“When I dare to be powerful—to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”

Additional text is the repetition of the name “Gamba Adisa,” which translates to “Warrior, She Who Makes Her Meaning Clear.” This was the name that Lorde took for herself near the end of her life, in an African naming ceremony.

The work itself is divided into two main sections:

  • a powerful, emotive opening and middle, with multiple vertical/harmonic divisi, and minimal rhythmic independence of voice parts; and
  • a faster, energetic, closing section, with ostinato layers (A2, A3), upper 3pt grouping (S1, S2, A1), and hand percussion.

This piece lends itself to groups of all sizes. The selection was a hit with my small-but-mighty advanced ensemble (12-14 voices, ~one-quarter music majors), and could be as few as one person per part. It has also been done with large honor choirs, including 2013 National Women’s Honor Choir, led by Sigrid Johnson. [However, because of the shifting divisi, programming it for a festival or combined choir that the conductor doesn’t see during the part-assignment phase will take clear pre-planning and communication.]

With minimal chromaticism, the piece is strongly tonal and consonant. The primary learning challenge lies in the initial “who sings which note” aspect of the divisi, and in the changing of meter from 4/4 to 5/4 to 3/2 to 3/4. The metric variations though are tied directly to the text, and flow easily when you look beyond counting the individual beats to seeing the larger phrases. Opportunities abound for a strong ensemble connection to shifting dynamics and tempo/rubato.

The closing section starts quietly, with A3 on an ostinato phrase. A2 joins next, along with hand percussion. S1/S2/A1 form a trio above the ostinato lines, sometimes entering together and sometimes in imitation. This ebbs and flows together for the remainder of the work. (When we learned the piece, this last section is where we initially started, with each section learning their layer individually in the first rehearsal, then coming together that same rehearsal to put the layers together.)

Joan has created a work that is both moving and reflective, and also driving and powerful. In the composer’s notes on her website, she writes that this piece is “Part invocation, part call to action, part celebration.” 

Title:She Who Makes Her Meaning Clear (Gamba Adisa)
Composer:Joan Szymko (www.joanszymko.com)
Date of Composition:2008
Text Source/Author:Audre Lorde (1934-1992)
Date of Text:1982
Subject(s):Courage, fear, warrior spirit, inner strength
Listed Voicing:SSAA w/ divisi
Voicing Details:1st section: Vertical harmony with minimal independence of voice lines – SSA, SSAA, SSAA div, SSA div + small group

2nd section: Multiple stacked lines – SSAAA

Ranges:S1: D4-Ab5 (tessitura: F4-F5)

A3: Eb3(opt. D3)-F4 (tessitura: F3-F4)

Need a solid low alto section

Accompaniment:1st section: a cappella

2nd section: hand percussion

Duration:~4m40s
Tempo:1st section: 70-86

2nd section: 100

Commissioning Ensemble:MUSE Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir, Catherine Roma, Artistic Director, to celebrate 25 years of musical excellence and social change
Series:Dare To Be Powerful: Bold Repertoire for Women’s Voices
Publisher:www.joanszymko.com
Further descriptions and details, including composer’s notes, audio, perusal score, and purchasing:

http://joanszymko.com/works/ind/she-who-makes-her-meaning-clear 

Until next week!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is associate professor of music, Director of Choral Activities, and music department chair 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.

 

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