Thoughts

Link: http://shop.choirworks.com/harvesthymn

Just released a new work for SATB choir acapella entitled Harvest Hymn. I just wanted to say a couple of things about it that I probably wouldn’t put on the ‘product’ page of my choir site.

First, when you read the lyric, it is hard to believe that I set this text to music originally for my children’s songbook and CD, "Thanksgiving!" Still, its true. Although it is somber and reflective text (by Jeremiah Ingalls) on the catastrophes that will come about when the Earth’s fields (of souls) are gathered in, I don’t think it is too much to handle for kids (I think as I kid I would have enjoyed singing about the rocks fleeing away and the whole world being on fire). As a nation we seem to be shying away from themes of judgement, but that may be one of the subconscious reasons I included it.

On the other hand, I definately have a macabre sense of humor (think Tim Burton) and this text does sort of strike with a grimness that is just not seen much in modern religious culture. Frankly, I couldn’t resist setting it when I read it.

This version is for a ‘grown up’ choir, and maybe it fits better here, with adults, I don’t know. In any case, I still think this text is great and I can’t wait to perform this version at the Phoenix Rising (my choir) Harvest Celebration in November. I’ve incorporated the sound of the scythe cutting the wheat down as a sound effect produced by the choir; I think it is one of my more brilliant, but simply achieved, moves.

The text and a sample score are on the site linked to above if you’d like to take a look.

My choir is preparing Christ Rising Again (a very difficult polyphonic piece) by William Byrd. One of my choir members posted this to the rest of us. I just love this, and agree with it, so I thought I’d share it here.

William Byrd (1543-1623) was the first of the great English composers.  The leading musician of the Elizabethan era, he was a renowned organist and in one of the obituaries that followed his death was described as a “Father of Musicke.”  He also wrote on music, and in the preface to his Psalmes, Sonnets & Songs, published in 1588, he set down these reasons “to perswade every one to learne to sing” :

William Byrd’s Eight Reasons for Singing 

1. It is a knowledge easely taught and quickly learned, where there is a good Master and an apt Scoller.
2. The exercise of singing is delightfull to Nature and good to preserve the health of Man.
3. It doth strengthen all parts of the brest, and doth open the pipes.
4. It is a singular good remedie for stammering in the speech.
5. It is the best meanes to procure a perfect pronunciation, and to make a good Orator.
6. It is the onely way to know where Nature hath bestowed the benefit of a good voyce; which guift is so rare as there is not one among a thousand that hath it; and in many that excellent guift is lost because they want Art to express Nature.
7. There is not any Musicke of Instruments whatsoever comparable to that which is made of the voyces of men, where the voyces are good and the same well sorted and ordered.
8. The better the voyce is, the meter it is to honour and serve God therewith; and the voyce of man is chiefely to be employed to that ende.

Since singing is so good a thing,
I wish all men would learne to sing.