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.