Circlesong

Description

Upper Voices, SATB Vocal Score

for Upper voices, SATB, and piano or 2 pianos and percussion (4 players)

A work filled with ambition, Circlesong is a musical portrayal of the human life cycle as captured in the indigenous poetry of North America. Based on poetry from the Chinook, Comanche, Dakota, Eskimo, Iroquois, Kwakiutl, Navajo, Ojibwa, Pueblo, Seminole, Sioux, and Yaqui traditions, the thirteen movements, in seven parts, mark the different stages of life, from birth and childhood to adulthood, middle age and death. With energetic percussion accompaniment, climactic moments for tutti choir, tender unaccompanied passages and solo song, Circlesong is a work of impressive drama, variety, and depth.

The current vocal score provides the single piano version, for performance but also for rehearsal generally. A separate part for upper voices is available on sale, and the instrumental parts for the two pianos/percussion version are available on hire.

Contents:
Introduction
1. Beauty before me/We wait in the darkness (tutti choirs)
Part 1: Birth
2. Song for Bringing a Child into the World (tutti choirs)
3. Newborn (SATB choir)
Part 2: Childhood
4. Yaqui Song (upper voices)
5. A Child's Song (upper-voice solo)
6. Give me strength (tutti choirs)
Part 3: Lover
7. Chinook Songs (tutti choirs)
8. Over the Wave (SATB choir)
Part 4: Adulthood
9. Summer Song (tutti choirs)
Part 5: Middle age
10. O Great Spirit (SATB choir)
Part 6: Old age
11. In the house made of dawn (tutti choirs)
Part 7: Death
12. Farewell, my brother (upper-voice solo)
13. The sun's beams are running out/We wait in the darkness (tutti choirs)