They Have Freckles Everywhere - LETTER - Seafarer · PDF fileThey Have Freckles Everywhere came ... between Women In Harmony chorus and children at Hall ... They Have Freckles Everywhere

Elizabeth Alexander

Seafarer Presswww.seafarerpress.com

SEA-076-01 $6.00

They Have Freckles Everywhere

Songs for real women about our bodies’ wonderful parts

SSAA and piano

They Have Freckles Everywhere: Seven Pieces of Me

For composers, commissions are priceless gifts of possibility. This is especially true when the commission

is a collaborative one. They Have Freckles Everywhere came about through an unusual partnership inPortland, Maine, between Women In Harmony chorus and children at Hall Elementary School. First, thechildren studied how the human body can be portrayed in art, by visiting an art gallery and thenphotographing their favorite parts of their own bodies. Then the children wrote poems in response to thosephotographs — poems which would become the lyrics to a brand new piece for Women In Harmony.

As the lucky composer of this piece, I received a hefty stack of over 100 poems. They were diverse andimaginative, witty and thoughtful, so full of vibrant images that it was difficult to limit myself to seven bodyparts! I cannot remember when I have composed with such delight and abandon.

While composing this piece, I became poignantly aware of how unabashedly these children were celebratingtheir bodies — and how habitually cautious we as adults are about how we sit, walk, gesture, eat, speak and(of course) look. As I worked with the children’s poetry, I began to see their words as an invitation toembrace that visceral playfulness with which we “mature” people have too often lost touch.

The result was a piece of music which calls for an uncommon occurrence: adults having fun with theirbodies — in public!

They Have Freckles Everywhere is a set of “character pieces”: short, contrasting pieces, each evoking aparticular mood or style. Here are some of my thoughts on each song:

My Eyes: This lyric is a collage of some of the many metaphors and similes that the young poets used fortheir eyes. Like the poems, this song is thoughtful and evocative. It ends with ambiguity, for as mirrors toour soul, our eyes can reflect conflicting things: joy and sorrow, intimacy and distance, warmth andcoldness.

My Birthmark: Just as the poet’s birthmark is “a lonely dot right on the bottom of my foot,” the brokenmelodic fragments are isolated from each other, through the use of silence, registral extremes, and unrelatedchords.

My Legs: As we age, grownups can grow overly sensitive about parts of our bodies. For women in thisculture, it’s especially easy to start feeling uncomfortable about our legs. What a sad thing, since legs areone of our most active and empowering body parts. These thoughts were uppermost in my mind as I wrotethis paean to these amazing appendages, giving the chorus the chance to really “step out”!

My Brain: Rather than focusing on the intellectual aspect of the brain — the part which gets us through adifficult examination or an intense checkers match — this poem speaks to the mysterious emotionalprocesses of the brain. At the conclusion of the song, the endlessly winding melody of “my brain is anendless maze” becomes a labyrinthine canon.

My Mouth: As grown-ups, we learn to keep some of our body parts on a particularly tight watch. Themouth is a great example of this. Some cautions make sense; for instance, it makes sense to chew with ourmouths closed and cover up when we sneeze. However, some other no-no's are less easy to understand. Why, I wonder, are clowns, singers and dental patients the only grown-ups who may open their mouths widewithout causing offense? And why do so few adults make funny noises with their mouths?

Singers have their own hang-ups about oral do’s and don’ts, one of the foremost being the dreaded“dipthong” vowel. Unlike the “pure” vowels in a language like Italian, many American vowels are complexcombinations of two vowels in close succession. For instance, the vowel in the word “mouth” can bethought of as an “ah” followed by an “oo”. Dipthongs are generally thought to be unpleasant to hear anddifficult to sing, so composers and singers usually do their best to tone down dipthongs as much as possible. However, in this song, I do exactly the opposite, emphasizing dipthongs in all their wild and wooly glory!

My Fingers: My fingers are short, which is why, as a pianist, I’ve always disliked being asked to playinglarge intervals. “My Fingers” is written especially for similarly fingered pianists; while the audience willwitness the pianist’s arms and hands frequently moving to different sections of the keyboard, the fingers arecalled upon to do no stretching whatsoever!

My Cheeks: Although this song is called “My Cheeks,” it is the freckles which receive top billing. Likechildren, freckles are small, unpredictable, irrepressible, and — as like the title says — everywhere!

A Final Word: Composers and their music do not exist in a vacuum, but rather in a world full of sound,images and art. Any resemblance of my music to the music of other composers, living or dead, is not purelycoincidental, but is an unavoidable by-product of an open mind, an active ear, and a wild imagination.

- Elizabeth Alexander

Growing up in the Carolinas and Appalachian Ohio, Elizabeth Alexander gained her first love of languageand music from her parents, a minister and a piano teacher. These twin passions are reflected in hercatalogue of over 100 choral and vocal pieces, which have received over 20 national and internationalawards, and which have been performed by thousands of choirs. Her composition teachers have includedJack Gallagher at The College of Wooster, and Steven Stucky, Yehudi Wyner and Karel Husa at CornellUniversity, where she received her doctorate in music composition.

Reviews of her music have referred to “the close personal resonance between the

composer and the words,” as well as her music’s “delicacy and sincerity,”“elegance,” and “freshness within a well-known language.”

A recent McKnight Composition Fellow, Elizabeth lives in St. Paul, MN, where herfrequent commissions include works for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensembles andsolo musicians. In addition to composing, Elizabeth teaches little fingers to play,shamelessly encourages her teenagers’ jokes, and tends her garden during the threemonth period in Minnesota that is not winter. She believes she has the best job inthe world.

For more information about Elizabeth’s music, visit www.elizabethalexander.com

They Have Freckles EverywhereSeven Pieces of Me

Music by Elizabeth Alexander

Lyrics adapted from poems by students in the

Many River Program at Hall Elementary School

I. My Eyes

My eyes are like an oval and an almond, My eyes are like stones in the road, My eyes are like a pool of water, Ocean pieces glint in the sun like shining sapphire spheres.

Travel into two worlds of black. Travel down into the depths of wonder, into my eyes

My eyes are like fish swimming in a pond, My eyes, warm like a blanket, cold as ice.

II. My Birthmark

My birthmark is

one lonely dot

on the bottom

of my foot.

III. My Legs

You always have them right underneath you. Right underneath you, you have your legs.

I love my legs because I can wiggle them and bend them right when I want to. They can leap and run, and jump on a bed, pick me up from the ground.

They swingback and forthswinging high and low.I love to dance.

I love my legsbecause I can wiggle them and bend them right when I want to.Legs are what you use for walking,kicking through the water,playing on the playground.

I love my legs for they can run and walk and wiggle and bend and shake and kick and swing and leap and dance: My legs!

IV. My Brain

My brain Is an endless maze A canoe floating down a quiet river.

Enter into the mists of thought, Venture in to the distance, into belief, desire, suffering, joy, pain into wonder, into dreams —

My brain Is an endless maze.

V. My Mouth

My mouth.

Blurting outSound.A sea ofSound.

EnoughTo fillThe soul.Enough To fillThe world

My mouth!

VI. My Fingers

My fingers are short.

Very short.

VII. My Cheeks

They have freckles everywhere.

My cheeks are very soft, And they have freckles everywhere.

And my cheeks puff up,

And they have freckles everywhere.

Student Poets:

I. My Eyes: Gabriel Kobert, Emma Alcorn, Eleanor Cox, Austin Tyson, Sammy Astrachan, Reilly Musgrave, Kim HenryII. My Birthmark: Julian KoubaIII. My Legs: Jacob Morrow Spitzer, Mashale Nabi, Ellen Silk, Sean Kosal, Finn NaylorIV. My Brain: Jaspar Sommer, Vaughan Murphy, Will Sarvis, Kim Henry, Eliza Lambert,, Savin Matlozzi, Sammy Astrachan,, Jacob LitourneauV. My Mouth: Reed FernandezVI. My Fingers: TurnerVII. My Cheeks: Madeline Mullelt

Thanks to the student poets and photographers who allowed me to use

their words and art to inspire these songs! – E.A.

© 2007 by Elizabeth Alexander

pp

(q = 60) pellucid

3-part divisi

My

pp

eyes are like an o val- and an al mond,-

7

My

pp

eyes are like an o val- and an al mond,- my

My

pp

eyes are like an o val- and an al mond,- my

Solo

3-part divisi

my

p with a pure tone

eyes are like stones in the road,

13

my eyes, my eyes are like stones in the road, my

p

eyes, my eyes, my eyes are like stones in the road, my

p

eyes, my eyes, my eyes are like stones in the road, my

p

Seven Pieces of Me, for women's chorus* and piano

1. My Eyes

They Have Freckles EverywhereCommissioned by Women In Harmony, Catherine Beller-McKenna conductor

Elizabeth Alexander

Students of Hall Elementary School

(keep pedal depressed)

3

Seafarer PressSEA-076-01

* The chorus is divided into 2, 3 and 4 parts, often in the same movement.Singers should be prepared to switch between these divisions on short notice.

2

Solo

3-part divisi

My

mp19

eyes are like a pool, are like a pool of wat er,- wat er,-

eyes are like a pool, a pool of wat er,- like a pool of wat er,-

eyes are like a pool, are like a pool, of wat er,- like a pool of wat er,-

Solo

3-part divisi

eyes are shin ing- sap phire-

23

o

mp

cean- piec es- glint in the sun like shin ing,- glint like shin ing- sap phire,- glint like sap phire-

o

mp


o

mp


mp

3

3

3

3

3

Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret & George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous

web designer B Scott Bates, poet B Abbie Betinis, composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael

deVernon Boblett, poet B Ray Bradbury, writer B Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey,

poet B Emily Dickinson, poet B Evelyn Dudley, poet B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer

B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher,

composer/teacher B Paul Gerike, proofreader B Steve Harper, technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web

designer B Edie Hill, composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa,

composer/teacher B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet

B Jonathan Machen, artist B Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet B J. David Moore, composer/colleague B Joan Wolf

Prefontaine, poet B Gerald Rich, poet B Carl Sandburg, poet B King Sigismund III, religious reformer B Steven

Stucky, composer/teacher B Rabindranath Tagore, poet B Howard Thurman, civil rights leader/writer B John

Greenleaf Whittier, poet B Theodore Chickering Williams, poet B Daniel Winter, pianist/teacher B Nancy Wood,

poet B Yehudi Wyner, composer/teacher B Paul Adams, technical advisor B Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret &

George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous web designer B Scott Bates, poet B

Abbie Betinis, composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael deVernon Boblett, poet B Ray

Bradbury, writer B Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey, poet B Emily Dickinson, poet

B Evelyn Dudley, poet B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer

B Pesha Gertler, poet B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher, composer/teacher B Paul Gerike,

proofreader B Steve Harper, technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web designer B Edie Hill,

composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa, composer/teacher

B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet B Jonathan Machen,

artist B Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet B J. David Moore, composer/colleague B Joan Wolf Prefontaine, poet B Gerald

Rich, poet B Carl Sandburg, poet B King Sigismund III, religious reformer B Steven Stucky, composer/teacher B

Rabindranath Tagore, poet B Howard Thurman, civil rights leader/writer B John Greenleaf Whittier, poet B

Theodore Chickering Williams, poet B Daniel Winter, pianist/teacher B Nancy Wood, poet B Yehudi Wyner,

composer/teacher B Paul Adams, technical advisor B Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret & George Alexander, parents

B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous web designer B Scott Bates, poet B Abbie Betinis,

composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael deVernon Boblett, poet B Ray Bradbury, writer B

Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey, poet B Emily Dickinson, poet B Evelyn Dudley, poet

B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet

B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher, composer/teacher B Paul Gerike, proofreader B Steve Harper,

technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web designer B Edie Hill, composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet

B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa, composer/teacher B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller

B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet B Jonathan Machen, artist B Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet B J.

David Moore, composer/colleague B Joan Wolf Prefontaine, poet B Gerald Rich, poet B Carl Sandburg, poet B King

THIS PAGE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.

(YOU KNOW WHY.)

A COMPLETE PERUSAL COPY MAY BE PURCHASED

FROM ELIZABETH ALEXANDER AT

Seafarer PressSeafarer PressSeafarer PressSeafarer Presswww.seafarerpress.com

A LOT OF HARD WORK &CREATIVITY

WENT INTO BRINGING

THIS MUSIC TO YOU...

...AND SOME OF IT

WAS EVEN MINE.

S I & II

A I & II

won der,-

37

won der,- in

mp

to- my

Solo

S I & II

A I & II

in

mf

to- my eyes.

41

in

mf

to- my eyes.

eyes.

marcato

44

mf

3

3

3

(keep pedal depressed)

5

3-part divisi

My

pp

eyes, my eyes,

47

My

pp

eyes, my eyes,

pp

3-part divisi

My eyes are like fish swim ming- in a pond.

51

My eyes are like fish swim ming- in a pond.

My

pp

eyes are like fish swim ming- in a pond.

Solo

my

pp

eyes, warm like a blan ket,- cold as ice.

54

This movement was completed in St. Paul, Minnesota on Feb. 10, 2007, which had a high temperature of 10º F.

6

Tutti

Senza vibrato, with precise articulation. Notes without staccatos should be “legatissimo”

My

p

birth mark- is a lone ly- dot

(q = 100)

p mp

Tutti

is a lone ly- dot on the bot tom- of myfoot.

67

pmf

Tutti

My birth mark- is a

71

p p

mp

Tutti

lone ly,- - lone ly- dot.

74

pp p

2. My Birthmark

7

Solo

Solo I*: mp (un poco Ethel Merman)

You al ways- have them right un der- neath- you,

(h = 62-66)

p

Solo

right un der- neath- you you have your

81

Solo

3-part divisi

legs.

84

You

p

have your legs, your legs.

You

p

have your legs, your legs.

your

p

legs.

3. My Legs

* If desired, solos may be divided between three singers, as indicated, singing either to the audience or to each another.

8

Solo

You al ways- have them right un der- neath- you, It is a maz- ing- to

88

Solo

S I & II

A I & II

me,

91

I

mp

love my legs be cause- I can wig gle- them and

I

mp

love my legs, a' wiggle- and

mp

S I & II

A I & II

bend them right when I want to

95

bend them right when I want to they can leap, and run, and jump on the bed,

Solo II: mp Solo III: mp Solo I: mprallentando

3

a tempo

port.

port.

9

S I & II

A I & II

99

pick me up from the ground.

mf

102

p

106

mfmp

a little faster (h. = 56)

111

port.

Choir performs a group kneebend here, downward. This is not intended to be subtle. (If you can't do a kneebend, fake it.)

sost. ped.

For its next amazing feat, the choirwill now rise out of said kneebend.

Anyone stuck in the “down” position may be helped up by a neighbor.

10

3-part divisi

They

mp

swing, they swing, they swing, they swing,

118

They

mp


They

mp


3-part divisi

back and forth,

123

back and forth, back and forth,

back and forth, back and forth,

Solo

swing

Yes, this is a bluesy solo, so you may sing it like that!

ing- high and swing ing- low

127

Solo IV: mp

port.

11

Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret & George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generousweb designer B Scott Bates, poet B Abbie Betinis, composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B MichaeldeVernon Boblett, poet B Ray Bradbury, writer B Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey,poet B Emily Dickinson, poet B Evelyn Dudley, poet B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher,composer/teacher B Paul Gerike, proofreader B Steve Harper, technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous webdesigner B Edie Hill, composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa,composer/teacher B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet B Jonathan Machen, artist B Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet B J. David Moore, composer/colleague B Joan WolfPrefontaine, poet B Gerald Rich, poet B Carl Sandburg, poet B King Sigismund III, religious reformer B StevenStucky, composer/teacher B Rabindranath Tagore, poet B Howard Thurman, civil rights leader/writer B JohnGreenleaf Whittier, poet B Theodore Chickering Williams, poet B Daniel Winter, pianist/teacher B Nancy Wood,poet B Yehudi Wyner, composer/teacher B Paul Adams, technical advisor B Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret &George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous web designer B Scott Bates, poet B Abbie Betinis, composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael deVernon Boblett, poet B RayBradbury, writer B Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey, poet B Emily Dickinson, poet

B Evelyn Dudley, poet B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher, composer/teacher B Paul Gerike,proofreader B Steve Harper, technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web designer B Edie Hill,

composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa, composer/teacher B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet B Jonathan Machen,





composer/teacher B Paul Adams, technical advisor B Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret & George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous web designer B Scott Bates, poet B Abbie Betinis,


Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey, poet B Emily Dickinson, poet B Evelyn Dudley, poet B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet

B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher, composer/teacher B Paul Gerike, proofreader B Steve Harper,technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web designer B Edie Hill, composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet





(YOU KNOW WHY.)





WENT INTO BRINGING


...AND SOME OF IT

WAS EVEN MINE.

S I & II

A I & II

I

mp

love my legs be cause- I can wig gle- them and

Tempo primo (h = 66)

151

they

mp

can leap, and run, and jump on the bed,

mp

S I & II

A I & II

bend them right when I want to legs are what you use for walk ing,-

155

pick me up from the ground. right when I want to legs are what you use for walk ing,-

S I & II

A I & II

kick ing- through the wat er,- play ing- on the play ground.-

159

kick ing- through the wat er,- play ing- on the play ground.-

163

f

port.

rallentando poco a poco

13

Solo

I love my

166

Solo

ChorusLine

S I

S II

A I

A II

legs, I love my legs,

170

mf

I love my legs, I love my legs,

mf

I love my legs, I love my legs,legs,

mf

I love my legs, I love my legs, for they can

mf

I love my legs, I love my legs, for they can

Composer’s Note: No, I didn't originally plan on asking the choir to kick up its heels; the song just naturally went there on its own! It's notnecessary for everyone to be part of the Chorus Line, but a critical mass is vital. These don’t need to be high kicks, and you don’t need to getyour legs completely straight. For some of us, it’s a celebration that we can still do this at all!

No one taught me how to notate a Chorus Line in graduate school, so I made this notation up. Remember that when your right leg is kicking,it’s kicking toward the left. (And vice versa)

mf

Freely

Solo I: mf (Take us home, Ethel!)

Meno mosso

LEFTLEG DOWN

RIGHT KICK

RIGHTLEG DOWN

LEFTKICK

LEFTLEG DOWN

RIGHT KICK

RIGHTLEG DOWN

LEFTKICK

LEFTLEG DOWN

RIGHT KICK

RIGHTLEG DOWN

LEFTKICK

LEFTLEG DOWN

14

S I

S II

A I

A II

and shake and swing and

174

and shake and kick and swing and leap and

run and walk and wig gle- and bend and shake and kick and swing and leap and

run, walk wig gle- and bend and shake and kick and swing and leap and

S I

S II

A I

A II

dance: my

f

legs!

178

dance: my

f

legs!

dance: my

f

legs!

dance: my

f

legs!

f

15

(q. = 38-43) Pensively (of course!)

una corda

pp

sempre

Tutti

My

pp seamlessly, with staggered breathing

brain is an end less,- end less-

186

Tutti

maze,

(no breath here)

is an end less,- an end less*- maze,

(nope, not here either)

is an

190

Tutti

end less- maze, an end less,- end less- - -

194

4. My Brain

* Altos may wish to sing lower notes, on this page and on page 27.

16

Tutti

maze.

198

raise and lower pedal slowly

203

p

3-part divisi

My

p

brain is an end less-

208

My

p


My

p


raise and lower pedal slowly gradually change to tre corda

17

3-part divisi

maze, A

Maintain dynamic of p, resisting the temptation to

grow louder when floating up into high registers

can oe- float ing,- float ing- down a

212

maze, A can oe- float ing,- float ing- down a

maze, A can oe- float ing,- float ing- down a

3-part divisi

qui et- riv er,-

216

qui et- riv er,- qui et- riv er,-

qui et- riv er,- qui et- riv er,-

18

S I

S II

A I

A II

En

mp

ter- in to- the mists of thought,

220

div. mp

En ter- in to- the mists of thought,

Mists

mp

of thought,

mp

pp mp

S I

S II

A I

A II

Ven ture,- venture in to- the dis tance,- in to-

224




nondiv.

19

S I

S II

A I

A II

sha

mf

dow,- in to- be lief,- de sire,-

228

sha

mf


sha

mf


sha

mf


mf

S I

S II

A I

A II

suf fer- ing,- in to- joy, in to- pain,

f231


f


f


f

f

20
















(YOU KNOW WHY.)





WENT INTO BRINGING


...AND SOME OF IT

WAS EVEN MINE.

S I

S II

A I

A II

dreams, in to- dreams.

247




p

251

mf

255

259

f

22

263

3-part divisi

My

p

brain is an end less,- end less-

266

My

p

brain is an end less,-

My

p

brain is an

p

3-part divisi

maze, is an end less,- an end less-

270

end less- - maze, is an end less,- an

end less,- end less- maze, is an

23

3-part divisi

maze, is an end less- maze, an end less,- end - - -

273

end less- maze, is an end less- maze, an end less,-

end less,- an end less- maze, is an end less- maze, an

3-part divisi

less maze.

pp277

end less- maze.

pp

end less,- maze.

pp

282

24

3-part divisi

M

pp

- - - - - - - - - - - -

(q = 120)

M

pp

[ma- - - - - - i- a- i- a- i- a- i- a- i- a- i- -

M

pp

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

pp

3-part divisi

[ma- - - - - - i- a- i- a- i- a-

292

a i- a- i- a- i- a- - - - - - - - - -

[ma- - - - - - - - - - i- a- i- a- i- a- -

p

3-part divisi

i a- i- a- i]

mp

- My

mf295

i-

a- i- a- i- a- i- a- i- a- i]

mp

- My

mf

i- a- i- a- i- a- i- a- i- - - a- i]

mp

- My

mf

mp

5. My Mouth

25

3-part divisi

[ma u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- -

298

[ma u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a u- a- u- a- u- a- -

[ma u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a u- a- u- a- u- a- -

mf

3-part divisi

u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u- a- u]- th,

sfz

- my

f301


sfz

- my

f


sfz

- my

f

f

3-part divisi

mouth!

304

mouth!

mouth!

mp

senza pedale

26

3-part divisi

306

[B*

mp

b- b- b- b- b- b- -

[B*

mp

b- b- b- b- b- b- b- b- b- b- b- b- b- b- -

3-part divisi

[B*

mp

b- b- bl- b- bl- b- - bl- blurt- ing- out

308

b b- b- b- bl- b- bl- b- - bl- blurt- ing- out

b b- b- b- bl- b- bl- b- - bl- blurt- ing- out

3-part divisi

[sa

mf

u- a- - u] ound,- [sa u- a- - u] ound,-

310

[sa

mf


[sa

mf


mf

* Create the "b" and "bl" phonemes with very, loose "blurty" lips.

27

Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret & George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous

web designer B Scott Bates, poet B Abbie Betinis, composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael

deVernon Boblett, poet B Ray Bradbury, writer B Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey,

poet B Emily Dickinson, poet B Evelyn Dudley, poet B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer

B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher,

composer/teacher B Paul Gerike, proofreader B Steve Harper, technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web

designer B Edie Hill, composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa,

composer/teacher B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet

B Jonathan Machen, artist B Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet B J. David Moore, composer/colleague B Joan Wolf

Prefontaine, poet B Gerald Rich, poet B Carl Sandburg, poet B King Sigismund III, religious reformer B Steven

Stucky, composer/teacher B Rabindranath Tagore, poet B Howard Thurman, civil rights leader/writer B John

Greenleaf Whittier, poet B Theodore Chickering Williams, poet B Daniel Winter, pianist/teacher B Nancy Wood,

poet B Yehudi Wyner, composer/teacher B Paul Adams, technical advisor B Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret &

George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous web designer B Scott Bates, poet B

Abbie Betinis, composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael deVernon Boblett, poet B Ray

Bradbury, writer B Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey, poet B Emily Dickinson, poet

B Evelyn Dudley, poet B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer

B Pesha Gertler, poet B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher, composer/teacher B Paul Gerike,

proofreader B Steve Harper, technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web designer B Edie Hill,

composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa, composer/teacher

B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet B Jonathan Machen,





composer/teacher B Paul Adams, technical advisor B Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret & George Alexander, parents

B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous web designer B Scott Bates, poet B Abbie Betinis,


Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey, poet B Emily Dickinson, poet B Evelyn Dudley, poet

B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet

B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher, composer/teacher B Paul Gerike, proofreader B Steve Harper,

technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web designer B Edie Hill, composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet





(YOU KNOW WHY.)





WENT INTO BRINGING


...AND SOME OF IT

WAS EVEN MINE.

3-part divisi

nough to fill the world,

ff322


ff


ff

ff

326

keep pedal depressed

3-part divisi

m

p

m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- -

328

m

p

m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- -

m

p

m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- m- -

29

3-part divisi

[ma u- - - - - a- u- a- u- a- u]- outh,- my

f330


f


f

f

3-part divisi

mou th!

sfz332

mou th!

sfz

mou th!

sfz

Composer’s Note:

Many choir directors are more afraid of dipthongs than they are of global warming, a poor prioritization, if you ask me. This poemis full of dipthongs, those pesky, messy American combo-vowels, and this song draws ’em out for all they’re worth (and more)!

Vowels enclosed within brackets - [a], [i], [o], and [u] - are to be sung, more or less, as they are in the International Phonetic Alphabet(and in Italian). But a more accurate way to think of them, is that these “pure” vowels are the individual components of dipthongs,isolated parts of the dipthongs in the words: “my,” “mouth,” “sound” & “soul.”

This piece is as much a visual and visceral experience as it is an aural one. So don’t shy away from what this piece will look like fromthe audience’s point of view - that’s part of the fun!

I especially like the idea that, when experiencing a live performance of this piece, deaf audience members get to “hear” the rhythm andshape of our vowels!

30

(q = 112)

mf

3-part divisi

My

mf

fing ers- are short,

337

My

mf


My

mf


3-part divisi

My fing ers,- my fing ers- are short.

340



6. My Fingers

31

3-part divisi

My

p


343

My

p


My

p


p

3-part divisi

ver

mp

y,- ver y- - short.

f346

ver

mp

y,- ver y- - short.

f

ver

mp

y,- ver y- - short.

f

A Confession from the Composer:

My fingers ARE short, which is why I’ve always disliked it when I am asked to play 10ths in one hand. (I can squeeze out a 9th on a verygood day.) This song is written especially for similarly fingered pianists; while there are many musical gymastics going in the piano part,it is written entirely in a “Hanonesque” five-finger position.

f

gliss.

gliss.

gliss.

32

exhuberantly

(h = 76-84) Swing rhythm

senza pedale

f

3-part divisi

My

p

cheeks,

353

My

p

cheeks,

My

p

cheeks, My cheeks,

p

3-part divisi

They

mp

have freck les,- freck les- ev’ ry-

Straight rhythm358

They

mp

have freck les,- freck les- ev’ ry-

They

mp

have freck les,- freck les- ev’ ry- -

cue-notes for rehearsal only

ff

3

7. My Cheeks

3 3

3

33

S I

S II

A I

A II

p dolce

My cheeks are soft, they are soft, ver y- soft,

darkly

and

376

p dolce

My cheeks are soft, they are soft, ver y- soft.

darkly

and

p dolce


darkly

and

p dolce


darkly

and

for rehearsal only

S I

S II

A I

A II

they have freck les- ev’ ry- where,- they

mp melodramatically

have freck les- ev’ ry- where,- They

384


mp melodramatically

have freck les- ev’ ry- where,-


mp melodramatically

have freck les- ev’ ry- where,- They


mp melodramatically

have freck les- ev’ ry- where,-

35
















(YOU KNOW WHY.)





WENT INTO BRINGING


...AND SOME OF IT

WAS EVEN MINE.

S I

S II

A I

A II

where, ev’ ry- - where,- ev’ ry- - where,

mf

- ev’ ry- where,- ev’ ry- -

399

where, they have freck les- ev’ ry- where,- freck les- ev’ ry- where,

mf


where, they have freck les- ev’ ry- where,- ev’ ry- - where,

mf

- ev’ ry- -

where, ev’ ry- - where,- they have freck les- ev’ ry- where,

mf


mf

S I

S II

A I

A II

where, ev’ ry- where,- they have freck les,- they have freck les- ev’ ry- -

402



where, my cheeks have freck les,- they have freck les- ev’ ry- -

37

S I

S II

A I

A II

where. they

f marcato

have freck les- ev’ ry- - ev’ ry- - ev’ ry- -

405

where. they

f marcato


where. they

f marcato


where. they

f marcato


f marcato

S I

S II

A I

A II

they havefreck les- ev’ ry- where,- and

p subito

my cheeks, puff up,

408


p subito

my cheeks, puff up,


p subito

my cheeks, puff up, (puff)*


p subito

my cheeks, puff up, (puff)*

mf p

* Okay girls, get ready for one more maneuver! Puff your cheeks up with air and release the air quickly.The final consonant will probably be lost, but that's okay. The most important part of the sound is the initial release of air.

Yes, you are being asked to have fun with your bodies!

38

S I

S II

A I

A II

my cheekspuff up, (puff)* (puff) and

mf

they are soft, and they have

412

my cheekspuff up, (puff)* (puff) and

mf

they are soft, and they have

(puff) my cheekspuff up, and they are soft, and they have

(puff) my cheekspuff up, and they are soft, and they have

mf

S I

S II

A I

A II

freck les- ev’ ry- where!

f415


f


f


f

ff

3 3

A Final Note from the Composer: Thank you for playing with me today. I hope you had a good time.

3

39

Documents

They Have Freckles Everywhere - LETTER - Seafarer · PDF fileThey Have Freckles Everywhere came ... between Women In Harmony chorus and children at Hall ... They Have Freckles Everywhere