Product Description
PDF score of Finding the Light.
Please note: 10 copy minimum. Please purchase one copy per member of your choir.
Please note: 10 copy minimum. Please purchase one copy per member of your choir.
Program Note:
“A cry for help and a ‘I can’t breathe’ we are the help that our futures need.” This was just one of many responses that students from Aspire Middle School for the Performing Arts and the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics (VSAA) gave me when I asked for their thoughts about life during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Although the Finding the Light is scored for four distinct vocal parts with piano, I wanted to create moments of community support within the piece through the use of unisons between parts and diatonic tone clusters to create the feeling of being harmonically hugged. Inspired by friend Carolyn Quick’s piece entitled Pieces, I opted to explore the use of a more linear accompaniment part in the piano that’s a counterpoint to the vocal parts, much like the relationship of an individual and their community has to the rest of the world, which gets expanded to the vocal parts in the third stanza to highlight the responses of different subgroups within the community. In-between the contrapuntal sections, I contrasted harmonized protest chants that were inspired by the protests for racial equality that started during June 2020. Finally, the phrase “we are dropped in a dark place, but we will find the light.” gets repeat like a mantra, expressing the collective hope that we have for humanity during this trying time, tying the piece together.
Instrumentation:
SSAA/SATB/SSAB Choir & Piano
Recording:
SSAA and Piano version performed by Aspire Academy for the Performing Arts Belle Voce
SATB and Piano version performed by Portland Symphonic Choir
Score:
Text:
Finding the Light
Aspire Middle School for the Performing Arts/Vancouver School of Arts and Academics Students
Our world is broken.
There is so much pain, suffering, and inequality.
I feel disconnected from my teachers and friends,
separated from harmony, peace, and love.
We are dropped in a dark place,
but we will find the light.
Everyone is trying to do their best.
Everyone is standing up
for what they think is right.
Everyone is trying to their best to survive.
Everyone is standing up
for what they think is right.
This time is a rare chance to support others around us
and lift their voices to be heard.
This time is an opportunity
for all of us to improve
giving us a chance
to focus on the little things.
We are dropped in a dark place,
but we will find the light.
Everyone is trying to do their best.
Everyone is standing up
for what they think is right.
Everyone is trying to their best to survive.
Everyone is standing up
for what they think is right
and I applaud them.
We are dropped in a dark place,
but we will find the light.
- Aspire/VSAA Student (2020)
Aspire Middle School for the Performing Arts/Vancouver School of Arts and Academics Students
Our world is broken.
There is so much pain, suffering, and inequality.
I feel disconnected from my teachers and friends,
separated from harmony, peace, and love.
We are dropped in a dark place,
but we will find the light.
Everyone is trying to do their best.
Everyone is standing up
for what they think is right.
Everyone is trying to their best to survive.
Everyone is standing up
for what they think is right.
This time is a rare chance to support others around us
and lift their voices to be heard.
This time is an opportunity
for all of us to improve
giving us a chance
to focus on the little things.
We are dropped in a dark place,
but we will find the light.
Everyone is trying to do their best.
Everyone is standing up
for what they think is right.
Everyone is trying to their best to survive.
Everyone is standing up
for what they think is right
and I applaud them.
We are dropped in a dark place,
but we will find the light.
- Aspire/VSAA Student (2020)