God Will Give Orders/Sweet Child: Vocal Score

ISBN-13: 9780193512023 / Angielski

Sarah Quartel

Opis

for SSAA, solo cello, djembe, and piano This evocative anthem, from the larger work Snow Angel, is a piece of two halves. Opening with a haunting cello line, the first section ('God Will Give Orders') is mystical and ethereal, until a vibrant figure from the djembe lifts the music into the second section ('Sweet Child'), which is uplifting and bold in character, with a distinctly African feel and an effective a cappella ending.

Recenzje

The music in the first section is static, atmospheric, and languorous. The cello provides eloquent statements in the high tenor range, interacting freely with the voices. As this section draws to a close, the djembe enters, ratcheting up the vivacity of the music. A quasi-gospel motif enters with two measures of syncopated four-voices chords. This musical burden continues throughout, with a small group adding a solo melody line that delineates the text of the poem. The piece builds intensity to a final cadential climax, at which point the instruments suddenly drop out. A brief unaccompanied dénouement winds the piece down with a melismatic flourish.

O autorze

Sarah Quartel is a Canadian composer and educator known for her fresh and exciting approach to choral music. She celebrates the musical potential of all learners by providing singers access to engaging repertoire and transformative musical experiences. Deeply inspired by the life-changing relationships that can occur while making choral music, Sarah writes in a way that connects singer to singer, ensemble to conductor, and performer to audience. Although she has been a full-time composer since 2017, Sarah chooses to remain connected to her past as a music educator and is a guest teacher in her hometown of London, Canada. Sarah continues to work as a clinician and conductor at music education and choral events at home and abroad.