I wrote an a cappella choral (SATB) piece based on a lovely untitled e. e. cummings poem:
love is a place
& through this place of
love move
(with brightness of peace)
all places
yes is a world
& in this world of
yes live
(skilfully curled)
all worlds
The challenge was to take this short text and have the singing last more than 30 seconds.
The scale repeats at the fifth instead of the octave (with steps as in a pentatonic scale rather than diatonic); the intent is to suggest spatial extent in the stacked harmonies. As a result, the four parts SATB appear to be in different key signatures, to minimize accidentals.
The structure is: chorus verse chorus verse chorus. Each verse treats the original text somewhat in the fashion of a madrigal. (Parenthetical lines become solos.) The choruses repeat single words from the verses, ending with a nod to the Beatles "yeah yeah yeah", "love love love". The last chorus resolves to a ninth chord voiced as in the harmonic series.
performed by: I Cantori di Carmel, Spring Concert, 2011 May 1, Carmel Mission,
conducted by: Sal Ferrantelli
See the scoreÂ
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