Anang (A Star)
by Andrew Balfour
Soprano 1
Soprano 2
Alto 1
Alto 2
Tenor 1
Tenor 2
Baritone
Bass
Lyrics:
Anang ("a star")
Anang giipiidagoojin. (“a star fell through the sky towards me)
Baga kaasigeway anangoog. (“stars shine brightly”)
About Anang:
"I first met Cree composer Andrew Balfour at a national choral conference in St. John’s in 2018, spellbound after hearing Ambe for the first time. The following summer, I spoke with him about an Algonquin legend which I’d found very moving – about stars representing grandmothers offering their earthly families love and protection – then asked if he would compose a work for VOCA’s upcoming (Spring 2020) “Star Songs” concert. Andrew enthusiastically agreed, and his exquisite, moving and reflective Anang (A Star) was the result. We were thrilled and honoured to present the World Premiere of this stunning work on April 30, 2022, featuring Elizabeth Acker, piano and Jamie Drake, glockenspiel. Here is Andrew’s dedication for the premiere: “Anang (A Star) is dedicated to my wonderful wife, who told me about the Indigenous understanding of the Star People, who are among us, representing where we all came from, the Universe and the stars. Only some can see them – among them, little children who attract the Star people as the little ones have just emerged from the unknown. Star people are also attracted to shells, which is why you might see shells in some Indigenous ceremonies.”
Jenny Crober, Artistic Director/Conductor, VOCA Chorus of Toronto
About the Algonquian language
Though it is written by a Cree composer (not Naumkeag), Anang stems from the Algonquian legend of stars being our ancestors looking down on us. Algonquian includes a broad range of indigenous tribes with shared language and culture who settled in areas from New England through Quebec and Ontario. The Naumkeag were a specific Algonquian speaking tribe in Salem before disease and colonialism gradually destroyed their existence. Descendants of the Naumkeag live on as part of the larger Pawtucket/Massachusett nation.
History of Native American languages time lapse https://youtu.be/bg89znSZBQw