Let My Song Take Wing for SAB choir is finished, and the score/octavo with the dedication have been sent over to the commissioning ensemble. The world premiere is set for March 10 at Independence High School, in Glendale, AZ. I will be attending some rehearsals in the lead up to the premiere performance, and using student and teacher feedback to make last-minute revisions.

Sending off a commission to the performers for which it was written is both nerve-wracking and satisfying. On the one hand, you’re sending your deeply personal project you’ve been working on, baring your soul and opening yourself up to criticism; on the other, it’s a relief to be done, and to have something out in the world. And there is always time for later revision. In this project, the vocal parts came relatively quickly and easily (and I am grateful to the commissioning director, Katie Sweeney, for her feedback on revisions). The piano part, not so much. My instinct was to simply provide a lead sheet and allow the pianist to improvise accompaniment, but I realize that is not the industry standard. Thank you to Jeff Yoder for your input on the piano writing.

Now for a program note. These are also always daunting to write – you don’t want to include a whole lecture, but adequately help the audience understand the work they’re about to hear.

Let My Song Take Wing is an SAB setting of two poems of Emily Dickinson: I Shall Keep Singing!, and If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking. I am drawn to the natural imagery of her poetry, and her emphases on nature, spirituality, and death. Much of Dickinson’s poetry follows a relatively common poetic meter, with slant rhyme; in fact, much of her work can be sung to the theme song from the Pokemon animated show. These two poems are exceptions, so I freely adapted the poetry to fit the music I had written, and I added my own lyrics for the bridge.

The song is simple in form – alternating verses and choruses, followed by a bridge, followed by a recap of the chorus and the first verse; this is followed by a fadeout on the line “I shall keep singing!” Each poem takes up one of the verses, and the line “I shall keep singing!” is used in the chorus. The first verse, based on the poem If I can Stop One Heart From Breaking, is about the power of music for healing, and the exercise of one’s faith in service to others. The second, based on the poem I Shall Keep Singing! is about the feeling one is being passed by others, personally, professionally, and artistically. The bridge reminds us to let our song take wing, even if we are the only ones to hear it.

Musically, the piece is inspired by American popular music styles; in particular, the chord progressions following what are, in musical jargon, known as plagal chains. I hope you find the music uplifting and exciting!