ME = Moderately Easy
M = Medium
MD = Moderately Difficult
D = Difficult
Songs of Youth (E. Alexander & students from Waunakee Middle School)
SAB, flute, piano, optional vibraphone - SEA-004-00 - $2.50/copySSA, flute, piano, optional vibraphone - SEA-004-01 - $2.50/copy
5 minutes - M Commissioned by Waunakee Middle School (Waunakee, WI)
An atmospheric and energetic work about the thrill and impatience of growing up, composed with students from a Wisconsin middle school. In the first movement, When?, sinuous melodies wander up and down a haunting scale. As its final whisper fades away, the second movement, Now!, charges in with clear harmonic motion, a strong pulse, and engaging rhythms. (Naturally, the piece ends with a bang.)
Technical Details: In both movements, much of the part writing is additive, with harmony parts growing smoothly out of the melody line. In the first song a vibraphone may be substituted for the piano; its part is not difficult, and might even be played by an adventurous pianist.
Soprano: c' -g" , Soprano II: c' -d" , Alto: g-b'
To view the score (SAB version), click here
To hear a recording of the first movement (When?), click here
To hear a recording of the second movement (Now!), click here
(MP3, 1.5 MB / 0.6 MB, sung by Louisville Youth Repertory Choir ~ Frank Heller III, conductor
Don Scott Carpenter, piano ~ Andy Brown, flute ~ Amy Darbyshire, vibraphone) A recording of this
piece is now available
on the CD:
Finally On My Way To Yes
To hear a recording of the second movement (Now!), click here
(MP3, 1.5 MB / 0.6 MB, sung by Louisville Youth Repertory Choir ~ Frank Heller III, conductor
Don Scott Carpenter, piano ~ Andy Brown, flute ~ Amy Darbyshire, vibraphone) A recording of this
piece is now available
on the CD:
Finally On My Way To Yes
Songs of Youth
I. When?
When? When?
Stretching, seeking, slumbering...
What a world of shapes and colors, gentle hands and lullabies.
Crawling, reaching...
Will there be a time to use my eager arms and open eyes?
Waiting, watching, wondering...
When? When? When?
II. Now!
Now! Now! Now!
Sailing, soaring, running, racing,
Speeding, sporting, cheering, chasing,
Shouting, sharing, doing, daring--
No more wondering when!
Working, wishing, dreaming, dancing,
Reaching, risking, choosing, chancing,
Growing, giving, learning, living--
No more wondering when!
Trusting... Trying... Loving... Crying...
Sailing, soaring, running, racing,
Speeding, sporting, cheering, chasing,
Shouting, sharing, doing, daring--flying!
Now! Straightaway!
At once! No delay!
It's now or never, here and now,
Without hesitation the moment to live...is Now!
Copyright by Elizabeth Alexander. Reprinted by permission.
I. When?
When? When?
Stretching, seeking, slumbering...
What a world of shapes and colors, gentle hands and lullabies.
Crawling, reaching...
Will there be a time to use my eager arms and open eyes?
Waiting, watching, wondering...
When? When? When?
II. Now!
Now! Now! Now!
Sailing, soaring, running, racing,
Speeding, sporting, cheering, chasing,
Shouting, sharing, doing, daring--
No more wondering when!
Working, wishing, dreaming, dancing,
Reaching, risking, choosing, chancing,
Growing, giving, learning, living--
No more wondering when!
Trusting... Trying... Loving... Crying...
Sailing, soaring, running, racing,
Speeding, sporting, cheering, chasing,
Shouting, sharing, doing, daring--flying!
Now! Straightaway!
At once! No delay!
It's now or never, here and now,
Without hesitation the moment to live...is Now!
Copyright by Elizabeth Alexander. Reprinted by permission.
View and play the score (SAB version)
Scorch was designed by the folks who built Sibelius notation software, as a simple way to allow Sibelius scores to become webpages. Despite its slightly ominous name, Scorch is free, is not excessively large (approx. 1 MB), and does not do anything demonic like put you on a mailing list or affect other computer programs. - E.A.
If you can't see the score after the file finishes loading, click to download the Scorch plug-in.
If you can't see the score after the file finishes loading, click to download the Scorch plug-in.