A gutsy, sensual blues setting of Joan Wolf Prefontaine’s poem in praise of messy women. Opening with waves of “spilling” words — spill, splatter, spot, spree, dribble, drabble, oozle — this piece is a rambunctious journey through a world of vocal inflections and joie de vivre, to be sung with nuance and abandon.
Note: The original edition of this song, SEA-058-00, has been replaced by SEA-058-01. The new edition eliminates duplicated vocal lines, giving singers more opportunities to rest! Ensembles that already own the original edition and wish to purchase additional copies are encouraged to contact the composer directly.
Look | Listen | Instrumentation/Voicing | Duration | Level | Item | Delivery Method | Price | Quantity |
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https://www.seafarerpress.com/sites/seafarerpress.advantagelabs.com/files/samples/recording-why_i_pity_the_woman_who_never_spills.mp3 | SSAA a cappella - Choral Score | 7' | MA | SEA-058-01 | Sheet Music | $4.50 | |
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https://www.seafarerpress.com/sites/seafarerpress.advantagelabs.com/files/samples/recording-why_i_pity_the_woman_who_never_spills.mp3 | SSAA a cappella - Choral Score | 7' | MA | SEA-058-01D | Licensed PDF | $4.50 | |
https://www.seafarerpress.com/sites/seafarerpress.advantagelabs.com/files/works_variant_audio_files/finally_on_my_way_to_yes_0.mp3 | Finally on My Way to Yes - CDYes, this CD is free when added to your order! | 60' | SEA-CD-01 | CD | $7.00 |
I'm not sure there's a woman anywhere who hasn't experienced pressure to act, look, sound, and perform flawlessly, which is why Joan Wolf Prefontaine's poem is funny and tragic and triumphant all at the same time. It is fitting that women should sing this musical setting of her poem together, because we are both a cause of this pressure and a remedy for it.
Two experiences I had during the composition of this song underscored this truth for me. In one instance, a hostess publically chastised me because a single drop of red wine slid down the outside of my wine glass and onto her white kitchen tablecloth. In the other, my friend Victoria pointed to a particular dark stain on her car's ceiling and told me she loved it because she was almost certain it was hot chocolate.
Performance Note:
As singers become increasingly familiar with this song, they often start adding blues inflections to some of the A-naturals, either flattening the pitches so that they lie "in the cracks," or singing actual A-flats. This is especially true in passages which contains a little attitude, like "Levis and lips." I considered officially flattening some of those renegade A-naturals, but I decided not to because they aren't true A-flats; they are really "blues-inflected A-naturals."
So although choral singing usually involves making a choir’s vocal production as uniform as possible, this piece is not about conformity! I suggest leaning on some of those A-naturals with a little moxie, and letting the chips spills as they may.
"...A bluesy and truly inspired musical setting for women’s chorus" - Janine Wanée, The Boston Musical Intelligencer
"We always vote on our favorite song -- Pity won hands down!!" - Kay Bryant, Director of Pacific Women's Chorus
"Alexander's writing for women's chorus is especially good, and...her settings of subjects relating to women's issues are exceptionally strong." - David N. Lewis, All Music Guide
Cornell University Women's Chorus / Scott Tucker (Ithaca, NY) * Premiere
Bella Voce Singers / Jessica Corbin (Brooklyn, NY)
Cantilena / Allegra Marin (Arlington, MA)
Good Company / Steven Hoifeldt (Ames, IA)
Imagine! / Roberta Shimensky (Salt Lake City & Park City, UT
Pacific Women's Chorus / Kay Bryant (Vista, CA)
San Francisco Girls Chorus "Alumnae Chorus" / Susan McMane (San Francisco, CA)
Sine Nomine Chorus / Robert Bartalot (Denver, CO)
Longmeadow High School "Accidentals" / Kayla Werlin ~ MassMutual Center (Springfield, MA)
University of North Carolina Women's Glee Club / Sue Klausmeyer (Durham, NC)
Voices Rising /Leora Zimmer (Needham & Boston, MA)
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