#stroope

One of our choirs (Chamber Singers, I think) is performing this piece in concert this spring. 

I'm weird in that I actually kind of like atonality. This is one of those pieces that makes me wish I could sing. 

I am not yours, not lost in you,


Not lost, although I long to be


Lost as a candle lit at noon,


Lost as a snowflake in the sea.

You love me, and I find you still


A spirit, beautiful and bright,


Yet I am I, who long to be


Lost as a light is lost in light.

Oh plunge me deep in love — put out


My senses, leave me deaf and blind,


Swept by the tempest of your love,


A taper in a rushing wind.


AHHH YESSSS!! (It’s only arranged for SSA right? I’m like 99% positive) But anyyyyways. This piece is melodically, pretty simple, and there are a million and one ways that it’s expressive. I don’t have the music in front of me but I’m doing my best to remember, so bear with me. As with all Stroope works, you basically have to stagger breathe the whole thing and I know it’s a pain but just don’t breathe where it says not breath haha. And in this piece, Stroope does a great job (as usual) utilizing unison phrases to further accentuate the split sections. You can really use this to your advantage cause you can essentially pick out the structure of the piece and find out which parts are most important. This can also really help with phrase shaping. Finding out which parts fit in where can lead you to peaks of phrases and can also help out dynamically (if it’s not already marked). Another thing that also applies to any choir work but especially the ones in english, is to always always be conscious of vowelsssss. Keep them really tall otherwise it will really make the choir sound immature and almost like a childrens choir. 

Sorry this is so scattered, I’m horrid at wording things. But overall, I would focus on using dynamics to shape phrases. In the end thats what really brings out musicality, emotion and expression in any piece of music.