And There Were in the Same Country: 2005: Treble voices, unison, then a 3 pt. canon: 3min. 30 sec.
Keep Positive is on a text I adapted from a famous Gandhi quote. We performed it a couple of dozen times with my school choir. It's inspirational and a crowd pleaser. I conducted it at a massed choir at a Martin Luther King Day show at Hamilton Place 3 years ago.
|Performing Keep Positive at Hamilton Place|
And There Were in the Same Country is Luke 2, 8-14 in the Revised Standard Edition. It is introduced by a metrically ambiguous piano figuration which continues once the voices enter and, eventually, supports the melody. The vocal line is a kind of unison accompanied recitative. When you first look at it, it's hard to imagine that younger choristers (8 or 9 year olds) could possibly learn it but I've taught it to my choir 3 times and they do learn it and, once they have it, they love singing it. At "Glory to God in the Highest" it breaks up into a 3 part canon and ends with the choristers chanting the text in close harmony. This piece could be also be effectively performed by a Women's Choir.