Will we meet again? (2020)
For SSAATTBB Choir
Duration: 5 minutes
Duration: 5 minutes
Program Note:
Will we meet again?
Here at your flowering grave:
Two white butterflies
Here at your flowering grave:
Two white butterflies
This piece is an adaptation of a haiku written by Matsuo Bashō, a Japanese poet who lived in the 1600’s and is one of the most famous haiku poets to ever live. With this piece I attempted to apply techniques used when writing haikus to the music. Haikus are often three lines with the syllable counts being 5-7-5 respectively. I divided my piece into three sections, each section using its respective line from the haiku, and based each of those sections on the number of syllables that are in their lines. Sections 1 and 3 are based on the number 5, while Section 2 is based on the number 7.
Section 1 uses a set of only 5 pitches: D, E flat, F, G flat, and B flat, with just the sopranos and altos singing in canon. There is no strong sense of pulse to create a feeling of drifting and unsureness. The second section uses the 7 other pitches of the chromatic scale: A, B, C, C sharp, E, G, and G sharp, with only the tenors and basses singing. This section is made up of 7-beat phrases, and alternations between 2 major 7 chords. The final section is the full choir, using only 5 pitches once again, this time being stacked 5ths off D flat, forming a pentatonic scale: D flat, A flat, E flat, B flat, and F. This last section is very bright, lining up with the beautiful final line, “two white butterflies”.
Section 1 uses a set of only 5 pitches: D, E flat, F, G flat, and B flat, with just the sopranos and altos singing in canon. There is no strong sense of pulse to create a feeling of drifting and unsureness. The second section uses the 7 other pitches of the chromatic scale: A, B, C, C sharp, E, G, and G sharp, with only the tenors and basses singing. This section is made up of 7-beat phrases, and alternations between 2 major 7 chords. The final section is the full choir, using only 5 pitches once again, this time being stacked 5ths off D flat, forming a pentatonic scale: D flat, A flat, E flat, B flat, and F. This last section is very bright, lining up with the beautiful final line, “two white butterflies”.