ONE CLEAR CALL FOR ME

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One Clear Call for Me reflects on our impermanence.  The well-known poem by Tennyson uses the end-of-day imagery to personify the end of a life – sunset, twilight, evening star. While death seems to be the most obvious connection to impermanence, I would challenge us to also think of impermanence beyond the sense of living and dying.  Perhaps it’s moving or we are changing ourselves and growing - Tennyson’s poem has the ability to reach beyond its Victorian timeframe and remain relevant in a modern era.  Despite growth, death, or departure, Tennyson calls for a lack of “moaning” or mourning when we depart (again, in some form) because outside of time and space and the ways we measure existence there’s a hope to meet our “Pilot” (God, our new selves, new opportunity) face to face at our next stage in life/existence.

 

 

This piece is a great study in line and text.  The unison lines are a great building opportunity for tone and phrase structure.  When lines flare into two or three parts, it’s a great opportunity to capitalize on the phrase studies that were in unison and build the ensemble and grow. 

 

The vocalise structures of m.12 and m.23 present additional opportunities for ensembles to align vowels and tone for an impactful performance and display of musicianship

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Premiered by the Western Hills HS Varsity TB ensemble; Blake Glass, conductor (2024)