The Smallest Song
THE SMALLEST SONG, a setting of a text by American poet Martha Collins, is a gentle piece, full of warmth and intimate emotion. The wordplay in the text is matched in the composition; phrases are slightly altered, inverted and developed as the work builds. Jazz-like harmonies infuse the piece with a soothing vitality throughout.
“A very sensitive setting of a beautiful text – easily accessible for use by college and more advanced high school choral groups – colored by gentle harmonies and a subtle, understated melody, Rich has captured the essence of the poem and placed it in a very moving context.”
— Michael Levi, Director, The College of St. Rose Chamber Choir
| Season or Event: | Winter |
| Descriptive Tags: | Friendship, Love, Music About Music, Poetry, Romance |
| Difficulty: | Intermediate |
| Instrumentation: | A Cappella |
| Sacred or Secular: | Secular |
| Voicing: | SATB |
| Language: | English |
$2.50
This title is available in print or for immediate download. For both options, there is a minimum required quantity of 8 copies for choral titles. Please support self-publishing composers by ordering the quantity according to the number of singers in the ensemble that will perform the work.
Print orders are printed on demand and shipped by our printing partner, and can be expected to be processed within a few days of the order. Please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] to follow up.
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Title | View | Voicing | Duration | Language | Composer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SSAATTBB | 5'45" | English | Joy and pleasure, pleasure and joy! Spring is alive with blossoming apple orchards, happy bees, and darting hummingbirds—and our choir, perhaps a bit touched with spring fever, can’t help but tease out the humor just below the surface of Frost’s seasonal celebration. A rousing, Billings-esque interplay of voices ultimately comes together to reflect as one: […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joy and pleasure, pleasure and joy! Spring is alive with blossoming apple orchards, happy bees, and darting hummingbirds—and our choir, perhaps a bit touched with spring fever, can’t help but tease out the humor just below the surface of Frost’s seasonal celebration. A rousing, Billings-esque interplay of voices ultimately comes together to reflect as one: […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 3'30" | English | Anselm of Canterbury (c. 1033 – 21 April 1109), a benedictine abbot and philosopher and theologian, left significant writings, some of great complexity. Others, like this simple prayer, convey a deep longing for a closeness to God. This setting was composed for joint performance by the Caritas Chamber Choir (Canterbury, UK) and the Saint Mary’s […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Anselm of Canterbury (c. 1033 – 21 April 1109), a benedictine abbot and philosopher and theologian, left significant writings, some of great complexity. Others, like this simple prayer, convey a deep longing for a closeness to God. This setting was composed for joint performance by the Caritas Chamber Choir (Canterbury, UK) and the Saint Mary’s […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 1'45"-2'30" | English | Based on traditional hymns and chants, these three brief anthems present the seasonal texts in a new and compelling way. “Savior of the nations, come!” and “Creator of the stars of night” are easy and very accessible. “Come thou redeemer of the world,” while more advanced, with close harmonies and disparate key changes, repays the […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Based on traditional hymns and chants, these three brief anthems present the seasonal texts in a new and compelling way. “Savior of the nations, come!” and “Creator of the stars of night” are easy and very accessible. “Come thou redeemer of the world,” while more advanced, with close harmonies and disparate key changes, repays the […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 2' 3" | English | This setting is ideally suited for a good chamber choir with a high soprano soloist. Julie Myers’ beautiful poem suggests to the composer a journey from darkness to light, from despair to hope, and this is reflected in the music, which should be performed simply, but with expressiveness and conviction. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This setting is ideally suited for a good chamber choir with a high soprano soloist. Julie Myers’ beautiful poem suggests to the composer a journey from darkness to light, from despair to hope, and this is reflected in the music, which should be performed simply, but with expressiveness and conviction. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 6'45" | English | This setting of the Anglican communion/mass service – Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei – is simple and tuneful. The writing is in the tradition of the great English composers of the 20th century. The Gloria is available as a separate anthem through Swirly. It can be performed as a general-purpose anthem or during the […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This setting of the Anglican communion/mass service – Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei – is simple and tuneful. The writing is in the tradition of the great English composers of the 20th century. The Gloria is available as a separate anthem through Swirly. It can be performed as a general-purpose anthem or during the […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 3'30" | English | Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Hope is the thing with feathers” is one of the most beloved among her corpus of work, and for good reason. This setting is an expression of the poem’s sweetness as well as its dramatic intensity, with a “tune without the words” established early in the piece that returns after the harrowing […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Hope is the thing with feathers” is one of the most beloved among her corpus of work, and for good reason. This setting is an expression of the poem’s sweetness as well as its dramatic intensity, with a “tune without the words” established early in the piece that returns after the harrowing […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 2' 30" | Latin | A short call to worship for SATB choir with optional organ accompaniment. Composed for the installation of The Reverend Kenneth Crawford at the Parish of St. James the Great, Darlington, England, July, 2014. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A short call to worship for SATB choir with optional organ accompaniment. Composed for the installation of The Reverend Kenneth Crawford at the Parish of St. James the Great, Darlington, England, July, 2014. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 5' | English | A request by Artistic Director Susan Glass for a new choral work addressing climate change resulted in the creation of “Planet Earth Lullaby.” Composer Rich Campbell contemplated and determined the piece would be both an alarm for help and a call to action. For over a century the internationally recognized distress signal has been the […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A request by Artistic Director Susan Glass for a new choral work addressing climate change resulted in the creation of “Planet Earth Lullaby.” Composer Rich Campbell contemplated and determined the piece would be both an alarm for help and a call to action. For over a century the internationally recognized distress signal has been the […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SSAATB | 4' | English | Multiple divisi lines in soprano and alto and unison tenor/bass create an effective textural setting of this text from Isaiah 42: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold: my chosen one in whom I delight.” SSSSAAAB unaccompanied. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Multiple divisi lines in soprano and alto and unison tenor/bass create an effective textural setting of this text from Isaiah 42: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold: my chosen one in whom I delight.” SSSSAAAB unaccompanied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4' 40" | The familiar words, “It came upon a midnight clear”, are set to a lively tune, with piano accompaniment, and a simple refrain is added, with the words “Deo, Deo, Gloria in excelsis Deo” (“Glory to God in the highest”). Written with women’s voices in mind, it could also be tackled by a good children’s choir. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The familiar words, “It came upon a midnight clear”, are set to a lively tune, with piano accompaniment, and a simple refrain is added, with the words “Deo, Deo, Gloria in excelsis Deo” (“Glory to God in the highest”). Written with women’s voices in mind, it could also be tackled by a good children’s choir. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||