How Can I Keep from Singing
The text for How Can I Keep from Singing was written by members of the Derventio Choir of Allestree, Derbyshire, England, and Steven Paxton’s setting was composed for the competition celebrating that choir’s 30th anniversary. Moderate tempo a cappella sections alternate with fast, rhythmically driving sections mixing 6/8 and 5/8 meters. The piano accompaniment is challenging, but worth it. Also available in versions for SABar and SATB choir.
| Descriptive Tags: | Celebratory, Community, Friendship, Fun, Music About Music, Singing |
| Difficulty: | Intermediate |
| Duration: | 1-5 Minutes |
| Language: | English |
| Sacred or Secular: | Secular |
| Season or Event: | Concert |
| Voicing: | SSA |
$2.00 – $3.00Price range: $2.00 through $3.00
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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| The clear, rinsed sound of Women’s voices is hardly more thrilling than in the recital of rounds. And when the rounds offer plenty of movement among the parts, as do most in this collection, the effect can be delightful. These twelve rounds, set largely to medieval texts, are of varying difficulty and may require rehearsal. […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| “If Ever There Is” is a setting of “John’s Song,” by American poet Robert Creeley (1926-2005). The poem has a dedication to the poet John Taggart; the style of wordplay and repetition here can also be found in Taggart’s poetry. I hear it as a prayer for peace. In 1967 Creeley signed a “Writers and […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Charles Wesley’s hymn text based on the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel depicts a deeply human struggle for truth and understanding. This a cappella setting of the text grows with the building intensity of Jacob’s determination, finally breaking into the joy of revelation and reassurance in the final verse. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 7'25" | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| In the poem “Psalm of the Sky,” Rabbi Rachel Barenblat reimagines “The Lord is My Shepherd” (Psalm 23) in a contemporary context. Performers may highlight the many instances of text painting and create contrast between moments of gentleness, boldness, and carefree movement. The last verse of Psalm 23 is included in Hebrew as a coda […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The cumulative rhyme, “The House that Jack Built” follows a series of connected objects, animals, and people, from the titular house through to an unrelated “farmer sowing his corn.” This setting features a light, skipping melody that slows down periodically to linger on the developing romance between the “maiden all forlorn” and the “man all […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| This heartfelt folksong was written by Newfoundlander Jim Payne (b. 1955) in 1994, and appeared as the title song for the Album “Wave Over Wave: Old and New Songs of Atlantic Canada,” with Fergus O’Byrne (1996). The song was also very successfully recorded by the Newfoundland folk rock band Great Big Sea, which released it […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||