Description

Published by NDSU Challey School of Music Choral Series.

Voicing: SATB choir, soprano solo, piano, electronics

Collaboratively written with pianist/electronic musician Spearfisher.

Purchase the electronic files set here.

This file package includes:
ReadMe file (do actually read it!)
Chords and Tech Map
Ableton file

duration: 5-10 minutes

Level: 5

Musicians must approach this work with a sense of adventure. This piano/vocal score is for rehearsal purposes, and it can be performed as such, but for a truly outstanding performance, bring in electronic musician Spearfisher to perform with your choir and coach your performers. (Contact Jocelyn Hagen directly if you wish to mount this performance.)

Text

hummingbird

A numbing
made of many
wings. A kissing
so fast they look
like blurs. A plump passive
drop of fur
with all the swirl and anxiety
of a city’s veins
hovering past its
puff head to create
an irritating song in this drain
like voice and humility.
An awareness of good;
a need to make to
control each cloud
of jewels, the child’s
mispronunciation,
the cold in the back
corner, her own
foolish dreams. She keeps
a bubble
around herself
and it is
not bad the layers
because a wall can be made
of static vibration, not
not stopped, but settled
assumed where the paths
are walkable despite
the odd looks
of a black girl as stranger
or rebarb to guard
the body against
the gunshot the frown-look
the need to press small
where it can to
gold the air,
dot each beat with
falsetto: feathers
dry winking wings
and her hope for love maybe
right there the frantic motion
propelling her
to keep murmuring
for more.

– Nikia Chaney

Composer’s Notes

I have never seen an audience leap to its feet faster than after the premiere of this work in Fargo, ND. It wasn’t even the end of the concert. They were all just so thrilled with what they heard. The students absolutely loved the entire collaborative experience.

– Jocelyn Hagen