SKU: BT.DHP-1115250-140

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dutch.

The Soldier’s Wife is a short and simple piece commissioned by the Singapore Ministry of Education. It was originally intended as a compulsory piece for the 2012 Singapore Youth Festival. Because many school bands in Singapore are incomplete, the composer was specifically asked to create a work that could equally be played by a limited ensemble—which explains various doubled and optional parts. The warm tones of a melodic passage open this short work: the wife of the wooden soldier sings a kind of lullaby. This lyrical section is followed by a more powerful part which is, however, based on the same melodic material. The rhythm, syncopated at times, infuses thissection with a particular energy. The harmony, too, has some surprising turns—and we must never lose sight of the restrictions imposed by the limited level of difficulty of the piece. Although the work begins softly and sweetly, much more ‘feminine energy’ is projected by the close.

The Soldier’s Wife is een kort en eenvoudig werkje dat is geschreven in opdracht van het Singaporese ministerie van Onderwijs. Het was aanvankelijk bedoeld als verplicht werk voor het Singapore Youth Festival 2012. Omdat veelschoolorkesten in Singapore een onvolledige bezetting hebben, kreeg de componist het nadrukkelijke verzoek om het werk zo vorm te geven dat het ook met een beperkt ensemble uitgevoerd kan worden: dat verklaart een aantal verdubbelingenen instrumenten ad libitum.Een warme, melodische passage opent dit korte werkje: de vrouw van het - houten - soldaatje zingt als het ware een wiegeliedje. Nadat dit lyrische deel is afgerond, volgt een energieker gedeeltedat qua melodisch materiaal op dezelfde bouwstenen is gebaseerd. De hier en daar gesyncopeerde ritmiek verleent dit deel een bijzondere energie, en ook harmonisch zijn er een paar verrassende wendingen - waarbij rekening is gehoudenmet de beperkingen die verbonden zijn aan werken voor dit muzikale niveau. Begon het werkje zacht en liefelijk, aan het slot is er heel wat meer ‘girl power’ voelbaar!

The Soldier’s Wife ist ein kurzes, einfaches Werk, das im Auftrag des Bildungsministeriums von Singapur geschrieben wurde. Es war zunächst als Pflichtstück für das Singapurer Jugendfestival 2012 gedacht. Da viele Schulblasorchester in Singapur unvollständig besetzt sind, bat man den Komponisten ausdrücklich, das Werk so zu gestalten, dass es auch mit einem begrenzten Ensemble gespielt werden könne: Dies erklärt einige Verdopplungen und optionale Instrumente. Eine warm klingende, melodische Passage eröffnet dieses kurze Werk: Die Frau des - hölzernen- Soldaten singt eine Art Wiegenlied. Nach diesem lyrischen Abschnitt folgt ein kraftvollerer Teil, der aber aufdemselben melodischen Material aufbaut. Der hier und da synkopierte Rhythmus verleiht diesem Teil eine besondere Energie und auch harmonisch gibt es einige überraschende Wendungen - wobei immer an die auferlegten Beschränkungen durch den Schwierigkeitsgrad gedacht werden muss. Ist das Werk zu Beginn noch leise und lieblich, ist zum Schluss doch schon wesentlich mehr weibliche Energie“ spürbar...!

The Soldier’s Wife (L’épouse du soldat) est une pièce courte et simple commandée par le Ministère singapourien de l'Education. Cette œuvre a été initialement écrite comme pièce imposée pour le Festival de la Jeunesse se déroulant Singapour en 2012. Comme de nombreuses formations scolaires présentent quelques lacunes au niveau de certains pupitres, Jan van der Roost a été sollicité afin de composer une œuvre qui pourrait également être jouée par une formation incomplète - ce qui explique le doublement de certaines parties et les voix optionnelles.Cette œuvre concise débute par une chaleureuse et expressive mélodie : la femme du soldat chante une sorte deberceuse. Ce passage lyrique est suivi d’une partie plus puissante qui est, cependant, basée sur le même matériel thématique. Le rythme, parfois syncopé, insuffle cette partie de l’œuvre une énergie toute particulière. La trame harmonique, elle aussi, subit quelques surprenantes contorsions sans jamais dépasser les limites imposées par le degré de difficulté de la pièce. Cette composition commence doucement et gentiment, et se termine par un motif empreint d’un dynamisme singulièrement féminin.

“Guarda, è la moglie del soldato di legno”! All’inizio, canta una dolce ninnananna, che precede una sezione più potente dai ritmi sincopati e con sorprendenti cambiamenti di armonie. The Soldier’s Wife inizia in modo calmo e dolce per poi trovare un’energia tipicamente femminile verso il finale. The Soldier’s Wife è un brano breve e semplice, perfetto anche per formazioni a organico ridotto grazie alle parti raddoppiate e opzionali.

SKU: CF.CM9616

ISBN 9781491156711. UPC: 680160915255. 6.875 x 10.5 inches. Key: C major. English. Thomas Troeger.

This SSAA work, originally written for SATB voices celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Masterworks Community Chorale in Newnan, Georgia. The inspirational text is Somewhere I Have Never Traveled, a text by the Yale Theologian, Thomas Troeger. Somewhere I Have Never Traveled has potential for building tone and creating a panorama of colors, while at the same time creating emotional soundscapes, all through a delightful text that creates a dreamlike innocence.
It has been a joy to re-voice this original SATB composition for SSAA voices and to collaborate with Heather Orr at Montgomery High School. In July 2014, my dear friend Kathy Bizarth commissioned me to compose a new work celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Masterworks Community Chorale in Newnan, Georgia. It was in September when we agreed on the inspirational text, Somewhere I Have Never Traveled, a text by the Yale Theologian, Thomas Troeger. I moved to Italy in January for a sabbatical, and in February, I spent four days composing the piece at the Palazzo Bassi Brugnatelli, a dear friend's villa in Robbiate, Italy. Interestingly enough, the middle part of the piece (mm. 30-39) and end of the piece came first (mm. 40-62). Completed in Conegliano in late February, this composition is very special to me as it was the first composition I wrote after my mother died, and it was also composed for a dear friend. I have a profound connection to what I hope will be a deeply inspirational composition to those who sing it. Somewhere I Have Never Traveled has real potential for building tone and creating a panorama of colors, while at the same time creating emotional soundscapes, all through a delightful text that creates a dreamlike innocence. Somewhere I have never traveled is the place I want to be... (Me too.).
It has been a joy to re-voice this original SATB composition for SSAA voices and to collaborate with Heather Orr at Montgomery High School. In July 2014, my dear friend Kathy Bizarth commissioned me to compose a new work celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Masterworks Community Chorale in Newnan, Georgia. It was in September when we agreed on the inspirational text, Somewhere I Have Never Traveled, a text by the Yale Theologian, Thomas Troeger. I moved to Italy in January for a sabbatical, and in February, I spent four days composing the piece at the Palazzo Bassi Brugnatelli, a dear friend’s villa in Robbiate, Italy. Interestingly enough, the middle part of the piece (mm. 30-39) and end of the piece came first (mm. 40-62). Completed in Conegliano in late February, this composition is very special to me as it was the first composition I wrote after my mother died, and it was also composed for a dear friend. I have a profound connection to what I hope will be a deeply inspirational composition to those who sing it.Somewhere I Have Never Traveled has real potential for building tone and creating a panorama of colors, while at the same time creating emotional soundscapes, all through a delightful text that creates a dreamlike innocence.Somewhere I have never traveled is the place I want to be... (Me too.).