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THE EARTH WAITS FOR ME - Larry Nickel SATB with piano !!!!!!!!!!!!

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music from

Canada

The Earth Waits for Me !!1) The Earth Waits for Me 2) To a Child 3) Once More !poetry of Chief Dan George !

Listen to a quality recording of this music at cypress choral.com

Copyright © CanuckComposer 2010

Piano

all women - chest tone

Hey

ppFirst Nation Canadian chant q = 60

ppsteady drum pulse

sim.

mp

a* ho

*open ah vowel

wa- hey- a- ho.- Hey

mp

a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Wa

5

all men

Hey

mp

a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Wa

mp

hey a- ho.- Wa hey- a- ho.

mf

- Hey a- ho- wa- hey- a- wa hey- a- wa-

9

hey a- ho.- Wa hey- a- ho.

mf

- Hey a- ho- wa- hey- a- wa hey- a- wa-

mf

inspired by Chief Dan George

The Earth Waits for MeLarry Nickel

movement #1 of "The Earth Waits for Me"

Commissioned by the Royal Canadian College of Organists - Victoria Centre - for The Linden Singers and conductor Garry Froesepremier performance at the "Pipes Around the Pacific International Organ Festival 2010", Victoria B

2

hey a- wa hey- a- ho.- Hey

fattack

a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Hey a- ho- wa- -

A13

hey a- wa hey- a- ho. Hey

f

a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Hey a- ho- wa- -

f

hey a- ho.- Wa

mf

hey- a- ho.- Wa

mp

hey- a- ho.-

f

Hey -

18

hey a- ho.- Wa

mf

hey- a- ho.- Wa

mp

hey- a- ho.-

f

Hey-

mp

a ho- wa- hey- a- wa hey- a- wa hey- a- hey a.

rit.21

a ho- wa- hey- a- wa hey- a- wa hey- a- hey a.

f

rit.

3

tempo promo mf

Nights

dolce

bring me hind sight, Days bring me do ing.-

q = 60 B26

mf unis.

To -

pp pedal freely

unis.

The

mp

moon, van

mf

i- ty. the

mp29

mor rows- bring me wish es- yes ter- days- bring me wisdom.

mp

The moon, van

mf

i- ty

sky long

mf

ing- the

mp

sun, fear,

mf

and

p

the earth

32

the sky, long

mf

ing.- the sun, fear,

mf

and

p

the

ppp

3

sotto voce

4

it

mf

waits for me.

p35

earth it

mf

waits for me.

p

pp mp

espress.

Nights

mf

bring me hind sight, days bring me do ing,- to mor- rows- bring me wish es,-

C40

mf

yes ter- days- bring me wis dom.

p

Ooo

43

p

Ooo

pp

3

3

3

5

the moon

mp

van

mf

i- ty,- the

mp

sky, long

mf

ing,- the

mp47

the moon

mp

van

mf

i- ty,- the

mp

sky, long

mf

ing,- the

mp

sun, fear,

mf

and

mp

the earth? it

mf

waits for me

50

sun fear,

mf

unis.mp

and the earth? it

mf

waits for me

pp

p

it

mp

waits

with hushed intensity

for me.

attack

Hey

f54

p

it

mp

waits for me. Hey

f

p

6

a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Hey a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Wa

mf

-

58

a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Hey a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Wa

mf

-

f

hey a- ho.- Wa

mp

hey- a- ho.-

f

hey a- hey

62

hey a- ho.- Wa

mp

hey- a- ho.-

f

hey a- hey

mp f

a- hey a- hey- a.-

66

a- hey a- hey- a.-

7

rit.

70

(don't move)

pp

notes from the composer:

Dalannah Gail Bowen is a Northwest First Nations woman who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is personallyaquainted with Chief Dan George's son, Justin, who lives on a reserve under the Lion's Gate Bridge.

Dalannah and I became friends last year when we collaborated on a fund raising project (CD - A Time for Healing) for Vancouver's downtown east-side homeless people.

Dalannah came to my home for tea. She studied the Chief Dan George poetry carefully and then chanted freelywith her hoop drum for half an hour - while I recorded and took notes. Her chanting is - by her own words - very spiritual, and the words "wah hey-a-ho" are intended to invite the Divine. With her permission, I selected short phrases from her improvised chanting.

In my experience, Native Canadian chant is usually three or four four square with a steady non-syncopated pulse, repetitious, in unison, diatonic - often pentatonic and in the dorian or myxolydian mode. I have included these elements in this composition.Marrying these factors with my penchant for rich choral harmony was a challenge. In any case I am an outsider looking in.

At times Dalannah's singing sounded like an anguished cry and, given the more recent (white man) plight of her people, this is no surprise. I was also impressed by the incessant hypnotic pounding of her drum. Ergo, there are times in this composition when an anguished cry and pounding keyboard rhythms are intentional.

Movement #1 - "The Earth Waits for Me"

The descending/falling dorian mode chant phrase is appropriate for the idea of our bodies returning to the earth.I applied the motive to the rest of the composition with a gradually cascading/sequenced melody and chord progression.

The rising figure at the end of the piece is a musical metaphor for our spirits dramatically returning to God.

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it." (King Solomon)

Movement #2 - "To a Child" is about life emerging. It is the triolgy's contrasting fulcrum.

Movement #3 - "Once More" - revisits the ideas in Movement #1 with Chief Dan George's poignant conclusion.

by the way - if you haven't watched the movie "Little Big Man" yet, please do. starring Dustin Hoffman and Chief Dan George.

8


SOPRANOALTO

TENORBASS

Hey

mfunis.

a,- hey, hey a- ho, hey, hey a- ho,-

Swaying Lullaby q. = 52

Hey a- hey,- hey a- ho,- hey, hey a- ho,ho,-

ssa

Wa -

5

Hey

mfunis.

a- hey,- hey a- ho,- hey, hey a- ho,-

hey a- ho,- wa hey- a- ho,- hey

mp

a,- hey a- ho,-

mf

Wa -

9

wa hey- a- ho,-

mp

hey a,- hey a- ho,-

mf

Wa -


p

a,- hey a- ho.

rit. 13


p

a,- hey a- ho.

Larry NickelChief Dan George

To a Childcommissioned by the Linden Singers - Garry Froese - director

movement #2 of "The Earth Waits for Me"

9

May

mp

the stars car ry- your sad ness- a way,-

A17

May

mp

the stars car ry- your sad ness- a way.-

flow'rs fill your heart with beau ty,- - -

mf

May

21

May

melody - unis.

the flow'rs fill your heart with beau ty,- - -

hope for ev- er- wipe a way,- wipe a way your tears. a

mp

-

25

wipe

mf

a way- your tears. a

mp

-

bove all, a bove- all, may si

prubato

lence- make you strong.

29

bove all, a bove- all, may si

p

lence- make you strong.

10

Loo

pvery gently to the baby - a tempo

loo loo a- le*,- loo loo a- le.-

B33

p

Loo loo loo

loo

p

loo

mf

loo a- le,- loo

p

loo a- le.-

37

loo

p

loo

mf

loo a- le,- loo

p

loo a- le.-

tenors

La

mp

Loo

tenors on melodyp

la le la loo la le la, Loo la le la loo la le la A

mf

-

41

Loo

p

la le la loo la le la, Loo la le la loo la le la A

mf

-

loo a le a loo a le, loo a le a loo a le. A

mf

-

Loo

p

la le la, loo la le la, Loo la le la loo la le la A

mf

-

rehearsal

* is in Latin

11

bove all, a bove- all, may

pq. = h = 54C45

bove all, a bove- all, may

p

bove all, may

p

bove all, may

p

q. = h = 54C

si lence,- si

pp

lence,- si lence- make

ppp

you strong.

rit. 49

si lence,- si

pp


ppp

you strong.

si lence,- si

pp

lence,- si lence,- make

ppp

you strong.

si lence,- si

pp


ppp

you strong.

rit.

12


Pianopp

legato

pp

q = 60 First Nation Canadian Chant poco rit.

pedal freely

Hey

legatopp

a

unis.

- ho

p

- wa- hey- a- ho.- Hey

mf

-

5

Hey

mp unis.

a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Hey

mf

-

Hey a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Once

f

more. Once

9

Hey a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Once

f

more. Once

mp mf (alla drum)

Larry NickelChief Dan George

Once Moremovement #3 of "The Earth Waits for Me"

commissioned by the Linden Singers - Garry Froese - director

13

sopr.s

Once

mf13

more.

sub

Once

p

more.(once more.)

altos

Once

more.

sub p

Once more (once more) once

pp ppp

more I'd like to hear wa ter- mur mur- of earth. I'd like to touch a

17

more, Once more a

more, Once more a

mp

3

14

child to feel be yond- to day.- Once more I like to taste tree sap to re -

20

child,

pp p

Ooo

child,

ppp

Ooo

mem ber- the joys of Spring. to

mf

see the col or- of hap pi- ness,- to

24

to

mf

see the col or- of hap pi- ness.- to

to

mf

see the col or- of hap pi- ness.- to

3

3

3

3

15

know the death man's- song will please me.

pp

Once

mprit.

28


pp


pp

pp

rit.

more., one more. Then,

p

O Earth, I shall be read y- to re turn- to you,

32

Once

mp

more. Then,

p


Once

mp

more.(Once more.)

Then,

p


p

16

mf

Then, O Earth, I shall be read y- to re turn- to you,

36

mf


f

Hey a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Then,

mf


f

Hey a- ho- wa- hey- a- ho.- Then,

mp f

O Earth, I shall be read y- to re turn- to you what

mf

lit tle- I have left from

mp40

O Earth, I shall be read y- to re turn- to you what

mf

lit tle- I have left from

mp

17

all the years of tak ing- from

f

you. Hey a-

43

all the years of tak ing- from

f

you. Hey a-

mp f

ff

hey a- hey- a.-

47

ff

hey a- hey- a.-

pounding ff pedal down

at the cutoff

18

Then

mf warmly

shall I re turn.- Then

rubatomp

shall I re turn- what

51

Then

mf

shall I re turn.- Then

mp

shall I re turn- what

lit

mf

tle- I have left of all

mp

the years of tak ing- from you.

mfrit.

55

lit

mf

tle- I have left of all

mp

the years of tak ing- from you.

mf

rit.

19

Chief Dan George, OC (July 24, 1899–September 23, 1981) was a chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, a Coast Salish band located on Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was also an author, poet, and an Academy Award-nominated actor. Born as Geswanouth Slahoot in North Vancouver, his English name was originally Dan Slaholt. The surname was changed to George when he entered a residential school at age 5. He worked at a number of different jobs, including as a longshoreman,

construction worker, and school bus driver, and was band chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation from 1951–63 (then called the Burrard Indian Band). During his acting career, he worked to promote better understanding by non-aboriginals of the First Nations people. His soliloquy, Lament for Confederation, an indictment of the appropriation of native territory by white colonialism, was performed at the City of Vancouver's celebration of the Canadian centennial in 1967. This speech is credited with escalating native political activism in Canada and touching off widespread pro-native sentiment among non-natives. !In 1971, George was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2008 Canada Post issued a postage stamp in its "Canadians in Hollywood" series featuring Chief Dan George. !Chief Dan George died in Vancouver in 1981 at the age of 82. !!The Earth Waits for Me!!Nights bring me hindsight, Days bring me doing, Tomorrows bring me wishes, Yesterdays bring me wisdom, The moon vanity, The sky longing, The sun fear, and the earth? ... it waits for me.!!To a Child!!May the stars carry your sadness away, May the flowers fill your heart with beauty, May hope forever wipe away your tears, And, above all, may silence make you strong.!!Once More!!Once more I'd like hear water murmur of earth!Once more I'd like to touch a child to feel beyond today!Once I'd like to taste tree sap - to remember the joys of spring!to see the colour of happiness!to know the death-man's song will please me!!Then O earth I shall be ready to return to you!what little I have left of all the years of taking from you

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