Peacebomb
Long after warplanes disappear, UXO (unexploded ordnance) remains hidden in the earth, leading to food insecurity and unnecessary suffering. From the collaborative team of award-winning composer Michael Bussewitz-Quarm and acclaimed poet Charles Anthony Silvestri, and in partnership with Mine Advisory Group and Article 22, comes an inspirational work honoring the casualties of war and the people who aspire to transform the wounded countryside, landmine by landmine, for decades to come.
Strange
A driving rhythm sets the mood for this empowering transformation from bullied trans person to finding support and acceptance from both within and from those they choose to surround themselves with. Written with all genders voicing in mind (options include three treble parts or four mixed voices parts).
Still the Same Love
We have to find a way back to loving ourselves and loving each other. We are held by love, even when we do not realize it. An inspirational message from the team of composer Michael Bussewitz-Quarm and poet Euan Tait can be featured in any season. Each section builds upon the previous, building in sheer volume and fullness. “Yet it is ourselves, at the beginning of a healing. Still I love. Still I am loved.”
I’m Not Lost
Native American women are more likely to be abducted, assaulted, and murdered than any other population group, and the perpetrators are rarely charged or convicted. Through the MMIWG (Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls) movement, a light has been cast upon this form of genocide. “I’m Not Lost” includes Native words and phrases from across North America: Abenaki, Odawa/Ojibwe, Lakota, and Navajo/Diné. Each verse cries out for missing mothers, daughters, sisters, and Two Spirit (transgender) loved ones. The performance of “I’m Not Lost” is more than the singing of a song; it is an expression of longing and grief for those whose voices have been silenced.
The World, This Wall, and Me
This song begins in a transgender woman's dream. The post-transition female is sitting with friends with her back to the dreamer, who is still presenting as male in the dream. The female turns to the young woman and smiles at her. In this moment, the young woman understands that, no matter the struggle she faces, everything will be okay. Musically, the song moves along with a sense of urgency after an introduction featuring the tenors. Arriving at the middle, the choir sings "I will not let fear become my beacon!" And finally, the young woman is able to come out, and the choir sings "Now I can see you in all your wondrous colors." Also about how we use walls when we need to, this is a fitting reminder that it is okay to take the time we need to heal.
I am a Voice that Sings
From award-winning composer Michael Bussewitz-Quarm and acclaimed lyricist Ronald W. Cadmus comes an uplifting message of hope and friendship through times of darkness. Multiple musical settings provide a quick learn for choirs of all levels while allowing your singers opportunities for solos. “Together, we will find something of grace and peace. I am a voice that sings! Together we will sing!”
Adoravit
The traditional Latin text Senex puerum portabat explores the mysterious paradox of the Incarnation. As befitting the text, this a cappella motet is at once both ancient and modern in its construct and harmonic language. Beginning as a single choir, the work blossoms into a double choir setting with chant-inspired voice leading and call and response in an antiphonal style. One choir sets a slow-moving half-note pulse, while the second choir responds with quarter notes that highlight the text and movement of the work. Modern harmonies and dissonances create a beautiful tension in the music, which grows in dynamics and texture with divisi, ultimately resolving with a Picardy third in the final cadence.
The Silver Swan
This work was composed in honor of all who struggle with the ravages of war and face an ongoing battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. It is dedicated to the memory of Pfc. Joseph Dwyer, a native Long Islander, who lost his battle with PTSD following his tour of duty as a medic in Iraq. The sung text is based on text attributed to 17th-century composer Orlando Gibbons, reminding us that swans sing only just before their death.
Lamiya’s Song
Lamiya's Song is written to bring attention to one of the most significant and challenging issues in our world today, the global refugee crisis. Lamiya Safarova lost her home and her village to the Nagorno-Karabakh War when she was only nine, eventually settling with her family in a cardboard shack on the shore of the Caspian Sea. She began writing poems to express her feelings. The loss of her home and her village had a profound impact on Lamiya. And so did being classified as a "refugee" by her classmates in school. Lamiya has a name, and her poem gives her a voice.
Nigra Sum
Composed as a tribute to the victims of the global refugee crisis, this piece utilizes modern a cappella harmonies, cluster chords and chant-like melodies to create a gorgeous setting of the Latin text from the Song of Solomon. Extended divisi, particularly in the tenor part, creates tight harmonies that sparkle against the open chord structure established throughout.