Product Description
An English/Ojibwe poem that invites us to meet one another to be at peace in our hearts
The Way We Meet (2024)
SSA (some divisi) and piano
Commissioned by Inversion Da Capo for Inversion at the Library
Text The Way We Meet by Margaret Noodin from Weweni published by Wayne State University Press
Duration about 6:40
Difficulty 4 (Auditioned chorus)
Language English with one Ojibwe word, pronunciation guide included
Commissioned by Inversion Da Capo for its Inversion at the Library concert in April 2024, The Way We Meet (2024) sets excerpts from the poem of the same name by Margaret Noodin from her book of bilingual Anishinaabemowin/English poetry, Weweni. The narrative spans the creation arc, from the beginning of time through the emergence of organisms and proliferation of species. The challenge we face is living together peacefully with all beings in order to leave behind a legacy of understanding and love. The piece opens with a bit of an uncomfortable pentatonic scale and haunting vocal solos, followed by G minor pentatonic with a tenacious rhythmic ostinato, closing with rich divisi harmonies and aleatoric texture.
Soloists may shape the unmetered solos as they wish. Singers may spread the glissandi evenly over the duration of the note. In choral ad lib sections, you may stagger your entrances and shape the musical arc by varying note order, dynamics, duration of notes, number of singers, and frequency, not pointillistic but expressive. In piano ad lib sections, you may play the indicated notes in a pointillistic style, scrambling the order of pitches to create a celestial soundscape over the held chord. All ad lib sections may take about 10-15 but shorter or longer is fine.
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