Songs of Hope in Strange Times (PERUSAL SCORE) by Amy Gordon

The music and lyrics of Songs of Hope in Strange Times was wri3en during the COV19 global pandemic of 2020onwards. It was commissioned by SACRA/PROFANA directed by Juan Carlos Acosta (Mvmts. I, II, & IV), Westminster High School directed by Kelly Ann Self (Mvmt. III), & Loyola Marymount University Consort Singers directed by T.J. Harper (Mvmt. V). The overall song cycle is five movements long, with each movement reflecWng on how to find hope and meaning during strange and unknown Wmes of life.

In Times of Descent is the frenzied opening movement of the cycle, represenWng those first chaoWc and terrifying days when COVID-19 appeared in March, 2020 in the United States. The piece portrays this unse3ling Wme through sinking, descending chromaWc lines and heavy metal-inspired pulsaWng strings. This feeling of descending can be applied to those Wmes in life when the world as we know it seems to fall apart and the end is nowhere in sight, such as the first days following a loved one's passing, the minutes a\er receiving life-altering news, or other moments immediately following a tragedy. This movement acts as a mirror of the fi\h and final movement In Times of Rising: using rising instead of falling lines, referencing the "sky and sea" (which are clouded by the darkness described in In Times of Descent), and other elements of contrast.

A\er the first scary and freneWc days in March, 2020 when the severity of COVID-19 started to become apparent in the USA, the world then seemed to enter a deeper state of hibernaWng and waiWng, but it was not always clear exactly what was being waited for. In the second movement, In Times of Hiberna2on, the text asks whether we can find meaning in Wmes of deep hibernaWon and seemingly-endless waiWng. The answer may be that we have to simply wait and hold our breath along with Wme as the events unfold. It may be that the deepest meaning may be found during the quietest of Wmes.

In Times of Stasis, the third movement of the song cycle, represents the sense of stasis deep in the waiWng period of the pandemic. Without being able to observe the normal markers of Wme passing, such as birthdays, school years, or holidays, Wme seemed to stand sWll as each day blended into the next. This sense of moving neither forward nor backward is reminiscent of walking in the ocean Wde, where one wave is crashing on shore and another is receding, creaWng the sense one is simply standing sWll. While it can be hard to find meaning in these staWc Wmes, perhaps just being alive and present in this moment is in itself enough.

In Times of Re-Emergence, the fourth movement of the song cycle, represents a joyful return to one's life, albeit a cauWous return iniWally, a\er a prolonged hiatus. The 9/8 meter has a dance-like quality, allowing a lighter mood a\er the more intense third movement, In Times of Stasis. The overall Strophic form (containing three Verses with the same melody and overall harmonies) allows for the performers and audience alike to relax in the familiarity of the material as it unfolds.

In Times of Rising, the fi\h and final movement of the song cycle, celebrates our return to life, being together, and finding joy once again. It explores how the world around us seems so different once we have gone through difficult experiences. This feeling of seeing things in a different light can apply to so many transformaWve periods in our lives, including relaWonships, birth, death, and personal journeys. The hope with this movement and the enWre Songs of Hope in Strange Times cycle is to provide a framework in which to process powerful experiences, heal from tremendous loss, and arrive at the other side with wiser minds and hearts.

Each movement can be performed as a stand-alone piece or as part of the enWre song cycle.

About the composer & poet: Amy Gordon is an acWve composer, arranger, songwriter, and vocalist based in Los Angeles, CA. As a choral composer, she has worked with and been commissioned by numerous choirs, including being the composer-in-residence for Nova Vocal Ensemble. She has also scored numerous films. She has a BA in ComposiWon from Loyola Marymount University and an MM in ComposiWon from California State University, Long Beach.

I. IN TIMES OF DESCENT

We descend below the surface To where no light breaks through. Is it here in total darkness, Where there is no sky or sea? In this floorless ocean, Is it here the answer finds us?

IV. IN TIMES OF RE-EMERGENCE

When light long-darkened begins to Sneak in, seep in, & sweep in again, When birds long-silenced begin to start Winging, mingling, & singing again, Is it here you dream once more?

II. IN TIMES OF HIBERNATION

Half the world in slumber, Half know neither night nor day. The ?cking of the clock stopped, The rustle of pages silent. Is it here, in this state of wai?ng, We hold our breath with ?me?

When voices long-distanced begin to Reach out, seek out, & speak out again, When hope long-dampened begins to start Growing, floa?ng, and flowing again, Is it here you imagine the sun once more?

When souls long-downcast begin to start Coping, hoping, & reopening again, When you, long-discouraged, begin to start Searching, preserving, & re-emerging again, It is here you come alive once more!

III. IN TIMES OF STASIS

When you are suspended In crystallized ?me, Neither ebbing nor flowing Caught mid-crosscurrent in the ?de, It is here you simply breathe, Knowing that This. You.

It is enough.

V. IN TIMES OF RISING

We rise above the surface, The light looks different now. The cliffs and shores we knew before Have shiNed yet remain somehow.

The sky and sea, An unknown brilliant blue, The ocean’s floor, A marker of the depth we fell, Remind us that our stories Are songs that only ?me can tell.

We rise above the surface, We too are different now. Like ?me-tossed stone now turned to sand, we've changed yet remain somehow.

We rise!

For more informa+on about the composer, visit www.amygordonmusic.com, where you can find Amy Gordon's en+re catalogue, perusal scores, recordings, and more.

SONGS OF HOPE IN STRANGE TIMES

for SATB Choir & String Quartet

Words & Music by Amy Gordon

Copyright © 2020-2023 by Amy Gordon (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. | www.amygordonmusic.com

Commissioned by SACRA/PROFANA directed by Juan Carlos Acosta

II. IN TIMES OF HIBERNATION

Steadily (Half-Time Feel) q = 110

Commissioned by Westminster High School directed by Kelly Ann Self III. IN TIMES OF STASIS

Commissioned by SACRA/PROFANA directed by Juan Carlos Acosta

IV. IN TIMES OF RE-EMERGENCE