I Am A Face!
I am a face!
Do you see me?
A face unknown within a crowd! Would you love me? Would you respect me? In my journey to be me.
I am a soul, behind my eyes. I am love, beneath my skin. There is compassion, in my tears. I sing of hope through the words I speak.
I am a face!
Do you see me?
I am a face!
An enigma behind my smile. And if you do not know me or understand I will be proud to tell you who I am.
I am a face!
I am resolved!
to make a difference with my life. No holding back. Resilient and strong You will know that I am here.
I am a face!
Do you see me? This is my face!
Maya Angelou said, “All of us carry the burden of an untold story!” We will pass by people through our lifetime and never know them, nor will ever see them again. Yet as we pass themwe might wonder what is going on in the life of the person whose face is observed through oureyes as we encounter them. I AM A FACE conveys the message that there is a story to thefaces we see before us. Faces, that yearn to be noticed, accepted, loved, affirmed for theuniqueness of who they are. This choral work is about every human being, not just a selected group. Individual or social circumstance. Robert Cohen has set my text in a powerful statementof our individual worth. And through the voices of those who sing its message, we will affirmand respect the life behind every face we meet and celebrate that each of us can proclaim, I AM A FACE!
---Ronald W. Cadmus, LyricistOptional Performance Note
The chorus can begin with some kind of mask so we're unable to see their faces clearly. At a point, indicated in the score (that point is flexible), these face coverings are removed and the singers step forward towards the audience. The conductor should feel free to employ choreography and other dramatic effects. This is a piece with a statement to be made and it should be made forcefully and dynamically.
1 T2 B1 B2
Tenor1
Tenor2
Bass1
Bass2
Piano*
Mm Mm
Mm Mm (for rehearsal)
Mm Oo Oo Oo Oo
5 Ah Ah Ah Ah Oo Oo Oo Oo poco rit. Mm Mm Mm Mm Atempo 8 I Am a Face! *aHammondB3organwouldalsobenice
Solo
2 B1 B2
knownwithinacrowd!
Pno.
Oowith
Oowith
Solo T1 T2 B1 B2 Pno.
15
spectme?Inmy
Oo Oo
Oo Oo
journeytobeme.
Pno.
soul,behindmy
Iamasoul,
Iamasoul,
Iamasoul,
Iamasoul,
eyes.Iam behindmyeyes. behindmyeyes.
love,beneathmyskin.
love,skin.
Solo T1
T2
B1
B2
Thereiscom
neathmyskin.
neathmyskin.
Pno.
Pno.
7 7 Play 4
Ahinmy
passion,inmy
wordsIspeak.
wordsIspeak.
thewordsIspeak.
Solo T1
T2 B1
B2
Pno.
face!
face!Iama
Iamaface!
Iama
Iama
face!
DoyouSee!DoyouSee!DoyouSee!me? face!
3 face!Iama
DoyouSee!me? face! face!seeme
Doyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyou
face!Iama
Solo T1 T2 B1 B2 Pno.
face!Iama
Iama
Iama
T1 T2 B1 B2
34 Atempo
Pno.
rehearsal) 3 face!Doyou Mm Mm Mm Mm 6
poco rit.
face!
face!
face!
face!
face!
Iama Mm
Mm
Mm
Mm
Solo T1
37
3 See!me?Ane
Ah
T2 B1 B2
Pno.
Ah
3 nigmabehindmysmile. Ifyoudon't hindmysmile. hindmysmile.
40 knowme,orunder Ah Ah Ah Ah
Oo Oo
Oo Oo understand understand -7
Solo T1 T2 B1 B2 Pno.
42 3 proudproudtotellyou
Iwillbeproud
Iwillbeproud
Iwillbeproud
Iwillbeproud
2 B1 B2 Pno.
whoIam.
whoIam.
whoIam.
whoIam.Thisismy
Ah
force!tomakea
Solo T1
T2 B1
B2
Pno.
Solo T1 T2 B1 B2 Pno.
Ahdiff'rence
Ahdiff'rence
diff'rencewithmylife.
diff'rencewithmylife.
strong.Youwill
strong.
strong. strong. strong.
Noholding
knowthatIamhere. thatIam
thatIam
Solo T1 T2 B1 B2 Pno.
face!
Pno.
face!Iama
Iamaface!
Iama
Iama
face!
Iamaface!
3
face!Iama
Doyouseeme?
face!seeme face!seeme
Iama
Iama
DoyouseeDoyouseeDoyouseeme?
face!Iama
Solo T1 T2 B1 B2 Pno.
Doyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyou
face!Iama
Iamaface!
face!
face!Iama
(Optional: chorus members begin to remove their face coverings and point to their faces)
Solo T1
T2 B1 B2
myface!
face!Thisismy Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
Pno.
face!Iama
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
face!This face!This
Doyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyou
face!Thisismy
Doyouseeme?
face!Thisismy
Solo
T1
T2 B1 B2 Pno.
myface!Thisismyface!Myface!
face!Thisismy Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
DoyouseeDoyouseeDoyouseeme?
face!
Solo T1
T2 B1
B2
Pno.
myface!
face!Thisismy Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
Doyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyou 3
face!Thisismy
Doyouseeme?
face!
face!Thisismy
(Optional: members of the chorus step forward one by one)
Thisismy...
Solo T1
T2 B1
B2 Pno.
See!
Thisismy...
Thisismy...
Thisismy
Thisismy
See!
Thisismy
Thisismy...
Thisismy
Thisismy
Thisismyface! face!
Thisismyface! face!Thisismy face!Thisismy
Solo T1 T2 B1 B2
Thisismyface!
face!
Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy face!Thisismy
Thisismyface!
face!
Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
allargando
face!
face!
face!
face!
face!Thisismy
face!my
face!
Pno.