PERUSALSCORE
MountainSong
for2-partchorusandpiano
MusicandTextbyGalaFlagello 2025
PERUSALSCORE
PERUSALSCORE
MountainSong
for2-partchorusandpiano
GalaFlagello 2025
ProgramNote
MountainSong (2025) musicallyhonorsthemagnificentandessential naturalworld thatsurroundsus. Throughasonicdialoguebetweenthetwochoralparts, bodypercussion,andpiano, thepieceevokes humans' interactionwithnature, highlightingandpersonifying thewisdomof differentplants,animals, andelements. Bylyricallyexploring thepast,present,and future, MountainSongenvisionsaworld wherehumansand theirenvironmentcoexistinliteraland figurativeharmony.ThankyoutoAmanda Galster, Milford School District, theMountainSongconsortiummembers,and ChoralArtsNewEngland forcommissioning thiswork.
Text
Onedaythemountainswillcall tome Asking forstrengththrougheternity, Wonderingwhywe'removingsofast Whencourageand kindnessweremeanttolast.
Lastevening thelilacswhisperedaloud, "Beautyand joycanalwaysbefound. Whetherwe'rebloomingordeepundersnow, Colorfulpetalswillalwaysgrow."
AsIwaswalking, thebirchtreesawoke. Throughall theeyesintheirbark, theyspoke: "Treasurethisdayand treasureyourself; Yourpresenceandcarearethegreatestwealth."
And nowthemountainscall tome
Asdothelakes, thefields,and thestreams, Thedeerand thehawk, thefinchinthetree, Saying, "Alwaysremembertoloveand befree."
NotesontheText
Natureelementsincluded inthistextcelebratethenatural beautyof NewHampshirethroughitsstate symbols.Theyare:
• Mountain:stateemblem(theOld Manof theMountain)
• Purplelilac:stateflower
•Whitebirch:statetree
•White-taileddeer:stateanimal
• Red-tailed hawk:stateraptor
• Purplefinch:statebird
ThethirdstanzareferencesaquotebyAmericanauthorRayBradbury: "Treasurethisdayand treasure yourself.Truly, neitherwilleverhappenagain."
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Instrumentation
PartI (range: B3–E5,withoptionaldescantuptoG5)
PartII (range:A3–C♯5,withoptional lowvoicesolodowntoF♯3) Piano
PerformanceNote
• MountainSong ismeanttobeanadaptablepiece, flexibleforchoirswithdevelopingvoices andsingerswithwidelyvaryingvocalranges. Conductorsandeducatorsareencouraged toadjust thetwochoralpartsasneeded (e.g.,octavedoubling/displacement,useof ossias) tobestsupport theirchoir'sneeds.
• Inbodypercussionpassages(e.g., fingersnaps), R indicatesrighthand/legand Lindicatesleft hand/legsothatperformersmaycoordinate.
MountainSongConsortiumMembers
Consortiumlead: Milford MiddleSchool,AmandaGalster HanoverStreetSchool, CatherineBeasley KeeneHighSchool Choirs, MatthewLeese KeeneStateCollegeMusicDepartment Milford HighSchool, JenniferErdody MoultonboroughAcademy, EmmaForest MountLebanonSchool, ChristineGreenough PlymouthStateUniversity, HarmonyMarkey ProfileMiddleSchooland HighSchool, SarahRessler
Thisprojectissupported inpartbyanAlfred NashPattersonGrantfromChoralArtsNewEngland
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Duration: 3 minutes
Firstprintingof thisedition, January2025
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CommissionedbyaconsortiumofNewHampshireschools, ledbyAmandaGalsterandtheMilfordSchoolDistrictChoirs
MountainSong
for2-partchorusandpiano
Flowing,withjoy =138
MusicandTextby GalaFlagello
mov ing so fast when cour age and kind ness
ev ‘ning the li lacs whis pered a loud, “Beau ty and joy can
ev ‘ning the li lacs whis pered a loud, “Beau ty and joy can
al ways be found. Wheth er we’re bloom ing or deep un der al ways be found. Wheth er we’re bloom ing or deep un der
all the eyes in their bark, they spoke:
eyes, they said, “Treas ure this day and treas ure your “Treas ure this
self;
self;
and treas ure your
-now the moun tains call to me As do the lakes, the now the moun tains call to me As do the lakes, the
fields, and the streams, opt.descant e deer and the hawk, the finch in the tree,
fields, and the streams, e deer and the hawk, the finch in the tree,
Am D Em F dim.