Flagello | Mountain Song

R

E

Mountain Song

SC O

for 2-part chorus and piano _________________________________

Music and Text by Gala Flagello

PE

R

U SA

L

2025

d

U SA

R

PE L R

SC O

E

R

E

Mountain Song

SC O

for 2-part chorus and piano

Gala Flagello

PE

R

U SA

L

2025

d

Program Note Mountain Song (2025) musically honors the magnificent and essential natural world that surrounds us.

Through a sonic dialogue between the two choral parts, body percussion, and piano, the piece evokes humans' interaction with nature, highlighting and personifying the wisdom of different plants, animals, and elements. By lyrically exploring the past, present, and future, Mountain Song envisions a world where humans and their environment coexist in literal and figurative harmony. Thank you to Amanda Galster, Milford School District, the Mountain Song consortium members, and Choral Arts New England for commissioning this work.

Text

E

One day the mountains will call to me Asking for strength through eternity, Wondering why we're moving so fast When courage and kindness were meant to last.

U SA

L

And now the mountains call to me As do the lakes, the fields, and the streams, The deer and the hawk, the finch in the tree, Saying, "Always remember to love and be free."

SC O

As I was walking, the birch trees awoke.

Through all the eyes in their bark, they spoke: "Treasure this day and treasure yourself; Your presence and care are the greatest wealth."

R

Last evening the lilacs whispered aloud, "Beauty and joy can always be found.

Whether we're blooming or deep under snow, Colorful petals will always grow."

Notes on the Text

PE

R

Nature elements included in this text celebrate the natural beauty of New Hampshire through its state symbols. They are: • Mountain: state emblem (the Old Man of the Mountain) • Purple lilac: state flower • White birch: state tree • White-tailed deer: state animal • Red-tailed hawk: state raptor • Purple finch: state bird The third stanza references a quote by American author Ray Bradbury: "Treasure this day and treasure yourself. Truly, neither will ever happen again."

Instrumentation Part I (range: B3–E5, with optional descant up to G5) Part II (range: A3–C♯5, with optional low voice solo down to F♯3) Piano

Performance Note

R

Mountain Song Consortium Members

E

• Mountain Song is meant to be an adaptable piece, flexible for choirs with developing voices and singers with widely varying vocal ranges. Conductors and educators are encouraged to adjust the two choral parts as needed (e.g., octave doubling/displacement, use of ossias) to best support their choir's needs.

• In body percussion passages (e.g., finger snaps), R indicates right hand/leg and L indicates left hand/leg so that performers may coordinate.

L

SC O

Consortium lead: Milford Middle School, Amanda Galster Hanover Street School, Catherine Beasley Keene High School Choirs, Matthew Leese Keene State College Music Department Milford High School, Jennifer Erdody Moultonborough Academy, Emma Forest Mount Lebanon School, Christine Greenough Plymouth State University, Harmony Markey Profile Middle School and High School, Sarah Ressler

PE

R

U SA

This project is supported in part by an Alfred Nash Patterson Grant from Choral Arts New England

Duration: 3 minutes First printing of this edition, January 2025

Copyright © 2025 Gala Flagello (BMI). All Rights Reserved.

Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

JAT-110-040-VS

U SA

R

PE L R

SC O

E

Commissioned by a consortium of New Hampshire schools, led by Amanda Galster and the Milford School District Choirs

Mountain Song

Music and Text by Gala Flagello

for 2-part chorus and piano

5     1 

Pno

 



 





  

finger snaps or soft palm claps



              



R



L R L

R



        





 

      



 

R

PE



 2 

Pno



    

One day

C m

      



the moun - tains

will

 





 



  

 ad lib. chordally throughout

Copyright © 2025 Gala Flagello (BMI). All Rights Reserved.

Published by Just a eory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

   

  



  

sim.

L R L



A



  

     with excitement 1     9



   

  

L

2

 distant

   



         

  



  

   

 



  



                            



call



  

E

    

  

R

E

SC O



        

U SA

Piano

Flowing, with joy  = 138

to me

   

  





 

Ask - ing

for



 



 E

  

  

JAT-110-040-VS

Gala Flagello: Mountain Song

2

 

19      1  

 

     

    23

1

 



meant

 2 

Pno







to

  







 



last.





  





 

 





 

E

 

  





C m

  

  

  



Meant



 





to



last.

 

 





were

  





 

  

   



   

and kind - ness



   

   

  



when cour - age

  

   

         

  

fast

  



E

 

so

mov - ing

we’re

  



  

 



why

Won - der - ing

   

U SA





  

PE

Pno

 

Bsus4

R

2

  

C m

       

   

ni - ty,



E





   

-

  

SC O

Pno

 

strength through e - ter





  

L

2

  

R

14      1 





no breath

Last



 





E      Last



         

Gala Flagello: Mountain Song

    1       

 tender       

al - ways

   



al - ways

 

Pno





snow,



snow,

            

F m



2





be found.

   





 

   

   

Wheth - er

    



Col - or - ful

   

pet - als

A

   

  

   

     



  



   

    A

  



  



 

deep un - der

 

   





pet - als

a tempo

  

Gm

we’re bloom-ing or



Col - or - ful

   

   

deep un - der

   



“Beau - ty and joy can

we’re bloom-ing or

C m

   





 

 



   

E

  



“Beau - ty and joy can

R

 

Wheth - er

B



PE

39     1   

 

 

 tender



F m

 



U SA

      

 

be found.

R



 





Pno





   



A

L

34     1   2



 E        

whis-pered a - loud,



            





  

ev - ‘ning the li - lacs

whis-pered a - loud,



   2       



ev - ‘ning the li - lacs

Pno

 tender    

B

SC O

28

3

will

will

  







    

D dim.

 



al - ways

grow.”







B        

 

   



al - ways





grow.”

E     

  



  

Gala Flagello: Mountain Song

4

A     

 

Pno



  

    

  

L

     



R   

          



R

L R L

E  





R





  

  

  



  

L R L

 

A( 5)



  

  



   sim.

  

R L R

L



    

  



  



Dm7







sim.

  

  





A

  



  

  





F m7





        



R L R



L

  

R L R

  

 

Fm9     

  

   

 



  

E7

  





 





      

 

cresc.



Amaj7

     

cresc.



E

pat front/side of legs

  

 



  



U SA

C m

 





R L R

55  1

2

  

finger snaps or soft palm claps

 





 

PE

Pno

 

   

50  1 2







E





 

pat front/side of legs



SC O

Pno





L

2



C

R

45     1  







L

  

 



  

 

     

  





C m

sim.



  

D6      

      

Gala Flagello: Mountain Song

F m11



  

        

 2 



   

   





R L R



 

   B

    





L

   

 

E

 

 

    

 

 

 mysterious     

 

 

 

    

R

 

R L R



 

 



pat front/side



R L R

pat front/side of legs

finger snaps or soft palm clap

R L R L

 

        

   



   

 



Pno



 

finger snaps or soft palm clap

PE

69  1

 

 

U SA





R

Pno

B



 

B             

     

    



   



               

64  1  2 



  

stomp

R

  

  

 





L

  

E

   





      

  



Pno



      

     

stomp

SC O

 2 

 

D

E

  

L

60  1

5

 



    







    

of legs



  





   



    

    

L







Gala Flagello: Mountain Song

6

     mysterious      2     



     



As I



  



       



     (opt. solo continues, or enter tutti)  2     walk

-

     



Gm

R

PE 2

Pno







- woke.

 







tutti

cresc.

         



rough all





 

  



     

ing,

                   84          1 

Pno







 

  



   



    

the eyes





    







the birch









      



in their





   

trees



 

   

bark,





     

L





U SA







was

Mm



     distant    



was walk - ing, the birch trees a - woke.

     

79       1 





 



As

I



   

R

Pno

opt. solo





they









    

E



opt. solo

SC O

  1

74

   





a -



     

  





tutti







rough their



        

spoke:



       

 

         



 

 



















 





 





 

- self; Your pres - ence

    E

  

PE Pno



- self; Your pres - ence

96       1  2

 



R

Pno

   

 

    

this day

  

“Treas - ure              

92      1  2

  

eyes, they said, “Treas - ure

-

-







  



- test

wealth.”

- test

wealth.”

    



  





F

 



 





and





this day

and

       



       





and



and

   

 



your -

treas - ure



 

 



B



 

treas - ure



SC O



  



care

L

Pno



 

U SA

2



  

your -

 

  

E

88       1 

7

  

R

Gala Flagello: Mountain Song





are

the

great -

-

are





-



care F

 



       

  



 

the

   

  sub.  And



 



 



great C m



And

Am7      

    



-

  







      

                

Gala Flagello: Mountain Song

F

 

 

   

 

D

 

 

PE





     

Am

  



Pno



 

 

Am

   



 





fields, and the streams,

   

112   1  2

 

 G   



me

 

  

 

 

   

   

 

a tempo





G

 



   



e deer and the hawk,

 

 

 

e deer and the hawk,

   

U SA



C

 

 

fields, and the streams,



R

Pno



   

opt. descant







2



   

L

107     1 





Em



As do the lakes,

 

 

   

  

 

 

Bm

C

E

G

 

to



   

the



  





 

the finch in the tree,

 

   

the finch in the tree,

   

   

F  dim.

   

               



to love and be

free,

Say - ing, “Al - ways re - mem - ber

to love and be

free,







  

C

  

  

  



 

Say - ing, “Al - ways re - mem - ber

  

 

the

D   

   



Em   

 



      triumphant     

As do the lakes,

 

call

call

the moun - tains

(omit3)

me



R

 

to

   

 







the moun - tains







Pno

now

 



 triumphant 2      now



SC O

triumphant 101 1    



8

   

Gala Flagello: Mountain Song

  





-

       

ber

PE

127 1  







to

D



D

   

   

  

 

 

free.”

    



 tender, cresc. 





be

Em  

love





C





free.”

   

 tender



be

and

al - ways re - mem-

C 

Bm    

love

             



Pno





 tender 

to

and



2



 



U SA

Pno



R

2



ber

 



 

  



 

 

 

 

R



-

 

   

123    1 

D 





     

   

free,

al - ways re - mem-

SC O

C     



  



E

to love and be

free,





al - ways re - mem - ber



  







         to love and be

L

Pno



        

al - ways re - mem - ber



2



  

 





 

       











       G



118 1  

9

   









E R SC O L U SA R PE

c t:HTKATE*a gfhg+> JAT-110-040-VS

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