When I was young, I couldn’t wait until NewYear’s Eve Staying up a little later felt like a great privilege, and watching the countdown made the future feel exciting and full of promise I remember listening to Prince’s1999(yes,I’mTHATold)andthinkinghowimpossiblyfarawaythatyearseemed Andthenthere wasY2K, which many of you may be too young to remember the widespread fear that when the clock struck midnight, computers everywhere would simply stop working. Of course, they didn’t. Life went on. Singingwenton.
It’s funny how our sense of time changes. What once felt distant now seems to arrive almost without warning.Weoftenfindourselvesthinkingaboutthefuture,whetherthatisnextsemester,nextseason,the next challenge or opportunity. In choral music, those thoughts can feel especially urgent. We talk about enrollment,relevance,technology,andsustainability.Wewonderwhatliesaheadandwhetherwe’reready forit.
And suddenly, here we are, realizing just how quickly our SWACDA conference in Albuquerque is coming up.Thisyear’stheme,NewHorizons,feelsparticularlytimely.Horizonsimplybothdistanceandpossibility. That there is something ahead of us that invites curiosity rather than fear.They remind us that while we can’talwaysseeexactlywhat’scoming,wecanchoosehowwemovetowardit Together
Conferenceshavealwaysmarkedimportantmomentsinmyownprofessionaljourney Theyarrivequickly, pass even faster, and yet leave a lasting imprint In Albuquerque, we’ll gather to explore new ideas, hear newvoices,andencounternewperspectives,whilealsoreaffirmingthevaluesthatanchorourwork Fora fewdays,wegettopause,listendeeply,andrememberwhychoralmusiccontinuestomattersoprofoundly inourlivesandinthelivesofourstudentsandsingers.
WhatItreasuremostaboutSWACDAisthatevenaswelooktowardnewhorizons,weneverlosesightof one another. Mentorship, collaboration, generosity, and excellence are not trends, they are commitments. Theyarewhatallowustofacechangewithconfidenceandimagination.
As Albuquerque approaches, my hope is that you’ll come ready. Ready not just to learn, but to be present. Presentforconversationsinhallways,momentsofinspirationinrehearsals,andthequietreassurancethat wearepartofsomethinglargerthanourselves.Thefuturewillkeeparrivingfasterthanweexpect.Butfor ameaningfulmoment,wegettostandtogether,lookahead,andsingtowardnewhorizons.
https://wwwjwpeppercom/i-know-i-been-changed-11640193/p AnewworkfromStaceyV Gibbsforadvanced-leveltrebleensembles,“IKnowIBeenChanged”issureto beanotherstandardincontemporarychoralrepertoire SimilarinstyletoGibbs'arrangementsof“NowLet Me Fly” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, this stunning arrangement highlights the conviction of the traditionalspiritualthroughrichchoraltexturesandasolidrhythmicdrive.Withslowcadenceandaminor keythatexpressesthelongingforbetterdays,itallowsmoreadvancedtreblechoirstoexplorethehistorical contextwithmusicalsensitivity.
https://www.jwpepper.com/beyond-the-sea-11613703/p ReginalWright’s“BeyondtheSea”isanewworkwritteninSATBorSSAvoicings.Noteverypiecethatis written well in one voicing works well for other voicings. This piece is definitely an exception! The SSA voicing is exquisite with an opening unison melody that evolves into rich, interesting 3-part harmonic structure. Set to Christina Rossetti’s poem A Song of Flight, this selection celebrates freedom, action, and courage, making it a great piece for a high school treble ensemble or advanced middle school treble ensemble
Set to poetry by Charles Anthony Silvestri, this work tells the story of the Kolibri (from the German for "hummingbird") finding love again after a time of loneliness. The piece opens with a few measures of a cappellasinging,withpianoaccompanimentjoininglater.Notonlyisituniqueandinterestingtostartan accompanied piece with an a cappella section, but it’s also a great way to introduce younger singers to performingacappellawhomaynotbereadyforthescaleofafullacappellasong.
Though I was already familiar with Daniel Brinsmead, a colleague introduced me to “Begin Again”, and I found it the perfect addition to this January issue of Southwestern Connection.The song is about taking time to pause, reflect, and embrace the opportunity to begin anew. The piece features a rhythmic and drivingpianoaccompanimentwithlyrical,thoughtfulmelodicmaterialinthevocalparts A6/8against2/4 juxtaposition is featured through the work, which makes for a great teaching moment with developing ensembles
IlusHääl-MargritKits/arr.LauraJekabsone
SSAA,acappella WaltonMusic
https://www.jwpepper.com/ilus-haal-11347958/p
“Ilus Hääl” is a contemporary a cappella concert work that celebrates the cultural relationship between EstonianandLatvianfolktraditionsandwascomposedinhonorofEstonia’s100thanniversary.Thepiece employs modern choral textures through the use of percussive effects, rhythmic vocables, and Latvianlanguage text, creating a fresh and engaging sonic palette. Each voice part contributes to the overall rhythmicandharmonicfabric,encouragingindependenceandattentiveensemblelistening.Pedagogically, the work is especially effective for developing rhythmic accuracy, cultural literacy, and confidence in unaccompaniedsingingwithinadvancedtrebleensembles.
DouglasWagner’sarrangementof“Dido’sLament”isasensitiveandexpressivechoraladaptationofoneof the Baroque era ’ s most iconic arias The arrangement preserves the emotional depth of Purcell’s original work through carefully contoured melodic lines and a restrained, supportive accompaniment, while the optional cello adds an additional layer of warmth and expressive color. This setting provides rich opportunitiesforteachinglegatosinging,expressiveshaping,andstylisticawarenessofearlymusicwithin a choral context. The inclusion of a comprehensive Learning Resource Page with National Standards correlations, vocabulary, and extension activities further strengthens its pedagogical usefulness for secondarychoralprograms.
R&R
Repertoire
TheBouquet-KaraStacyBedwell
SSA
ExcelciaMusicPublishing
SSAAChoirsR&RChair
Continued
https://wwwjwpeppercom/the-bouquet-11393054/p
“The Bouquet” is a playful, madrigal-inspired contemporary work that subverts the traditional treble-choir theme of romance and sentimentality with a humorous and dramatic narrative.Written to be performed a cappellaorwithoptionalpianoaccompaniment,thepieceoffersvaluableflexibilityforensemblesofvarying skill levels and rehearsal contexts. Its mischievous character and animated text setting create abundant opportunities for instruction in expressive phrasing, articulation, dynamic contrast, and textual communication.Particularlywell-suitedforhighschooltreblechoirs,theworkencouragesstudentstoengage bothmusicallyandtheatrically,fosteringconfidenceinstylisticinterpretationandensembleresponsiveness.
Shumayela-CharlotteBotha
SSAA
WaltonMusic
https://www.jwpepper.com/shumayela-11392531/p
AvibrantsettingofatraditionalSouthAfricanisiZuluhymn,CharlotteBotha’sarrangementof“Shumayela” ischaracterizedbyrhythmicenergyandcommunalexpression.Thework’ssimpletextisanimatedthrough the repeated percussive syllable “shu,” which, in combination with syncopated melodic writing and layered rhythmictextures,generatesanatmosphereofcelebrationandvitality.Eachvoicepartisgivenmeaningful musical interest, promoting ensemble independence and balanced participation across the choir. The encouragement of improvisation and movement further enhances the piece’s pedagogical value, making it especially effective for developing rhythmic precision, stylistic awareness, and kinesthetic engagement in trebleensembles.
Actus-RyanMain
SSAw/Descant,accompanied EndeavorMusicPublishing
https://wwwjwpeppercom/actus-11617209/p
“Actus”isanenergeticandcontemporaryworkthatsetsaLatintextinspiredbythephilosophyofMarcus Aurelius.Whileavailableinmultiplevoicings,theSSAsettingisparticularlywell-suitedforhighschooltreble ensembles The composition contains flowing, melismatic melodic writing, which is ideal for teaching expressivephrasingandline.However,thereareclearrhythmicallydrivenmomentsthroughoutthepiece,a stapleofRyanMain’scompositionstyle.Thepieceendswithadramaticdescantthatsitsatorabovethestaff andissupportedbyapianoaccompanimentthatheightenstheimpactofthetext’scentralmessagethat“the obstacleistheway. ”
Elegantandlyrical,thissimplesettingofatraditionalHebrewtexthaslovelyvocalwritingsupportedwith aflowingpianoaccompaniment.Thelyricsareasweetandtenderprayerforpeacefulsleepandtoawaken in the morning. A translation and pronunciation guide are provided.Written primarily in two parts with occasionaloptionalaltodivisi,thepieceisespeciallyappropriateformiddle-leveltrebleensembles,offering accessiblepart-writingwhileencouragingcarefulattentiontoblend,balance,andsustainedtone
StateoftheState NewMexico
ChristopherYee,President-Elect
SWACDAEquipmentChair
IaskedChristophertowritea“StateoftheState”eventhoughheisnotyetthepresidentofNew Mexico ACDA. NMACDA has been under the incredible leadership of Emory Edwards, who accepted an extended leadership time. I wanted to introduce Christopher to our membership, as he is also the SWACDA Equipment Chair for Albuquerque. He is in charge of aquiring, picking up and returning everything we need - risers, stands, etc. If you are in the Albuquerque/New Mexico area and are able to be part of Christopher’s team, please reachouttohimandofferyourhelp.cyee@lcps.net
"Bythetimeyoureadthis,itwillbetheendofJanuaryandwewillhavejustfinishedhostingour NMACDA Conference held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque This year we hosted three choirs, each one being one hundred plus students! Ben Torres conducted the elementary choir, Melissa Morten, conducted our youth treble choir, and Dr. Brandon Boyd, conducted our youth mixed choir. The collaborative aspect of these honor choirs has been the highlightofourNMACDAConferencessinceACDAwasestablishedinNewMexico.Aswewrapup this conference and celebrate the choral arts in New Mexico, we set our eyes forward to the SWACDA conference being hosted here in our very own Albuquerque.The New Mexico chapter is especially looking forward to catching a greater vision of ACDA from SWACDA! We hope that everyonewillgettoseethemostenchantingpartsofwhatNewMexicohastooffer!Similarly,we alsolookforwardtowhateachofyoufromotherstatesinourdistrictwillbringtoinspireushere! We’veseenthelineupandknowthateveryonewhoattendswillnotbedisappointed!"
