I'm nobody! | Lee Kesselman | MusicSpoke

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

Music by Lee R. Kesselman Poem by Emily Dickinson

Commissioned by the Community School of the Arts Children's Chorus, DeKalb, IL, Mary Lynn Doherty, Director

January 1, 2013

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

I'm nobody! Who are you?

I'm nobody! Who are you?

Are you nobody, too?

Then there's a pair of us -- don't tell!

They'd banish -- you know!

How dreary to be somebody!

How public like a frog To tell one's name the livelong June To an admiring bog!

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, Emily Dickinson is widely considered one of America's greatest poets. Born into a prominent family, she attended Amherst Academy and Mount Holyoke Academy and then returned to her family home, where she lived for the rest of her life. Fewer than a dozen of her almost 1800 poems were published during her lifetime. Thought of as eccentric by her community, she became known for her white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even leave her room. Most of her friendships were carried out by correspondence. Dickinson's poems are unique for the era in which she wrote. They are models of concision, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation. This poem was probably written during 1861, the start of her most creative and fertile period of writing.

Lee R. Kesselman has been Director of Choral Activities at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL, since 1981.

Composer and arranger of over 100 published choral works, he is known as a gifted composer, conductor, pianist, clinician, and music director of opera and musical theatre productions. Kesselman has twice served as music director of the NIU Opera Workshop. He co-founded the CME Institute for Choral Teacher Education in 1986. A complete catalog of Kesselman's works can be found at www.kesselmanpress.com Kesselman's BUZZINGS, an SATB suite of three Emily Dickinson poems about bees, was recently recorded by the Grant Park Symphony Chorus on Cedille Records.

Performance notes: The key elements of Dickinson's poem -- its childlike playfulness, spurts of verbal energy, quirky punctuation and quick turns of thought -- should be brought out in performance. Don't shy away from the spiky dissonance in the piano part. Dickinson's poem is dramatic in a private way, like a miniature play in one's own room. Suggestions are given for some minimal stage actions, but there might be room for more. Have fun!

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

Commissioned by the Community School of the Arts Children's Chorus, DeKalb, IL, Mary Lynn Doherty, Director

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

Music: Lee R. Kesselman Text: Emily Dickinson Perky & quirky

for 2-part treble chorus and piano

# # 3 U ¿ 3 UŒ & 4 ¿ ¿ ¿ > Very free whisper

Treble 1

Treble 2

Piano

8

&

# 3 & # 4

∑

# 3 & # 4

∑

? ## 3 4

∑

##

∑

# & # 8

I'm No - bo - dy!

# & # ? ##

∑ œ œ

sim.

# & # ˙.

17

# & # ˙.

∑

F U

¿ ¿Œ 3

Who are you?

∑

∑ œ œ

˙.

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑ ∑ œœ

œœ. Œ œœ.

F œœ ? # # œ œœ œ. œ œ. # & #

you?

¿

œ œ

˙.

you?

17

¿ >

∑

∑ p œœ

whisper

> U ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ

I'm No - bo - dy!

∑

∑

U

∑

spoken -- turn head, look at other half of choir

œœ

˙

œœ

˙

˙˙ ..

sung

∑

sung

∑

Œ

œ œœ œ .

Who are you?

˙˙- ..

∑

p

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

œ

œ °

No - bo - dy!

p

∑

(turn toward audience)

No - bo - dy!

I'm

œ.œ ˙˙-

œœ.

œ * °

œ

F

œœ.

œ * °

˙.

˙

Œ

˙.

˙

Œ

˙˙ ..

˙˙

Œ

. œ œœ

*

œ. Œ œ

Who

œ.

Who

Œ

∑

are

œ

are

Œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ . . . . œ

˙

œ

Are

œ œ ˙

you - No - bo - dy

œ œ œ Are

>¿ U Œ

F œ œ˙

I'm

œœ œ œ Œ

¿ ¿

F œ œ˙

F. ˙

∑

spoken -- turn head, look at other half of choir (turn toward audience)

∑

F ˙.

∑

f

f

∑

h.= 76

∑

œ œ ˙

you - No - bo - dy

œ œœ œ .

∑

œ œœ œ .

-

-

˙. ˙. œœ.

-

Œ

œ œ.

œ œœ œ .

˙. ˙. ˙˙-

˙

-

-

˙ Œ

œ œœ œ .

© 2012 by Lee R. Kesselman This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

Π-

Œ

-

∑

œ œœ œ .

4

25

& &

## ##

# & #

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

˙.

˙.

˙

Œ

œœ ˙

˙.

˙

Œ

Too?

Too?

25

∑

? # # œ œœ œ.

## ˙ . &

˙œ .œ ˙

P

œ œœ œ .

˙.

33

# & # ˙.

# & # ˙. ˙. tell!

œ œ

n˙

œ

pair

of

˙.

œ

œ œ

˙

œ

œ

Œ œ

˙.

Ó

j œ

œ P

œ

Œ œj œ

Ó

œ

Then there's a

Then there's a

pair

∑

p

œ œœ œ œ œœ œ .

f ˙.

˙. ˙. ˙.

˙. ˙.

˙.

Œ œ œ

˙.

œ

of

us!

F œ

Ó

F œ Œ œ œœÓ

∑

us!

Œ œ

œ

of

of

us!

œ

Œ œ

œ

Œ œ

us!

œ

Don't

Don't

Œ Œ

œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ nœ œ œ nœ œ œ nœ œ œ . . . .

œ Œ Œ

f ˙.

tell!

33

√ ˙ . œœ ˙

œ

œ Œ Œ

Don't

tell!

œ Œ Œ

Don't

tell!

Don't

Ó

∑

œ

∑

Don't

n˙.

tell!

œ Œ œ n˙.

tell!

Don't

Œ Œ œ

œ

tell!

n˙ P f . œ œ ? # # œ # œ œ œ # œ œ # œœ œ œ # œœ œ œ # œœ œ œ. # œœ œ œ. # œœ œ œ n œ œœ . . . œ.

# & # ˙.

41

# & # ˙.

√œ

They'd

Œ œ

˙

ad

˙

-

œ

ver

œ

œœœœœ

-

˙

tise

˙

œ -

you

œ

˙.

They'd

ad

-

ver

-

tise

-

you

∑

˙.

∑

know!

˙.

œ n œ . œJ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ Œ œ F p œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ? # # n œ œœ œ n œ n œ n œ n œ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œ # & # ˙

41

˙.

know!

œœ

œ Œ œ œ Œ œ F œ œœ œ œ œœ œ . .

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

49

&

49

&

## ##

? ##

œœ

∑

∑

œ Œ œ

œ Œ œ

œ œœ œ .

# & # Ó f 57 # & # ˙˙ . .

œ

57

How

Unison

&

##

# & #

˙

œ œ œ

œ

drear

-

y

Œ Œ

Œ

∑

¿ ¿ ¿

Œ

œ f

nœ

f Some - bo - dy ∑

∑

œœ Œ œœ fl ? # # # œ˘œœœ Œ Œ # & # Œ Œ œ

Treble I

How

Some

˙

# œœ Œ œœ. fl # œœœœœ Œ Œ fl

pub

-

œ

lic

-

∑

bo - dy

œ #˙.

like

a

Frog

# œ˘œœœ Œ Œ

# œœœœœ Œ Œ fl -

œ œœ œ . ˙.

œ Œ œ

# œ˘œœœ Œ Œ ∑

Some - bo - dy

œœ

˙.

-

∑

˙˙ ..

¿ ¿ ¿

∑ ˙˙

œ

Ó

∑

¿ ¿

# ˙˙ .. p œ œœ œ .

˙.

# œœ œœ ˙˙ > > > # œ˘œœœ Œ Œ

œœ œ ˙ > œ ˙ ˘ # œœœœ Œ Œ ˙

nœ

Some - bo - dy!

Œ

nœ

œ. œ œ

#œ œ ˙

be

-

Œ

œ

œ. œ œ

nœ

œœ fl Œ Œ

¿

∑

‹.

Spoken in monotone, nodding head once on each downbeat

# & #

# & #

# œ˘œœœ

to

¿.

look angelic (subito)

raspberry (tongue out) thumb noses at each other

œ œœ œ .

64

71

∑

œ Œ œ p œ œœ œ .

œœ

œœ F fl ˘œ ? # # œ œœ # œ œœ Œ Œ œ.

64

f

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

œœ Œ œœ fl ˘ # œœœœ Œ Œ

# œœ Œ œœ. fl # œœœœœ Œ Œ fl

œ œœ œ . œ

Œ Œ œœ

#˙

# œ˘œœœ Œ Œ

∑

œ Œ nœ -

˙˙ ..

Some - bo - dy

∑

-

∑

¿ ¿ ¿

∑

˙.

5

To

# ˙˙ ..

˘ # œœœœ Œ Œ ˙ tell

nœ one's

Œ Œ nœ n˙ œ short spoken '-og' sounds in various ranges, imitate frogs " œ œ # ˙ Toœ tell one's 71 œ # Œ Œ Œ # œœ Œ œœ # œœ Œ œœ # ˙˙ .. #˙. & # ˙˙ .. > fl fl fl fl > ˘ ˘ ˘ ? # # œœœ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ # œœœœ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ # œœœœ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ # œœœœ Œ Œ n # œœœ Œ Œ # œœ # œœœ # œœœ # œœœ œ fl fl fl fl fl ∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

6

79

& &

## ##

# & #

79

œ ˙

name

-

œ ˙

name

˙

œ

p ? # # n # œœœ Œ Œ œ fl

86

& &

## ##

˙.

# & # 93

&

##

œ œ œ

To an ad

œ œ œ

To an ad

˙.

˘ ? # # n # œœœœ Œ Œ

˙

-

-

nœ

#œ œ ˙

the

live - long June

nœ œ ˙

-

mir

˙

mir

Ó

-

-

œ

#œ nœ ˙

live - long June

n # œœœœ fl

˙.

-

-

Œ Œ œ f

n # œœœœ Œ Œ ƒ

¿ Œ Œ

ƒ shoutŒ Œ ¿

n # œœœœ Œ Œ -

n # œœœ Œ Œ -

œ

# n n œœœœ Œ Œ -

œ

n˙.

œ

#œ Œ œ

˘ n # œœœœ Œ Œ

-

∑

name

#˙.

ing

-

Bog!

Bog!

˘ n # œœœœ Œ Œ

name

#œ Œ œ

Œ Œ

∑

monotone speech, nodding head

∑

œ

ing

Œ Œ

˙.

¿ Œ Œ

˙

n # œœœœ Œ Œ -

-

nœ œ ˙

the

name

˙

œ

n # œœœœ Œ Œ fl

Œ Œ

¿

# œ & # #œ Œ

# & #

œ

∑

86

93

˙

n # œœœœ Œ Œ fl

∑

? # # n # œœ Œ Œ œ-

-

˙

¿ Œ Œ

name

-

˙.

-

˙

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

F¿

name monotone speech, nodding head

-

¿

nœ

Œ Œ

name

Œ œ

# n n œœœœ Œ Œ -

n # œœœœ Œ Œ -

∑

∑

∑

∑

¿ Œ Œ

name

nœ Œ œ

-

#œ Œ œ

shout

name

∑ F

n # ˙>˙ .. ˙.

n # œœœœ Œ Œ -

˙˙ .. ˙.

# n n œœœœ Œ Œ -

˙.

˙.

˙.

∑

˙.

˙.

˙.

∑

nœ Œ œ

˘ n # œœœœ Œ Œ

#˙. n˙.

#˙. n˙.

# n # œ˘œœœ Œ Œ

# n # œ˘œœœ Œ Œ

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

œœ˘œœ Œ Œ œœ˘œœ Œ Œ

##

∑

∑

∑

##

∑

∑

∑

##

∑

? ##

∑

100

& &

100

&

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

œ˘œœ œ˘œœ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ ƒ œ˘œœ Œ Œ œ˘œœ Œ Œ œ œ

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

?

∑

p

Œ œ œ

light & dry

œœ Œ Œ œœ Œ Œ œœ Œ Œ Ó

œ

Œ œ œ

Ó

œ

##

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

# & #

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

œœ Œ Œ

œœ Œ Œ

œœ Œ Œ

109

&

? # # œœ Œ Œ

109

? ##

Œ œ œ

# & #

∑

117

# & #

? # # ˙˙˙ ...

∑

117

? ## œ Œ Œ

Ó

œ

Œ œ œ

Ó

∑

˙.

∑

˙˙˙ ...

∑

œ Œ Œ

˙˙˙ ...

F ∑ F

œ Œ Œ

> # ˙˙˙ ...

I'm

˙.

˙.

∑

œ œ˙

˙.

˙.

∑

˙.

˙˙˙ ...

No - bo - dy!

œ Œ Œ

˙˙˙ ...

œ œ˙

No - bo - dy!

I'm

˙˙˙ ...

œ Œ Œ

œ

Œ Œ

˙˙˙ ...

œ Œ Œ

œ

∑

œ

Œ œ

7

œœ Œ Œ Ó

œ

œœ Œ Œ œ

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

Œ œ

œ Œ Œ

œœ Œ Œ Ó

œ

8

125

& &

##

∑

##

∑

∑

? # # œœ Œ Œ ? ##

133

&

Ó

# & #

? # # ˙˙˙ ...

∑

˙˙˙ ...

133

? ## œ Œ Œ

# & # &

##

∑

∑

œ Œ Œ

? ##

œ

œœ Œ Ó

œ.

Œ Œ

Who

point finger at one audience member

˙.

œ

are

œ

are

œœ Œ Œ

point finger at one audience member

˙.

œ

œ

˙

œ

Are

Œ Œ

∑

˙. ˙.

˙˙˙ ...

˙˙˙ ...

∑

œ Œ Œ

œ Œ Œ

œ Œ Œ

you

œ œ˙

˙.

˙.

œ œ œ

No - bo - dy!

˙.

Are

you

œ œ˙

No - bo - dy!

˙.

˙.

˙.

œ Œ Œ

œœ Œ Œ

∑

Œ œ

œ

∑

Œ

Œ

œ

œœ Œ Ó

Ó

œœ Œ Œ

œœ Œ Œ Œ œ œ

œ

˙.

Ó

œ

˙.

Too?

∑

œœ Œ œ

˙˙˙ ...

you?

∑

œ

˙.

ä # ˙˙˙ ...

∑

Œ

˙.

you?

p Ó

˙˙˙ ...

∑ Œ

Œ

∑

∑

? # # œœ Œ

141

˙˙˙ ...

œ Œ Œ

∑

œ

Œ œ œ

œ

∑

141

Who

œœ Œ Œ

∑

∑

œ.

∑

œœ Œ Œ

Œ œ œ

##

∑

∑

125

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

œ œ ˙

Œ œ

˙.

# ˙˙˙ ...

˙˙˙ ...

Too?

œ

Œ

Œ

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

œ

Œ

Œ

9

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

147

&

##

∑

˙.

# & # ˙.

? # # ˙˙˙ ...

˙˙˙ ...

147

? ##

œ Œ Œ

# & # œ Œ œ

∑

∑

∑

˙˙˙ ...

∑

˙˙˙ ...

œ Œ Œ

œ Œ Œ

Œ œ

œ Œ œ

156

œ

∑

˙˙˙ ...

œ Œ Œ

œ Œ œ

la

la

la

la

la

la

œ

Œ œ œ

Ó

œ

Œ œ œ

˙˙˙ ...

œ Œ Œ

la

&

∑

p

la

∑

la

la

f Ó. °

la

∑

la

∑

la

œœ Œ Œ œœ Œ Œ

∑ Œ œ œ

∑

œ œ Œ

œ œ Œ

Œ œ œ

Ó

∑

gaze off into distance, heads tilted

la

Ó #œ

∑

œ Œ Œ

ä œœ Œ Œ & # ˙˙˙ ...

la

156

? ## Ó

∑

œ Œ œ

? # # œœ Œ # œ n œœ Œ Œ œœ Œ Œ œœ Œ Œ la

∑

∑

Unison playful

∑

˙˙˙ ...

˙˙˙ ...

˙˙˙ ...

∑

∑

∑

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

Œ œ œ

œ

∑ ∑

?

f # œœœ Œ Œ fl *