Monument | Forrest Pierce | MusicSpoke

M O N U M E N T SSSAATTBBB

2001 3.5 minutes

FORREST PIERCE TEXT BY WILLIAM STAFFORD

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

At The Un-National Monument Along The Canadian Border This is the field where the battle did not happen, where the unknown soldier did not die.

This is the field where grass joined hands, where no monument stands, and the only heroic thing is the sky.

Birds fly here without any sound, unfolding their wings across the open.

No people killed—or were killed—on this ground hallowed by neglect and an air so tame that people celebrate it by forgetting its name.

—William Stafford from "The Darkness Around Us is Deep" New York: HarperCollins. 1993 Used with the permission of the estate of the author.

t for ordering information, contact info@forrestpierce.com

t Text notation: The poem is set across multiple registers as a continuous line: at all times the intelligibility of the text should govern diction and pronunciation of individual syllables. Elision consonants have been provided, along with the original text at the bottom of the page.

Forrest Pierce, aficionado of open sky, composes music steeped in religious mysticism and contemporary virtuosity. Sincere, often triadic, and blatantly tuneful, it draws on both non-western and rock-era traditions to depict an authentic world of sacred unity and natural beauty. His works have been performed in sacred and concert settings around the world, on noteworthy concert series and by diverse ensembles such as the BBC Singers, Brave New Works, the Chamber Players of the Society of New Music/ISCM, the BMOP chamber series, DuoSolo, the Chamber Orchestras of Portland and Kansas City, Khorikos, the Indianapolis and Walla Walla Symphonies, Volti, the Concord Ensemble, Octarium, the Seattle New Music Ensemble, the Latvian Radio Choir, the Oregon and Northwest Repertory Singers, the Boston Choral Ensemble, the Dublin and Canadian International Organ Competitions, Songfest, and by numerous distinguished soloists in North America and abroad.

Pierce is the past resident composer of the Seattle New Music Ensemble and was the founding artistic director of Portland's Friends of Rain Contemporary Ensemble. His catalog is led by over 50 works for voices, including operatic, choral, and solo vocal forces. He has been the winner of the 2012 Barlow Prize in Composition, the Robert Avalon International Composition competition, was named a winner of the 2012 Ortus International competition, was first prize recipient of the Boston Choral Ensemble and Boston Chamber Singers choral competitions, and teaches on the vividly convivial faculty of the Cortona Sessions for New Music. He is Associate Professor of Composition at the University of Kansas.

t

Key: a(ny) = sing the vowel of the word "any". Omit the consonants. l•did = precede the word "did" with the closing "l" of the previous word. [m] = close to final consonant.

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

M O N U M E N T text from William Stafford: "At the Un-national Monument Along the Canadian Border" used with permission of the estate of the author.

Soprano 1

Soprano 2

Soprano 3

Alto 1

©»∞™

& 44 Ó

Œ

& 44 Ó

Œ

& 44 Ó

Tenor 1

π 4 &4 ˙ This π 4 V4 ˙

This

Tenor 2

Baritone

Bass

Reh.

π #œ ˙

field

π œ ˙

field

Œ

field

Œ ‰ œ J

œ Œ

Œ œ ˙

Ó

Œ ‰ # œj œ Œ

Œ #œ ˙

Ó

Œ ‰ œj œ Œ

Œ œ ˙

Ó

tle

V 44 Ó ? 44 Ó ? 44 Ó

z•the

p ‰ jŒ œ

p ‰ œj Œ z•the

p j œ ‰ Œ z•the

s•is

p œ ‰ Œ J

s•is

p œ ‰ Œ J

s•is

& 44 ˙˙ ˙ π œ ? 44 œœ

œœœ # œœœ p

Ó

pen

tle

d•where bat

Ó

pen

tle

sempre cantabile e legato π p 4 j j & 4 ˙ ‰ œj Œ Ó œ‰œ ‰ This

Alto 2

π œ ˙

lonely, windswept

F. PIERCE, 2001

j‰ j ‰ œ œ

d•where bat

j j œ‰œ ‰

d•where bat

pen

F 34 œ . œj œ 44 F 34 # œ . j 4 nœ œ 4 un - known

F 34 4 œ . œj œ 4 un - known

un - known

Œ œj ‰ œ Œ

Ó

Œ œ

Œ j‰ Œ œ œ

Ó

Œ

Ó

Œ œ

l•did hap

l•did hap

Œ œj ‰ œ Œ l•did hap

where the

œ

where

Ó

Œ ‰ œj Ó

Ó

‰ œJ Œ

Œ ‰ œJ Ó

∑

Ó

‰œŒ J

Œ ‰ œÓ J

∑

˙˙˙

œœœ œœœ # œœœ œœœ

œœœ œ œœ

r•the

r•the

not

not

not

œœœ

œœœ # œœœ ˙˙˙

∑

Œ œ œœ ∑

un - known

F 34 j œ œ. œ œ the un - known F 3 œ 4 œ . œJ œ

where the

‰ œjŒ r•the

F 34 j 4 œ œ. œ œ 4

44 44

F 34 œ . œ œ 44 J un - known

F 34 œ . # œJ œ 44 un - known

un - known

F 34 œ . œ œ 44 J un - known

3 œœœ 4 43

# œœœœ ....

F œœœ ...

j œœœ # œœœ J

œœœ 44 œœœ 4 4

This is the field where the battle did not happen, where the unknown

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

3

6 S1

p j π 4 j ‰ & 4 œ œ œ. œ œ ˙ p π 4 j j ‰ & 4 œ œ œ. œ œ ˙ sol - dier did

S2

sol - dier did

S3

A1

Reh.

did

not

did

not

p ? 44 œ œJ ‰ œ . œ J sol - dier

6

not

p ? 44 b œ b œJ ‰ œ . œJ sol - dier

B

not

p .

4 œ V 4 œ J ‰ œ œJ sol - dier

Bar.

n

die

π

œ ˙

n

98 Ó

Œ

Œ

98 Ó

Œ

Œ

98 Ó

Œ

98 ˙

‰ œj Œ

98 ˙

‰

π (non dim.) œ ˙. die

die.

p π j 4 V 4 b œ b œJ ‰ œ . œ œ n ˙ . sol - dier

T2

die

& 44 œœ œœj ‰ p œ b b œ ? 44 œ œœJ ‰

did

not

die.

π œ ˙

die.

π œ n˙

die

π œ ˙

die

did

not

die

œœ .. œœ ..

j œœ œœœ J

œœ ˙˙ .. π œœœ n ˙ .

π

Œ

p π (non dim.)

4 j ‰ & 4 œ œ œ . œj œ ˙ . sol - dier did

T1

not

p 4 j & 4 œ j‰ bœ œ. œ sol - dier did not p 4 & 4 œ œj ‰ œ . œj sol - dier did

A2

not

n

This

This

Œ

98 Ó

n

98 Ó

n

Œ

n

Œ

44 Œ

œ

‰

44 Œ

œ

‰

44 Œ

field

π

field

π

field

π π

hands

where no

œ œ 43

˙

hands

where no

3 œ œ 4

˙

hands

where no

Ó

43

j 44 ‰ r ≈ Œ œ œ

Ó

r j œ 44 ‰ œ ≈ Œ

43

Ó

43

j œ ‰ Œ.

44 œr ≈ ‰ Œ

Ó

43

œ ‰ Œ.

J

44 œ ≈ ‰ Œ R

Ó

43

Ó

43

d•where

jŒ œ

z•the

‰ œj Œ z•the

d•where

d•where

s•is

π j 98 Ó œ ‰ Œ. s•is

s•is

98 ˙˙˙ 98

œ œ 43

˙

j 44 ‰ r ≈ Œ œ œ

z•the

This

98 ˙

‰

œ

œœœ

œ œœœ œœ

joined

joined

joined

grass

grass

44 œr ≈ ‰ Œ grass

r ˙ j 4 œœœ œœœ 43 œœœ 4 ‰ œœœ ≈ ˙˙ 44 œœœ ≈ ‰ Œ Ó 43 R

soldier did not die. This is the field where grass joined hands, where no

4

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10 S1

S2

S3

A1

& 43 Œ

œ stands

& 43 Œ

œ

Œ

œ

Œ

stands

& 43 Œ

stands

3 & 43 œ ‰ œ Œ

mon ment

A2

T1

& 43 œ ‰3 œ Œ

3 j 3 ‰ V4 œ ‰ Œ

n•u

Bar.

? 43 ‰ œ3 ‰ Œ J n•u

B

3 ? 43 ‰ œj ‰ Œ

n•u

10

Reh.

œ œ

z•and the

p œ œ œ p œ #œ nœ

on - ly

he

p œ œ œ

on - ly

on - ly

he

he

p œ œ œ p

on - ly

he

44 œ œ ˙

-

ro - ic thing

44 œ œ ˙

-

ro - ic thing

44 œ bœ ˙

-

ro - ic

ro - ic

is the

œ œ

is the

˙.

sky

˙.

sky

˙.

thing

œ œ

is the

sky

thing

œ œ

w

44 œ œ ˙

-

œ œ

44 œ œ ˙

is the

Œ

∑

43

Œ

∑

43

Œ

∑

43

˙.

sky

œ œ œ bœ œ w mon ment z•and the on - ly he ro - ic thing is the sky p 3 3 V 4 œ ‰ œ Œ œ œ b œ œ n œ 44 œ b œ ˙ œ b œ n w mon ment

T2

Œ

3 & 43 œœ œœ œœœ œ œ ? 43 œœœ

œ œ

z•and the

Œ Œ Œ œœœ œœœ

p œ œ œ

on - ly

he

p œ œ #œ

on - ly

he

p œ œ œ

on - ly

on - ly

œœœ œ p b œœœ œ

he

he

# œœœ œœœ œœœ # n œœ œ œ

-

ro - ic

thing

44 œ œ ˙

-

44 b œ b œ ˙ 44 œ œ ˙

œ œ

-

thing

œ œ

is the

-

ro - ic

is the

ro - ic thing

ro - ic thing

44 œ œ œœ ˙˙ 44 b œœœ b œœ ˙˙

is the

œœ œœ

œœ œœœ

˙. sky

sky

˙.

sky

www

F

43

œ F œ 43

birds

˙.

œ œ n˙.

is the

birds

˙.

sky

F 3 4 œ

birds

Œ

∑

43

Œ

∑

43

Œ

∑

43

∑

˙˙˙ ...

∑

monument stands, and the only heroic thing is the sky. Birds

5

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œœœ

43 43

15 S1

S2

S3

A1

F ‰ œJ Jœ ‰

& 43 Œ

(h)ere

F ‰ bœ œ ‰ J J

& 43 Œ

F ‰ œj œj ‰ (h)ere

& 43 Œ

(h)ere

A2

‰.

j j ≈ ‰ j 3 ‰ œ œ. œ V4 (fl)y he(re)

T2

r•with

F 3 V 4 œj. ≈ Ó

r•with

ds•flah

Bar.

F ? 43 œ . ≈ Ó J ds•flah

B

F ? 43 b œj. ≈ Ó ds•flah

15

Reh.

& 43

? 43 b œœœ

œ œ œœœ œœœ b œœ œœ œœœ

P ‰ 44 œ œ œ

j 3 p œ. œ 4 œ.

p j 43 nœ. œ œ.

fold-ing their wings

P , 4 œ. ‰ 4 œ œ œ

sound

fold-ing their wings

‰.

p P 4 rŒ ‰ j 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ. (a)ny un - fold-ing their wings p P r j œ Œ ‰ œ 44 œ b œ œ n œ .

œ

œ ≈ Ó

œ

œ ≈ Ó

bœ

œ ≈ Ó

(a)ny

un

-

(a)ny

un

P 44 œ œ œ

b œœœ

a

-

-

cross the o - pen

Œ œ œ œ

cross the o - pen

P 44 b œ œ œ

a(ny)

œœœ

p 3 j Œ œ 4 œ. œ œ œ a - cross the o - pen p œ 43 b œ . b œ œ œ Œ J a

-

cross the o - pen

p 3 œ. œ 4 œ.

J

the o - pen

p 3 œ œ. œ 4 .

J

the o - pen

fold-ing their wings

a

-

cross

œ œ œŒ

p #œ. œ 3 bœ. bœ œ œ Œ J 4

fold-ing their wings

th•out a(ny)

œœœ ... b œœœ

-

fold-ing their wings

P 44 œ œ œ

th•out a(ny)

th•out

a

œ œ œŒ

p j 43 Œ œ. œ . œ bœ œ œ sound fold-ing their wings a - cross the o - pen p p P 34 r Œ ‰ j 44 j œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ Œ

Œ

& 43 ‰ œj œj. ≈ ‰ œj

r•with

,

P , 4 bœ. ‰ 4 bœ œ #œ

sound

Œ

‰.

(fl)y he(re)

T1

Œ

& 43 ‰ œj œj. ≈ ‰ œj (fl)y he(re)

œ.

a

-

fold-ing their wings

a

fold-ing their wings

a

-

j œœœ œœœ J

43 œœ .. œœ p.

34 b œœœ .. b œœ

j 4 œ œ œœœ 4 b œœœœ œœœ P 44 b œœœœ b œœœœ

# œœœ

œœœ ... œœœ # n œœ .. œ œ.

-

cross the o - pen

cross

œ œ œŒ

cross the o - pen

œœ œœ

œœ Œ œœœ Œ

fly here without any sound, unfolding their wings across the open.

6

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19 S1

S2

p

&Œ ˙ no p &Œ ˙ p

no

S3

A1

&Œ ˙ no p &Œ ˙

p

no

A2

T1

&Œ

˙ no p Œ V ˙ no

T2

Bar.

B

19

Reh.

VŒ Œ Œ ?Œ Œ Œ ?Œ Œ Œ & Œ ˙˙ ˙ p ?

œ

œ

peo - ple

œ

œ œ

Œ ‰ j œ œ

peo - ple

œ œ

œ

Œ ‰ j œ œ

‰ œJ p ‰ œJ

œ. œ.

œ.

ple killed

œ.

ple killed

œœœ œœœ

œ œ œ

or were killed on this

ple killed

p œ ‰ J

œ œ œ

or were killed on this

ple killed

p œ ‰ J

œ œ œ

œœœ ...

œ Œ J

or

œ Œ J

or

œ J Œ

or

œ Œ J

or

j œœœ œœœ

œ

œ œ

killed on this

œ

œ œ

killed on this

œ

œ œ

killed on this

œ

œ œ

killed on this

œœœ

f

ground

œ œ œ #˙

or were killed on this

œ

peo - ple

˙

or were killed on this ground

Œ ‰ j œ œ

peo - ple

œ œ œ

or were killed on this

Œ ‰ œj œ

peo - ple

œ

Œ ‰ œj œ

f

˙

f f

ground

˙

f

Œ

44 ˙

œ‰ J

Œ

44 ˙

œ‰ J

44 b ˙ œ

œ‰ J

glect

glect

œ ‰ hal

f

f

ground

˙

f

ground

˙

f

ground

˙

ground

glect

44 Ó œ

œ ‰ J

n•air

œ ‰ J

n•air

ne

‰ œ œ ‰ œj

œ ‰

ne

and an r•so

ground hal

˙

-

n•air

œ ‰

ground hal

˙

ne

œ ‰ J

œ ‰ hal

≈

and an r•so

44 Ó ‰ ‰ j œ œ œ œ œ 44 Ó

ne

≈ 44 œ œ

lowed by

‰ œ œ ‰ œj

and an r•so

∑

≈ b œ œ ≈ 44

∑

44 ≈ œ

∑

lowed by

≈ œ

lowed by

œœœ œœœ # ˙˙˙ œœœ œœœ f œœœ œœœ ˙˙˙ b œœœ œœœ

44 b ˙˙˙ 44

œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ ∑

no people killed or were killed on this ground, hallowed by neglect and an air so 7

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24 S1

S2

S3

A1

&

∑

&

∑

&

∑

&œ Ó

A2

&œ Ó

T1

Vœ Ó

T2

VŒ ˙

tame

Bar.

Reh.

p

p

that

œ that p œ Œ

Œ

˙˙

˙˙

peo - ple

˙

˙

˙

˙

ce

˙

˙

peo - ple

peo - ple

peo - ple

peo - ple

˙

b˙

p

peo - ple

˙

ce

˙

ce

-

leb

˙

leb

˙

leb

-

˙

leb

˙

-

b˙

ce

-

˙

ce

˙

˙

b˙

˙

˙˙

˙˙

b ˙˙

b ˙˙˙˙˙ ˙ ˙ b ˙˙˙˙

˙˙˙ ˙˙ b ˙˙˙ ˙˙

b ˙˙˙˙ ˙ ˙ b ˙˙˙

peo - ple

-

˙˙

-

˙

peo - ple

œœœ p

ce

˙

peo - ple

p

b ˙˙

b˙

p

that

?Œ ˙ & œœ œ ? b ˙˙ ˙

p

œ

Œ

tame

24

p

? Œ b˙

tame

B

p

˙

ce

˙

ce

ce

-

leb

b˙

leb

˙

leb

-

-

leb

˙˙

leb

˙

˙

˙

rate

it

by

for

#˙

˙

N˙

by

for

˙

˙

˙

œ œ.

œ.

-

get - ting

its

-

œ œ.

get - ting

œ.

its

-

œ œ.

get - ting

œ.

its

-

œ œ.

get - ting

œ.

its

œ.

-

rate

it

-

˙

rate

˙

it

by

for

-

˙

rate

˙

it

˙

by

˙

for

-

˙

#˙

it

b˙

by

b˙

for

-

bœ bœ.

get - ting

its

for

-

get - ting

its

œ œ.

œ.

-

-

b˙ -

n˙

-

-

˙˙˙ ˙ b b ˙˙˙˙

rate

˙

˙

N˙

it

by

˙

˙

˙

rate

rate

it

b˙ ˙

bœ bœ.

œ.

by

for

-

get - ting

its

˙

œ œ.

œ.

˙

N˙

˙

rate

it

by

-

get - ting

its

˙

˙

˙

for

it

by

for

-

get - ting

its

˙˙˙ # ˙˙˙

˙˙ b ˙˙˙

˙˙ b ˙˙

œœ .. b œœœ ...

œœ .. œœ ..

rate

# ˙˙˙ ˙˙˙ ˙

˙

tame that people celebrate it by forgetting its 8

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œ œ.

œœ b œœ

œ.

30 S1

∏ & ˙.

n

na(me)*

S2

∏ & ˙.

n

na(me)*

S3

∏ & ˙.

n

na(me)*

A1

∏ &w

Œ Œ Œ

&

∏

w ∏ Vw

T1

∏ Vw ∏ ? ˙.

∏ ? ˙.

na(me)*

B

na(me)*

30

Reh.

&w ∏ ?w

n

Œ

n

Œ

∏ w

*parenthetical letters silent

w w w

w

w

w

∑

∑

(n)a(me)

ww w

w w

w b ww

w w

name.

9

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˙

U

˙

(n)ame [m]

˙

U

˙

(n)ame [m]

˙ ∑

bw

˙

˙

w

U

(n)ame [m]

˙

w

(n)a(me)

˙

˙

w

w

∑

(n)a(me)

ww w

(n)a(me)

w

w

∑

w

w

(n)a(me)

∑

(n)a(me)

w

∏

b www

w

∑

(n)a(me)

w

na(me)*

Bar.

∏ bw

∑

(n)a(me)

∑

(n)a(me)

w

name

T2

(n)a(me)

w

name

w

∑

∏ bw

w

name

A2

∏ w

˙

U

˙

[m]

U

˙

[m]

U

˙

[m]

U

˙

[m]

U

˙

(n)ame [m]

˙

U

˙

(n)ame [m]

˙ ˙˙ ˙

U

˙ ˙˙ ˙