Something Missing for unaccompanied chorus (mixed or treble) and soprano solo
Music & Words by Lee R. Kesselman for the College of DuPage Chamber Singers January 2021
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
NOTES: Something Missing was written in the throes of the corona virus pandemic of 2020-2021. It speaks to the intangible and mysterious nature of Loss. We have learned that public gatherings, rehearsals, concerts, even loved ones can never be taken for granted, but subject to unknowable, unexpected, unforeseen Loss. A reminder to Love more deeply and more presently. Something Missing was designed to be rehearsed in a primitive virtual environment where the choral voices begin each number event randomly. Presumably, one or more choral Leaders would begin each new event as the unsynchronized other voices are nearing the end of their previous event. So, for example, as the choral voices are finishing measures 3-4, a Leader would begin Rehearsal #2. As the chorus is finishing measures 8-9, a Leader would begin Rehearsal #3. There should always be some overlap of events. In on-line rehearsal, no musical events would be fully rhythmically synchronous, creating a fog or blur until Rehearsal #10. It is not even necessary or preferred for all voices to sing in the same tempi, even while they are in the same event. The effect of the electronic latency should be the element of chance or aleatory, taking advantage of the limitations of the technology for artistic effect. If performed in real time and space, the singers should attempt to create the same a synchronous effect by entering each event randomly. If performed in real time and space, measures 65-72 should be sung synchronously, going back to asynchronous singing m.73 to the end. In measures 69-72, the soloist continues in 4/4 time while the chorus has migrated to 12/8 meter. The pulse remains the same in both. This piece can be performed by mixed or treble voices. If treble, the bass voice part can be omitted from m. 65 to the end. If treble, the entire piece can be transposed up a major 2nd, putting the entire piece in d natural minor instead of c natural minor. Something Missing You wake up one morning To find Something important Is missing. Missing. Missing. You have lost it. Lost. Lost it. Lost.
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Something important. Is missing. Lost. Lost it. There is only a space now Where something important Is missing. A negative space. Where something important Is missing. Misplaced Mis-spaced Missing. space Lost Longing Missing. Missing you, missing me, Lost me, lost you, Missing. What it was, where it was, now just a negative space. now Missing. And it seems like Whatever it was Is essential To moving forward, Missing. Lost. Reach out, reach for, reach toward, Missing. Have mercy On us Have mercy On me. Lost. Missing.
Words by LRK 1/7/2021
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
~in memory of those who are missing from our lives~
Score
Something Missing 1
2
for the College of DuPage Chamber Singers for chorus with solo Words & music byLee R. Kesselman
Freely q = 66
3 bb 4 3 4 œ œ b & 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 œœ 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. p You wake up one morn-ing To find some-thing im-port-ant
, j ‰ œ œ œ ˙
b & b b 43 Ó p 3 F b &bb Ó 4
Is
œ
miss - ing.
Miss - ing.
f œ ˙
œ œ
You have
lost
6
7
8
,
œ ˙
sub.
˙
it.
p
Lost.
bb 4 b & 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 43 œ œ ˙ F Some - thing im - port - ant Is miss - ing. 3
5
Π43
unison, but not together
œ œ ˙
,
œ œ ˙
Miss - ing.
Πp
Miss - ing.
f œ œ ˙
sub.
˙
Lost it.
Œ
˙
Lost.
p
4 4
Œ
Lost. rit.
œœ ˙
˙
Missing.
Œ
3 b b œ œ œ œœ œ j 4 œ- œ œ . ‰ 3 œ œ b œ œ œœ ‰ & œ œ œ. œ 4 œ œ œ 4 œ œ J F There is on -ly a space now Where some-thing im-port-ant Is miss - ing. Is miss - ing.
a tempo
b &bb Ó p
bb 2 Π. b & 4 F
3 j ‰œ œ œ œ œ.
A
π 3 j 5 3 Œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ . œj 4 œ œ œ
neg - a - tive space. Where
j 43 ˙ œ
Mis
-
placed
some - thing im - port - ant
‰ œj ˙ P Mis - spaced
Πp
Is
miss - ing.
44 ˙
Miss
-
˙
42
"
ing.
(Wait to go ahead until all voices have completed previous measure.)
cresc. P bb . ‰ œ. ‰ ˙ Œ 4 5 3 œ œ . b Œ Œ Œ œ ‰ œ & œ. œ. œ œ œ œ 4 œ 4 œ œ œ œ œ 4 più mosso
Space, lost, Long-ing,
Miss-ing. Miss-ing. Miss-ing
you, Miss - ing me,
Lost
me,
2021 by Lee R. Kesselman This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit©MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
lost you,
2
Something Missing
P
cresc. dim. œ œ bb b 4 œ œ œ œ Œ œ Œ œ Œ ˙ & 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
39
Miss-ing, miss-ing, miss-ing, miss-ing, miss - ing, miss - ing, miss - ing. Miss - ing. Miss - ing.
9
bb 3 Ó b & 4 p
Œ
œ œ œ
What it
b & b b 43 ˙
48
œ œ œ
was,
where it
ne - ga - tive space.
now
dim. bb b œ œ œ & œ œ œ Œ
where it
was,
Miss - ing, miss - ing, miss - ing, miss - ing,
œ œ
miss - ing, miss - ing, miss - ing.
Œ
Miss - ing.
œ œ
Œ
Miss - ing.
˙
f
Miss
-
P And it
bb 3 U b & 4 ˙. π ? b b 43 ∑ b
F bb 2 Œ œ œ b & 4
59
for - ward,
b & b b 42 œ Œ ? b b 42 b
Lost.
∑
seemslike What-ev-er it was
44 w 44
∑
. 43 ˙
is es-sen - tial
w
42 ∑
To
3 4
∑ 11
43
43
∑
mov-ing for-ward,
∑ ∑
∑
˙
ing.
solo 3 - œ- œ- œ- œ ˙ . bb b 3 UÓ 4 œ œ œ 3 œ œ Œ & 4 œ œ 4 œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ - - 4
10 Tempo primo
S
was,
43
cresc.
51
S
what it
2 Œ 4 œ œ œ
j œ 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ.
just a
Œ
œ œ œ
was,
3
now
Œ
Miss - ing.
43
43 42
2 Œ 4 œ œ œ
Miss - ing.
∑
2 4
∑
45
œ- œ œ ‰ 45 œ- . ‰ 43 œ œ œ Œ 42 œ Œ 43 œ- . ‰ J œ œ œ cresc.
43
Mis - ing.
∑
Lost.
42 ∑
43
Reach out,
∑
reach for,
∑
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
reach toward,
∑
45
Something Missing
q = q. bb b 5 Œ j 12 Œ ‰ & 4 œ œ œ œ œ 8 p Miss - ing. Have ? b b 45 Œ œ œœ Œ ‰ œœ 12 J 8 b
65
if sung by treble voices, omit B part
Miss - ing.
b &bb
b & b b œœ .. œ œ mer - cy . ? b b œœ . œœ b b & b b .. œ .
71
S
mer - cy 3 times
mer
bb . b & . œœ ..
cy
mer
-
œœ
cy
mer
-
cy
œœ
Have
on cresc.
j œœ on j œœ J
b & b b 44 œww Œ ? b b 44 w b
mer - cy
Œ
œœ ..
œœ. .
me.
cresc. on me.
Miss - ing.
Have
Œ
Have
mer
Have
mer
45
dim. al fine
œ œ
on me.
j .. fœ . œœ œ. Have mer j œœ .. Œ œ .. œ. f
me.
bb b 4 meno mosso ∑ & 4
Lost.
Have
mer - cy on me. cresc.
Have
Œ . ‰ . œ . .. œ . œ . œ . œ . ‰ . œ . .. J J
f œ. œ. œ. œ. ‰. œ. . œ. J .
on me.
Œ œj œ Have Œ œj œ.
Have mer - cy on me. 2 times cresc.
j j j j œœ œœ .. Œ œœ œœ .. œœ œœ œœ .. Œ œœ .. œœ .. - cy on me. on me. Have mer j mer j j œœ Œ Have j . œ œœ . œœ œœ œœ. . Œ œ œœ .. œœ . . .. œ. œ. J J
73
S
On us,
Have
-
. ? b b .. œœ . b
mer - cy
Ó.
∑
68
S
Have
j j œœ .. œœ œœ œœ .. Œ œœj œœ .. œœ œœ œœ .. mer - cy On us, Have mer - cy on me. j . œœ . œœ œœ œ . œœ œœ .. œœ œœ œœ. . Œ J J J
3
mer - cy
54 w
Lost.
œ
cresc. on me.
œ. œ. œ. œ. œ.
-
cy
-
œœ
cy
-
cy
œœ
∑
45 œww Œ œ
j j œœ œœ œœ .. Œ œœ .. cy on me. j j œœ Œ Have œ . . œœ œœ .. œ. J
Miss - ing.
Œ Œ
on
Have
44
me.
j œœ ˙˙ .. on me. j œœ ˙ . J on
U
œ
44 44
me.
∑ Œ
Lost.
Duration: 4-5 minutes
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
U U
œ
œ
Œ
Miss - ing.
∑
Glen Ellyn, IL