Sundial for unaccompanied double SATB choir
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Leah Tracy
PerformanceNotes:
“Sundial”isamusicalmeditationonthepassingoftime.Thestructureofthispieceisintendedtomimicthe passingofhoursinaday,from6:00AMto6:00PM,sunrisetosunset.Eachhourisassignedamusicalmotive,and thetwochoirstaketurnsintroducingthesemotives.Thepiecemovesthrougheachkeyareainthecircleoffifths, toimitatethecyclicalnatureofourlives.ThetextforthispieceisacollectionofLatinmottoswhichwere engravedonsundials.Thepracticeofengravingmottosintosundialsbeganinaroundthe16thcenturyand invitespassersbytoreflectonthepassingoftimeandthebrevityoflife.
Latin motto
Tempus fugit velut umbra
Utere non reditura
Tempus vicit omnia
Tempus breve est
Sol omnibus lucet
Dum tempus habemus operemur bonum
Vita fugit sicut umbra
Boxed musical ideas with solid arrows:
Repeatthemotiveinrhythmuntilindicatedtostop.Pleasefollow dynamicsaswrittento“fadein”and“fadeout”themotive.
Pleasenote:whentwomotivesarebeingsungatthesametimeby thetwochoirs,eachchoirshouldnotlineuprhythmically,aseach choirwouldbesingingatdifferenttempi. The only exception to this is when the choirs both have the text “Dum tempus habemus operemur bonum” when the choirs should share the beat,althoughitisrecommendedthatthechoirs’entrancesshould stillbestaggered(forexample,havingChoir2twobeatsafterthe startofChoir1’smotive.)
Notetotheconductor:
English translation
Timefleeslikeashadow
Usethehour,itwillnotcomeagain
Timeconquerseverything
Timeisshort
Thesunshinesforeveryone
Whilewehavetime,letusdogood
Lifepasseslikeashadow
Boxed directions with dashed arrows under the staff:
“inrhythm”to“staggered”indicatesthateachsingershould graduallystrayfurtherfromtheindicatedtempoandrhythm, staggeringre-entranceswiththesingersaroundthemtoallowthe motiveto“unravel”intoastaggeredtexture.
“staggered”to“Oo”(foundinChoir1attheendofthepiece) indicatesthat,onebyone,eachsingershouldstopsingingthetext andstartsingingtheirpitchonan“Oo”
Thesuggestedtimeindicatorsfoundabovethestaffinthispiecearejustthat:suggested.Ifyouwouldlikethepiecetolast between4’30”and5’,thesetimeindicatorswillgiveyouagoodframeworkastohowlongeachsectionshouldbe.However, thispieceisintendedtobeameditationandcanlastforaslongastheconductorchooses.Pleasefeelfreetoadjustthelength ofsectionshoweveryouseefit.
Notetothesingers:
Findingyourentrancepitchesforeachmotivemaybetrickyasyou’relearningthepiece.Sinceeachmotivemovestothenext keyinthecircleoffifths,youmaychoosethefollowingmethodtofindyournextentrancepitch:1.)Hearthekeyofthe previousmotive;2.)Find“SOL”ofthepreviouskey;thatpitchis“DO”inthenewkey;and3.)Askyourselfhowyourentrance pitchrelatesto“DO”inthenewkey;(isit“MI”or“SOL”oreven“RE”?)
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
° ¢ ° ¢ ° ¢ Choir1 Choir2 q=72 q=50 Tem ppp -pusfugit - velut - umbrap U ppp -tere - nonredi - -tu-ra p 1 2 q=72 o Tem ppp -pusvi-cit om-ni-a mp o 1 2 q=84 o Tem ppp -pus bre-ve est mp Tem ppp -pus bre-ve est mp & U ∑ 8" U ∑ 8" 4" ∑ U forunaccompanieddoubleSATBchoir LeahTracy Sundial ? ì ì & U ∑ U ∑ ∑ U ? U ∑ ì ì & 6" ∑ U 3" ∑ U U ∑ 8" 5" ∑ U 5" ∑ U 3" ∑ U ? ∑ U ì ì & ∑ U ∑ U U ∑ ∑ U ∑ U ∑ U ? ∑ U & U ∑ 6" 5" ∑ U 4" ∑ U 3" ∑ U ? ∑ U & ì ì ? ì ì œ œjœœœœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ œ #œ™ ™ œ œ J œ œ œ œ œ #œ™ ™ œ œ J ˙ ˙ #œ œ œ œ #w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w w This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
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2 Sol ppp om ni - -bus lu cetmf q=100 Sol ppp om ni - -bus lu cetmf o o 1 2 o q=60 o Dum ppp tempus - ha-bemus - ope - -remur - bonumf Dum ppp tempus - ha-bemus - ope - -remur - bonumf 1 2 Dum ppp tempus - ha-bemus - o-pere - -mur bo-num f q=60 Dum ppp tempus - ha-bemus - o-pere - -mur bo-num f o o & ì ì ì 7" 4" 4" 3" ? ì ì ì & ∑ U ? ∑ U & 12" 5" 4" 3" ∑ U ? ∑ U & ì ì ì ? ì ì ì & ì ì ì 12" 6" 5" 3" ? ì ì ì & ∑ U ? ∑ U ##ww ##œœ™ œœ j˙˙ ##˙˙ ˙˙ w w œ œ™ ™ œ œ J ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ##˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ##œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ##œ˙ ˙ ™ ˙ ˙ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # ˙ ˙™ ˙ b˙ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ b ˙ ˙ ™ ˙ bb˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bbœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bbœ ˙ ˙ ™ 2 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
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o q=60 o
tempus
ha
ff Dum
tempus - ha-bemus
ope
-remur
ff
Dum pp
-
-bemus - ope - -remur - bonum -
pp
-
-
- bonum -
2 Sol pp om ni - -bus lu cetf q=100 Sol pp om ni - -bus lu cetf o o
o q=84 o Tem pp -pus bre-ve est f Tem pp -pus bre-ve est f & 12" 6" 5" 3" ∑ U ? ∑ U & ì ì ì ? ì ì ì & ì ì ì 7" inrhythm 5" 4" staggered 3" ? ì ì ì inrhythm staggered & ∑ U ? ∑ U & 8" 5" 4" 3" ∑ U ? ∑ U & ì ì inrhythm staggered ? ì ì inrhythm staggered ˙ b˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ ˙ ˙™ ˙ ˙bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œbb ˙ ˙™ w bw œ bœ™ œ œj ˙ ˙ ˙ b˙ ˙ ˙ w bbw œ bbœ™ ™ œ œj ˙ ˙ ˙ bb˙ ˙ ˙ œœ œœ œœ œœ ww œ œbb œ œ œ œ œ œ w wbb 3 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
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2 Tem ppp pus - vi cit - om ni - -a mf q=72 Tem ppp pus - vi cit - om ni - -a mf o o 1 2 o q=50 o U ppp -te-re non redi - -tu-ra mp U ppp -te-re non redi - -tu-ra mp 1 2 Vi ppp -tafu-git si-cutumbra6" p Oo pp q=72 Vi ppp -tafu-git si-cutumbrap Oo pp o Oo o p pp o Oo o p pp & ì ì 7" inrhythm 4" staggered 4" 3" ? ì ì inrhythm staggered & ∑ U ? ∑ U & 8" 4" 4" 3" ∑ U ? ∑ U & ì ì inrhythm staggered ? ì ì inrhythm staggered & ì ì inrhythm 6" 3" staggered 5" 5" 5" U ? ì ì inrhythm staggered U & ∑ UU U U ? ∑ UU U U œ œ™ œ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œj ˙ ˙ œ bœ™ ™ œ œ J œ œ œ œ œ bœ™ ™ œ œ J ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ™ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ™ œœ™ ™œœ jœœœœ œœœœœœœœ ww œ œ ™ œ œ J œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w w w w w w w w w w w w w w 4 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
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