Keane Southard
The Wayfaring Stranger for
Solo Female Voice and
a cappella SSAA Choir
(2020) (Duration: c. 5 min.)
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Program Notes: This setting of the American folk song The Wayfaring Stranger was composed over the course of a week in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. A few nights after seeing the film “1917” during which a British soldier sings this song to his fellow soldiers before heading into a battle, I had a dream where I was singing the song in a choir, creating this rhythmic, hocketed and hummed accompaniment, reminiscent of African-American work songs, for a soloist who sang the words. I woke up and was intent on recreating this effect by completing a setting of this song. This setting is also inspired by Percy Grainger’s setting of the English folk song “Brigg Fair” for solo high male voice and mixed chorus, particularly in his use of making the choir hum as an accompanist for the soloist singing the words. Keane Southard 2020
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Performance instructions: 1. On the 2nd and 3rd verses (but not the 1st!), the soloist may add some tasteful ornamentation of the melody, including slightly altering the prosody, if desired. Several ornaments are already written in the notation for these verses and they should be generally followed, but some may be altered or added to but this shouldn’t be overdone. The first verse should be performed as notated, which is the melody in its simplest form without ornamentation. 2. For the 1st verse and the ending, the choir is asked to hum and breathe in rhythm while keeping the mouth closed. This includes an audible inhale lasting a quarter-note before each hummed quarter-note pitch. Each hummed pitch begins with an accented “H” sound. For the other two verses, rhythmic and audible breaths are not necessary and normal breaths should be taken as necessary to maintain a legato texture.
Keane Southard/Spindrift Pages Email: keane.southard@hotmail.com Website: keanesouthard.instantencore.com
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
The Wayfaring Stranger Keane Southard Solo Female Voice
q = 52
mp espress.
I am a
poor
way far - ing stran - ger
a trav - 'lin'
SOPRANO 1
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
SOPRANO 2
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
p closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note
ALTO 1
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Piano Reduction (rehearsal only)
6
Solo
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
mp
A1
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
sick
Hmm
-
ness, toil or
p
Hmm
p
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
dan ger
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
world
Hmm
to which I
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
go.
I'm go - in'
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
in that fair
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
p
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Pno.
p
mp
A2
Hmm
Hmm
mp
Hmm
Yet there's no
mp
S2
Hmm
woe,
S1
q = 52
Hmm
Hmm
p closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note
ALTO 2
this world of
p closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note
through
p closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note
©2020 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
A
2
Solo
there
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
A1
mf
Hmm
A2
Hmm
A
-
in' o - ver
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
pp
B
(audible Hmm breath)
pp
mp
f
(audible Hmm breath)
pp
(audible Hmm breath)
mp
(audible Hmm breath)
Hmm
will gath - er
mf
Hmm p Opened mouth, breathe as needed
Hmm
mp
Hmm
clouds
end audible nose breaths on rests
Hmm
Hmm
mp
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
I know dark
pp
Hmm
Hmm
I'm on - ly
Hmm
Hmm
p
Hmm
mf espress.
Hmm
Hmm
p
Hmm
A tempo
home.
A tempo
in' o- ver Jor dan,
p
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
poco rit.
Hmm
-
p
Hmm
Hmm
go
Oo
still hummed, breathe as needed f
p
mm ... still hummed, breathe as needed f
p
...
B
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Hmm
Hmm
(q = 40)
rit.
Hmm
Hmm
Pno.
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
A2
Hmm
A1
Hmm
I'm on- ly
Hmm
Hmm
(q = 40) A tempo pp
Solo
S2
rit. 17
S1
Hmm
Hmm
go
no more to roam,
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Pno.
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
mf
there
A tempo
mp
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
I'm go - in'
mf
S2
to see my fa - ther,
mf
S1
poco rit.
mf
11
22
Solo
3
3
'round me,
I know my
S1
way
is rough and
Hmm
S2
steep,
Yet gold - en
Hmm
fields
Hmm
lie there be
Hmm
...
mf
A1
mf
A2
Pno.
mf
p
p
mf
p
p
q = 46
poco rit.
C Solo 26
fore
me,
S1
S2
Where wea - ry
eyes
no more will
Hmm
Hmm
I'm go - in'
there
ff
Pno.
I'm
go - in'
I'm
q = 46
ff
gradually open mouth to bright, ah, forward "ah" (a la "sacred harp") poco rit.
C
gradually open mouth to bright, ah, forward "ah" (a la "sacred harp")
to see my
I'm go - in' there
ff
p
gradually open mouth to bright, ah, forward "ah" (a la "sacred harp") p ff
mf
A2
Hmm (ah) gradually open mouth to bright, forward "ah" (a la "sacred harp")
mf A1
weep.
ff
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I'm
go - in'
go - in'
4
3
30
Solo
moth - er,
S1
She said she'd
S2
there
there
A2
my moth - er
see
there
to see
my
my moth
-
moth
-
Solo Jor - dan,
S1
I'm on - ly
go
Hmm
S2
-
she'd
-
said
me
p breathe as needed
Hmm Oo ... fp hummed, breathe as needed p
she'd
in' o - ver
Hmm
meet
meet
me
said
she'd
Hmm
mm
p
me
Hmm
molto rit.
...
accel.
mm
Slowly
3
meet 3
A tempo
...
A tempo
(q = 46)
in' o - ver home.
p
Hmm
Hmm
She
mp
A1
Hmm
me
said
er
-
go
fp hummed, breathe as needed p
3 3
I'm on - ly
fp hummed as before mp
She
poco rit. 34
A tempo (q = 46)
fp hummed
She
er
see
there,
Pno.
to
to
A1
come.
She said she'd meet
Slowly
mp
me when I
to see my moth er,
meet
molto rit.
Hmm
Opened mouth
Oo
p Opened mouth, breathe as needed
Oo
mp
A2
... Opened mouth, breathe as needed p
Pno.
poco rit.
A tempo
Oo
...
accel.
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D
q = 72
39
Solo
(e = 52) molto rit. mp espress.
f
mm
...
f
f
mm
mm
f
A1
A2
from eve - ry tri - al,
p hummed, breathe as needed
p hummed, breathe as needed
Solo ni - al
S1
be- neath the sod.
A1
...
D Tempo I
(q = 52)
in
the house of
pp
God. pp
(e = 60)
pp
q = 46
I'm go - in'
E
ff
there
to
there
ff
there
to
to
ff
there
to
ff
there
q = 46 E Pno. This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
I'm go - in'
rit.
ff
I'm go - in'
pp
pp
I'm go - in'
A2
of self de
p hummed, breathe as needed
and en - ter
I'll drop the cross
I'm go - in'
S2
...
rit. 45
...
mm (e = 52)
This form shall rest
p hummed, breathe as needed
molto rit.
q = 72
Pno.
free
S2
I'll soon be
S1
5
Tempo I (q = 52)
to
(e = 60)
see my
(e = 60)
rit.
6
49
Solo sav - ior
I'm
S1
see
my
S2
see my
sav
no
-
ior,
my sav
-
ior,
more to roam,
no
more to roam,
more,
no
more,
no
no
pp
pp
A1
pp A2
more to roam,
Oo p breathe as needed
...
Oo p breathe as needed
...
Oo
...
p breathe as needed
...
A Tempo
molto rit.
(e = 52)
rit.
home.
(mm)
closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note p mp p
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note p
Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note p p mp
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note p
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
(q = 52) rit. Pno. This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Tempo I
(e = 52)
I'm on - ly
close mouth
Hmm
Oo (e = 60)
o - ver
rit.
more to roam,
molto rit.
go in' o - ver Jor - dan, p breathe as needed
no
Hmm
S2
I'm on - ly
more,
in'
pp
S1
no
more,
roam,
Tempo I (q = 52)
go
-
no
to
p
oir,
see
-
54
Solo
ior,
see my sav
Pno.
-
no more
A1
A2
go - in' there
sav
A Tempo