Keane Southard
The Wayfaring Stranger for
Solo Male Voice and
a cappella TTBB 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 Solo Male Voice
q = 52
mp espress.
I am a
Keane Southard
poor
way - far - ing stran - ger
a trav - 'lin'
TENOR 1
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
TENOR 2
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note p
BASS 1
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
p
Hmm
Piano Reduction (rehearsal only)
q = 52
Solo woe, 6
Hmm
B2
Hmm
Hmm
Pno.
sick
Hmm
-
ness, toil or
Hmm
p
Hmm
Hmm
p
Hmm
p
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
dan - ger
in that fair
world
to which I
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
p
Hmm
mp
Hmm
mp
Hmm
mp
B1
Yet there's no
Hmm Hmm
T2
Hmm
mp
T1
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note
BASS 2
this world of
Hmm
through
p closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note
Hmm Hmm Hmm
p closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note
Hmm Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
©2020 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
A
2 Solo
poco rit.
there to see my fa - ther, I'm go - in' there no more to roam, I'm on - ly go mf
Hmm Hmm
T1
Hmm
Hmm Hmm
T2
B1
mf
Hmm
Hmm
Pno.
Solo go
Hmm
-
in' o - ver
Hmm
T2
B1
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
A tempo
Hmm
mf espress.
B
I know dark
pp
Hmm
pp
mp
(audible breath)
pp
(audible Hmm breath)
A tempo
mp
mp
Hmm
f
mp
(audible Hmm breath)
Hmm
Hmm
will gath - er
mf
Oo
still hummed, breathe as needed f
mm
Opened mouth, breathe as needed p
Hmm
Hmm
clouds
end audible nose breaths on rests
Hmm
Hmm
(audible Hmm breath)
pp
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
I'm on - ly
Hmm
p
home.
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
p
Hmm
Hmm
p
Hmm
in' o - ver Jor - dan,
Hmm
-
p
Hmm
poco rit.
Hmm
(q = 40)
rit.
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
(q = 40) A tempo pp
Hmm Hmm
T1
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
rit.
Pno.
Hmm
17
B2
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
Hmm
mf
A
mf
B2
A tempo
mp
mf
11
p
...
still hummed, breathe as needed f
p
...
B
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22
Solo
T1
'round me, Hmm 3
T2
3
I know my
way
is rough and
steep,
Hmm
Yet gold - en
fields
Hmm
lie there be
Hmm
...
B1
mf
mf
p
mf
B2
Pno.
p
mf
p
p
C poco rit.
fore 26
Solo
T1
mf
B1
me,
Where wea - ry
eyes
no more will
Hmm
weep.
Hmm
T2
B2
q = 46 ff
I'm go - in'
mf
Pno.
to see my
ff
Hmm (ah) I'm go - in' there gradually open mouth to bright, forward "ah" (a la "sacred harp")
ff
p
ff
gradually open mouth to bright, ah, forward "ah" (a la "sacred harp") p ff
I'm
I'm
gradually open mouth to bright, ah, forward "ah" (a la "sacred harp")
there
gradually open mouth to bright, ah. forward "ah" (a la "sacred harp")
C
poco rit.
I'm
go - in'
go - in'
go - in'
q = 46
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4
3
30
Solo
moth - er,
T1
B2
to
my
see
there,
there
Pno.
Solo
my
Hmm
-
er
said
she'd
She
er
She
I'm on - ly
go
-
meet
me
B2
Pno.
accel.
p breathe as needed
...
Hmm mm ... hummed, breathe as needed fp p
Hmm
mm
Slowly
...
A tempo
Opened mouth
(q = 46)
Hmm
Hmm
Oo
3
Oo
Opened mouth, breathe as needed
p
p
poco rit.
Hmm
3
Oo
mp
me
Hmm
meet
she'd
in' o - ver home. p
said
fp hummed, breathe as needed
p
in' o - ver
p
-
me
go
meet
A tempo
-
hummed as before mp
molto rit.
Hmm
A tempo (q = 46)
Hmm fp hummed
me
she'd
moth
mp
B1
-
Jor - dan,
T2
to see
I'm on - ly
fp 3
said
She
Slowly
mp
3
poco rit.
34
T1
moth - er
my moth
see
come.
She said she'd meet
to
me when I
there
meet
to see my moth - er,
B1
She said she'd
there
T2
molto rit.
...
Opened mouth, breathe as needed
Oo
...
A tempo
accel.
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D
q = 72 39
Solo
molto rit.
T1
I'll soon be
B1
free
from eve - ry tri - al,
mm ... p hummed, breathe as needed
mm
B2
(e = 52)
45
T1
T2
B1
be- neath the sod.
mm
...
Tempo I
of self de
(q = 52)
and en - ter
in
the house of
God.
pp
pp
pp
q = 46
(e = 60)
rit.
there
there
ff
there
to
q = 46
ff
there
to
to
to
E
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to
there ff
pp
ff
I'm go - in'
E
ff
I'm go - in'
I'm go - in'
pp
(e = 60)
I'll drop the cross
I'm go - in'
Pno.
...
I'm go - in'
B2
p hummed, breathe as needed
rit.
Solo ni - al
D
q = 72
f
...
molto rit.
Pno.
p hummed, breathe as needed
f
mm
This form shall rest
breathe as needed p hummed,
f
f
T2
5
(e = 52) Tempo I (q = 52) mp espress.
see my
(e = 60)
rit.
6
49
Solo sav - ior
I'm
see my sav
T1
see my
T2
-
see
my sav
ior,
no
no
ior,
more,
roam,
Pno.
more to roam,
more,
no
more to roam,
no
more,
go
-
pp T2
B1
B2
no
pp
pp
o - ver
Pno.
...
Oo
...
Oo
...
A Tempo
molto rit.
(e = 52)
(mm)
closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note p mp p
Hmm 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 mp p
Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm closed mouth, audible quarter-note-long inhale through nose before each hummed note p
Tempo I
Hmm
(q = 52)
Hmm
Hmm (e = 52)
rit.
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I'm on - ly
...
rit.
home.
molto rit.
close mouth
Hmm
Oo p breathe as needed
p breathe as needed
(e = 60)
in' o - ver Jor - dan,
Oo
more to roam,
-
p breathe as needed
in'
pp
T1
no
go
as needed p breathe
more to roam,
Tempo I (q = 52)
54
Solo
I'm on - ly
rit.
p
no
more,
oir,
-
to
no
-
no more
ior,
see my sav
B2
-
B1
go - in' there
sav
A Tempo