We Are the Music Makers (SSAA) | Julian David Bryson | MusicSpoke

We Are the Music Makers Julian David Bryson Text by Arthur O’Shaughnessy

SSAA Piano This score is not Choir licensedand for performance.

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Text We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams;— World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world for ever, it seems.

Program Notes This accessible setting seeks to inspire musicians and non‐musicians alike, calling all to choose a better future.

Making use of compositional techniques drawn from film scores, the piece also offers an opportunity to teach theoretical concepts including major, minor, octatonic and whole tone scales, diminished and half diminished chords, mixed meter, and the tuning of open fifths. May we all translate O’Shaughnessy’s metaphor into action, not only making music with our voices and instruments, but also in our everyday lives.

—J.D.B.

Composed, dedicated to, and premiered by the Randolph School Concert Choir of Huntsville, AL in honor of the class of 2011.

Cover Photo: Electric Waves taken by the composer, May 13, 2002.

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

To the students of the Randolph School Concert Choir, in honor of the class of 2011.

May you always choose to make music.

We Are the Music Makers

William O'Shaughnessy

Julian David Bryson

     q = 60 f

Soprano 1

    

We are

the mu - sic ma - kers.

f

Soprano 2

   

    

We are

the mu - sic ma - kers.

f

Alto 1

    

    

We are

the mu - sic ma - kers.

f

Alto 2

    

  q = 60      We are

f

PIANO

   

This score is not licensed

 

    

the mu - sic ma - kers.

          

    

    

We are

the mu - sic ma - kers.

    

    

We are

the mu - sic ma - kers.

     We are

      We are

f

                  

  

    

  

    

  

the mu - sic ma - kers.

    

  

the mu - sic ma - kers.

           

 

              

Copyright © 2007 Julian David Bryson All Rights Reserved. Licensed through MusicSpoke.com.

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PleaseDirector visit MusicSpoke.com performance copies.

All Rights Reserved. Use without a license is stealing and is ILLEGAL.

4 S1

  



5

We

S2

A1

A2



the mu - sic



ma - kers,

  







 

and

are

the mu - sic





  







We

are

   



  







 





  









 We

 



              f             We

Pno.

are

   

mf

are

  

the mu - sic

  

the mu - sic

ma - kers,

ma - kers,



ma - kers,

                    

mf          





mp

  



  3        

    

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

rit.

9

S1

3

we are the dream - ers

S2

A1

A2

Pno.

  



of dreams.

mf

3

3

       we are the dream - ers

 



  



of

mf



dreams.

3

3

      

we are the dream - ers

of dreams.



mf

3

     

we are the dream - ers

   

 

 

 

    

  

  

 

rit.

3

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

of



  11

S1

q = 50 p 

     

S2

A1

A2

  

S1

Wan - der - ing by lone sea - break - ers, p

wan - der - ing by lone

Wan - der - ing by lone sea - break - ers, p

wan - der - ing by lone

sea - break - ers

and

sit - ting by de - so - late



3           

            



dreams. q = 50 mp 3

Sea - break - ers,

wan - der - ing by lone

        3      

p

  

  

accel.

  

sea - break - ers

sea - break - ers

and

and

sit - ting by de - so - late

sit - ting by de - so - late

       3            

  

   

q = 80

 



 





  

 





   

 





  

streams.

accel.

Pno.

          

            

streams.

A2

sit - ting by de - so - late

     

streams.

A1

and

  3       

3

streams.

S2

sea - break - ers

3

    

    

15

wan - der - ing by lone

         

3

       Pno.

5

3

3

Wan - der - ing by lone sea - break - ers,

p

          

         

            

p







 







 



    





q = 80

         







mp

 

   

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

 

6 S1

S2

A1

A2

 















18

mp





World mp

lo





World mp

lo





World mp

lo





                          World

lo

-



 

   



21

S1

sa

S2

   sa

A1

A2

    sa

Pno.

-

kers,

world

  

 -

kers,

world

 

 -

kers,

-



world

 

 kers,







-









sers

-

sers

-

sers







and

world

for





and



world

for





and



world

for







and

       

world

for

 

-

-

-

-

    

             

  



   sa





sers

mf (l.h.)

Pno.



world f (l.h.)

 lo

 -

 lo



lo



lo

sers

 -

-

-

 

sers



sers



sers

 







and

world

for







and

world

for







and



and

world

for





world (r.h.)

for

-

-

-

-

 



 



 



 



sa - kers,

sa - kers,

  

sa - kers,



sa - kers,

              

                                      

      

   

 

 

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

        

       25

S1

S2

A1

rit.

f

  

                

  

 

                   

  

 

                   

  

 

World f

lo - sers

World f

lo - sers

      

 

      

World f

A2

               

lo - sers

      

World

lo - sers

        Pno.

       

30

S1

and world for

and world for

and world for



      

f

  

and world for

q = 70

-

-

-

p

sa - kers on

sa - kers on

sa - kers on

-

sa - kers on



rit.







pp

7

whom the pale moon p

gleams; pp

whom the pale moon p

gleams; pp

whom the pale moon p

gleams; pp

whom the pale moon

gleams;









   

   

  

pp





  









S2

 









A1

 









A2

  









  Pno.

q = 70

      

  

3

          

      3

 

3



  

3

3

      3

3



3 3 3  3                      

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

 

8 S1

S2

A1

A2

    33



  



S2

A1

   

   



   



p

3



Yet, p



Yet,

                3

mp

3

3

pp

    

    3

   



 



      



     





3 3               



        

3

mf

3

3

 

3

 









Yet, mp



3

3

We mp

are



the mu - sic ma - kers.

We

are

the mu - sic ma - kers.

3

                  

mf

p

  

    

3

  

3

mf

3 3         

Yet we are the mo - vers, the mf 3

     

3         

Yet we are the mo - vers, the mf 3

 



 

       3 3  Yet we are the mo - vers, the               

                           3

    3

mp



3





  





Yet,

mp

 

3 3               

3





the mu - sic ma - kers.



mp

 

f

are

 3 3 3 3                              

we are the mov - ers and sha - kers.

Pno.

    



we are the mo - vers.



the mu - sic ma - kers.

 

we are the mo - vers.

we are the mov - ers and sha - kers.

A2

are

pp

We

37

S1





    

pp

We

3

Pno.



   



   

      



 

f



      3

Yet we are the mo - vers, the mf

3

3

              3 3  (for rehearsal use only)

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

                      41

S1

h = h. (q = 90)

mov - ers and sha - kers, the

S2

mov - ers and sha - kers

                  mov - ers and sha - kers, the

A2

mov - ers and sha - kers

                  mov - ers and sha - kers, the

A1

rit.

mov - ers and sha - kers

                     mov - ers and sha - kers, the

mov - ers and sha - kers

3





of

the

3





of

the

q = 60 f

      world for - ev - er.

f

      world for - ev - er.

f

of



the

     

3





of

the

     

3



world for - ev - er.

f

world for - ev - er. q = 60

   12                                  h = h. (q = 90)

Pno.

S2

A1

    

ff

mp

3

 

        

 

      



    



    



44

S1

rit.

                     

9

  

      più f

Of theworld for - ev - er, più f

      

Of theworld for - ev - er, più f

      

Of theworld for - ev - er, più f

              Of theworld for - ev - er,             9                          9 più f   9 Pno.                          A2

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

10 S1

S2

A1

A2

Pno.

46      



    



    



      



it ff



it ff



it ff



it         9                          9  9

      

rit.

      



Broadly

    



          

47

S1



ff





























seems.

S2

seems.

A1

seems.

A2

seems.

     Pno.

      

     

fff

   

 

  

 

  

 

rit.

         

    

               

  

Broadly

   





 

 

           This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.  

If you enjoyed We Are the Music Makers, please also consider the following works from my catalog, available at or coming soon to MusicSpoke.com:

Commissioned to celebrate the ordination of a deacon, All Things New (SATB Choir and String Quartet or Piano) speaks to the human desire to improve ourselves and our world. Built upon a handful of symbolic musical motives, this piece yearns, grows, and eventually comes to rest transformed and inspired.

Fire and Ice (SSATB, a cappella) along with Quibbles and Quirks for wind quintet and Conflictions for brass quintet, began as exercises in counterpoint. Though I didn’t conceive of them as a set, upon further reflection, I see them as having remarkable similarities. All are for five voices, involve imitation, and represent conversations. Fire and Ice, in particular, takes the well-known poem and weaves it into a dialogue—at times an argument—inviting both choir and audience to take sides. Because the text is so familiar, I didn’t concern myself with clarity in its setting, instead focusing on the similar vowel sounds central to key words. This leaves the conclusion up to the audience’s decision, even as late as the final chord, where both fire and ice sound simultaneously.

Lacrimas (SATB with mezzo-soprano solo, a cappella) weaves the familiar Psalm text, "They that sow in tears will reap in joy" into a poignant moment from St. Augustine's confessions: "And sending out tears, where I was holding them in, so that they should flow so smoothly, they spread out beneath my heart and it rests on them." Musically, the piece develops in waves that emanate from the opening “sobbing” gesture. The University of Alabama in Huntsville Chamber Choir premiered the work under the direction of Dr. Erin Colwitz-Dehning as part of the Huntsville New Music Festival of 2011.

Thomas Moore’s Minstrel Boy (SATB or TTBB with piano) describes an iconic “warrior bard,” committed to defending not only land, but ideals. For him, freedom of thought, speech, and art was more important than his life, and this strong and creative soul preferred death to oppression. While this tune has long been associated with memorials for first responders, I also see it as a call to arms for artists. Join us on the battlefield of ideas with harp and song and voices.

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

O nata lux (SATB, a cappella): On September 12, 2001, members of the University of Tennessee Concert Choir walked into our choir room in a state of shock. Reeling from the previous day’s attacks, none of us really wanted to rehearse, but somehow we knew it was exactly where we needed to be.

After warm-ups, we sang Morten Lauridsen’s setting of O nata lux, which we had just begun to learn. Suddenly, the music took on a new meaning and ushered in a memorable hour of sharing, crying, and healing. Something about the line, “for the sake of the lost ones” stuck with me, and over the next several days, I developed my own musical response to both the tragedy and text that had invaded all of our lives. I am humbled by so many beautiful settings of this prayer and in some ways feel ill-equipped to offer yet one more. However, I continue to count it among my favorite compositions.

Winner of the 2013 American Choral Directors Association Brock Memorial Student Composition Competition, Redemption Mass (SATB chorus, wind quintet, piano, and percussion) is a tuneful, rhythmic, and inspiring setting of traditional and non-traditional texts. The simple, yet haunting Kyrie evokes ancient chants, while the rhythmically driving Gloria uses overlapping ostinato paints a picture of the Heavenly throne room described in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4. Credo is an exuberant statement of faith filled with text painting, while the most accessible movement, Sanctus, is an uplifting song of praise again referencing the scene in Isaiah 6. Finally, Agnus Dei recalls themes from previous movements of the Mass against a stunning wall of sound, erupting into a passionate plea for peace.

Commissioned and premiered by Louisville's Youth Performing Arts School Gentlemen's Ensemble, under the direction of Jacob Cook, for the Intercollegiate Male Chorus Festival of 2014 hosted by Rutgers University. …with music… (TTBB, SATB, or SSAA Choir and Piano) combines two previously unpublished songs by Kentucky Composer (and graduate of Louisville's Manual High School) John Jacob Niles. Come Gentle Dark and Epitaph provide a poignant look into the composer's later views on life and death interwoven with beautiful melodies and subtle harmonic surprises.

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