songSLAM Songbook, Vol. 1

Sparks & Wiry Cries songSLAM Songbook, Vol. 1

Curated by Martha Guth & Erika Switzer Edited by Dennis Tobenski

NewMusicShelf www.newmusicshelf.com

Contents Acknowledgments ................................................................................................... vii Introduction............................................................................................................. ix Performance Notes................................................................................................... x Daniel Castellanos: nothing at all (2019)................................................................ 1 adapted from the cycle Death is nothing at all Abigail de Niverville: Stars (2018).......................................................................... 18 Natalie Draper: Postlude (2017)............................................................................. 25 from O sea-starved, hungry sea Whitney George: in New York (2017)..................................................................... 29 Wally Gunn: One Good Life (2017)....................................................................... 46 Meg Huskin: Tikka Masala (2019).......................................................................... 62 Felix Jarrar: Walking Past a Window... (2017)......................................................... 73 from Songs of the Soul Beams Laurence Jobidon: Al claro de luna (2018).............................................................. 83 Isaac Lovdahl: Today, There Is a Spring in Me! (2018)............................................ 97 Liam Moore: Crepuscule (2017)............................................................................. 104 Haley Olson: at that time i could not breathe like the others (2017)....................... 111 from Caliban Nathan Scalise: Big Sky (2019)............................................................................... 122 from Idaho Songs

ix

Introduction Sparks & Wiry Cries promotes the advancement and preservation of art song by providing opportunities to its creators and performers. Its activities include: • Presentation of the songSLAM Festival in NYC • Commission and premiere of new works • Publication of the Art Song Magazine Creation and co-production of the songSLAM competition for emerging composers, poets and performers around the world The Sparks & Wiry Cries NYC songSLAM is a unique competition for emerging composer/performer teams to premiere new art song. With an eye to the democratic process and equality of access, sign-up is first come, first served, and the registration fee is nominal. During the competition itself, carried out in the poetry-slam tradition, audience members vote on their favorite performances. Cash prizes are awarded.

First premiered in NYC in 2015, the songSLAM has now been or will be presented in four countries and 10 different cities around the globe: NYC, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Ljubljana, Ann Arbor, Cincinnati, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Buffalo, with even more growth on the horizon.

The songbook is a selection of sexteen of the most promising songs premiered since its inception.

Many of them were prize winners, though not all.

— Martha Guth & Erika Switzer

for Chloë, for Judith, and for Adrian composed for songSLAM NYC III 2019

nothing at all

adapted from the cycle Death is nothing at all. from a sermon by Henry Scott-Holland



 = 66

  

(8"-10" or wait for pianist's cue)

 







 sub.      

       

                                 nnn

 sub.       

3



DANIEL CASTELLANOS (2019)

 sub.



      



 sub.





  

uhh



-

nnn





 

  

 

    

                               uhh

   

5

-



nnn

  

n-uhh

 

nnn





-



uhh

   

-

nnn

  









no - thhh no - thhh no                                 Copyright © 2019 Daniel Santiago Castellanos. All Rights Reserved.

composed for songSLAM Toronto 2019

Stars



 

        

 



 



lies

       



    

         





 





       

 

moon

 

And now

 

  



low,



 

the slen - der

              



 

   



7

 

West



    

         





Now in the

  





   





     









   

 

           

con pedale

     











4

  

Gently ( = 66)



                   

ABIGAIL DE NIVERVILLE (2018)





Marjorie Pickthall (1883-1922)



O

 

        

Copyright © 2018 by Abigail de Niverville (SOCAN). All Rights Reserved

-

composed for songSLAM NYC I 2017

V. Postlude

from O sea-starved, hungry sea William Shakespeare

Grave ( = 72)

 



 

   





  

 

  



     

9

         

 





Of his bones are









  

     co -

   

   

These are

      

pearls

 

Full

 



      





 



 



fa - thom five thy





Pedaled throughout, only half-changes as necessary

  

         



    

bell-like       

5

  

NATALIE DRAPER (2017)

fa - ther

In the background, but with presence



ral



  

made





  



that were

  

 

  

      



     



his



 



  

 

eyes

  

Copyright © 2017 by Natalie Draper (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved.

 



lies

   

 

    



 

   





     

composed for songSLAM NYC I 2017

in New York

Johnny Call

WHITNEY E. GEORGE (2017)

  

Unnecessarily Grand ( = c. 102)

 



4





  



       



        

by





  

7



time

 

  I

























came



 

to



New

 

  

 

clear throat

Copright © 2017 Whitney E. George (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved.





gliss.

me

  















 opt. free ornamentation

York



first







  

The



 



  

composed for songSLAM NYC I 2017

One Good Life

Maria Zajkowski

 



3



 

Tempo giusto ( = 90)

  A

         

   



WALLY GUNN (2017)

   











5

       ( sempre)    

 



  

  

  

 

         

      ()





  

 

  







 





 

  

    

    











  



   

 





 

  





  

Copyright © 2017 Wally Gunn (APRA/AMCOS) & Maria Zajkowski. All Rights Reserved.







  

  



      

composed for songSLAM Chicago 2019

Tikka Masala

Unfortunately Based on a True Story



     



   love,

      

    

9





 

stick - y

   





  



  

  

  



 

and squish - y and...



love

 

 

    



   

  



Love,

   

take your time with the rolled chords

     

6

  





             

   







   

     

    is

gross.

  



 



 

weird.







 





         

 







Freely ( = 60)

Words and music: MEG HUSKIN (2019)

 

 



 

recit.



Love



is

Picking up speed ( = 76)





Copyright © 2019 by Meg Huskin (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved.



 





composed for songSLAM NYC I 2017

Walking Past a window... from Songs of the Soul Beams Brittany Goodwin

FELIX JARRAR (2017)

Slow, with motion ( = 60)



a tempo

walked



past

           



3

   



I

                                              

  

2



 

 



- mir - ing

         



a





her









win - dow,

 



son

 



     





for



the

    

 

 



and



first

  



 

in



the

I



 







bed

 











time.



  









    

rit.

Copyright © 2017 ARTEP. All rights Reserved.



saw

 

 



a



moth

-





er

ad

      







 

 

-



   

for Vivien Shotwell composed for songSLAM Toronto 2019

Al claro de luna

from Sueños desde el abismo Delmira Agustini







  

Adagio, tempo rubato ( = 48)

  A

    





  

5

    



molto legato

      

   

3

LAURENCE JOBIDON (2018)



 





    







  



 

  



   







 



   

     



  





 







 

 

  

Copyright © 2018 by Laurence Jobidon (SOCAN). All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 



 



   



   

   

for Katie composed for songSLAM Minneapolis 2019

Today, There Is a Spring in Me!



poco rit.

(pedal harmonically)

 

      





  

To - day,

  there

   



is



           

 



  

 

 

 





a Spring



   

 



 

 



 

To - day,



    

6





in

me!

                           



   



A tempo, with conviction





there

 

  

is

   

a





                                                                                 Emphatically ( = c. 84)







3



Words and Music by ISAAC LOVDAHL (2018)

Copyright © 2018 Isaac Lovdahl (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved.

 

 

                  

 

Spring

rit.

 



in

for Riley Cardona and Matt Olson, and the inaugural songSLAM Minneapolis 2018

Crepuscule



E.E. Cummings



                                  





  

molto ped.

       

      

     

     



6

               





    

   

     





                         

Freely ( = 50)







3

LIAM MOORE (2017)





  

   

     

           poco rit.

Adagio ( = 76)

 

    

ped. ad lib.



     



  

   

 









 



 

I will wade out

              

 





Copyright © 2016 by Jason Weisinger (BMI). All Rights Reserved. “i carry your heart with me(i carry it in". Copyright © 1952, 1980, 1991 by the Trustees for the E. E. Cummings Trust, from COMPLETE POEMS: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, edited by George J. Firmage. Used by permission of Liveright Publishing Corporation.

 

composed for songSLAM NYC I 2017

at that time i could not breathe like the others







Words and Music: HALEY OLSON (2017)

Agitato ( = 105)

 

  









 





accel.





        

poco rit.





        

                                                                         a tempo

5

          

9

 

accel.



 



     

 

 





         

 

 



          

Copyright © 2017 by Haley Olson. All Rights Reserved.



composed for songSLAM NYC III 2019

Big Sky

from Idaho Songs Jordan Bowman, Madelein Bowman, and Nathan Scalise

 = 52



3

 



 



   



NATHAN SCALISE (2019)



          



                                           

  

 



 

sim.

                            

old

de - sert road

 

 

   

     

7



qui - et,

     

      

    

  

as shad - ows

  

   



it is calm,

 

 

  



  

length - en

    

  

  

and the

   



it is peace - ful,

 

  

   

eve - ning air

   



  

  

We drive for miles

  

  

  

it is

    

 

 

  

   

It is

 

     

dark.

 

 

         

cools.



down an

 

        

 

   

Music Copyright © 2019 Jordan Bowman, Madelein Bowman, & Nathan Scalise, All Rights Reserved.

A

   

composed for spevSLAM Slovenia 2019

Ko te ni



Jakob Barbo







4

  

  

 espress.    

     

 

    

Nežno (Gently) ( = 64)

 

7

- lep

-

  



  

  

  

  

  

  

 

      

ši so dne - vi,



ko te

   

 

 

  

  

        

  

  



  

  

  

  

  

  

 

  



 

  

 





  

  



  

  

  

Naj

-

 





       

               

Naj - lep

        

  



  

ni.

  

    

TILEN SLAKAN (2019)

Copyright © 2019 by Tilen Slakan (SAZAS). All Rights Reserved.

-

ši so dne - vi

ko

te

composed for songSLAM Ann Arbor 2017

Invictus



William Ernest Henley

 

      

3

EVAN L. SNYDER (2017)

  

Harsh, militaristic ( = 80)

         

Ped. ad lib.

   



 





       

   

                            



    

       



     

       

    

   

molto rall.

 



 



 

  



            

 

rall.

  

    

       

  

        

poco rall.

Slower ( = 60)

5

  



   

  



  

* only include doubling at the octave if the piano's lowest A is unclear (or out of tune) Copyright © 2017 Evan L. Snyder (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved.

*



  

 



   

   

composed for songSLAM NYC II 2017

Oh Hell No

Maggie Smith

DENNIS TOBENSKI (2017)

Skittering ( = 100)

 



 

4

 

 





 













                                         metronomic                 



A

RH quasi-6/8

    





liv - ing room



  





GI - ANT

spi -

    



                                                     -

 

7

der



     

just saun - tered

a - cross

 

 



                                          

my

 

rug.









  

 



Copyright © 2017 by Dennis Tobenski (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved.

Text copyright © 2017 by Maggie Smith. Used with the kind permission of the author.





 

for Kyle and Kateri composed for songSLAM NYC II 2017

i carry your heart



E.E. Cummings





JASON WEISINGER (2016)

                     

       

3

 

  

  

         

5

             

  

   

Pulsing ( = c. 62)

i

  

      

 



car - ry your heart

  

  

  



  

   

with me

  

 

   

  

   

   

  

 

    

        

(i

  

  

  

  

car - ry it

    

Copyright ©2016 GreenpointSessions (BMI). All Rights Reserved.

in

  

 

my heart)

    

    