CH0032-01 Willard, B. - Will the circle be unbroken_ PREVIEW by T.U.X. People's Music

WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN

TUX PEOPLE'S MUSIC.

Soprano Alto Tenor Bass

SATB VOICES BROCK WILLARD

BrockWillardtapsintotheuncertaintyoflifeandtheafterlifeinthisstunningand uniquereinterpretationoftheclassichymn.Thesuspendedharmoniesthatenvelop thehymn’sexpressivetuneareequallyeffectiveinitsSATBandSSAAarrangements.

FROMTHECOMPOSER:

Thissettingof"willthecirclebeunbroken"isstarklydifferentfromothersettingsof thesamehymntuneandthatisonpurpose.AmajorityofthesettingsIhaveheard ofthishymntuneusuallyhavequitehappyconnotationsorattheveryleast,harken backtothetune'spopularityduringSouthernBaptistrevivals.Thissettingisinspired byarejectionofthatinterpretationofthetext.ThewayIwasfirstintroducedtothis hymnwasthroughthearrangementfeaturedinthe2013videogame"Bioshock Infinite"releasedbyIrrationalGames.Inthegame,thecharactersofBookerDewitt andElizabethComstockgrapplewithquestionsofmoralityandmetaphysics,and eventuallycomealonganabandonedguitar.Theplayercaninitiateasequence whereDewittandComstocksingaversionofthishymncharacterizedbysadness andgrief.ThejoyfulhopeofjoiningyourlovedonesinHeaventurnsintoserious contemplationaboutquestionsoftheafterlife.Theversionfromthegameisvery improvisatory(asmuchasaconstructedsceneinavideogamecanbe)whichonly lendsitselfmoretothepersonalnatureoftheperformance.

Inthisarrangement,Itriedtocapturethissamecontemplativenature.Gonearethe secondarydominantsandsoaringdescantstypicalofhymnarrangementsofBaptist favorites.Instead,thepieceutilizesmuchsimpleringredients:asustainedpedal tonerepresentingthelonelinessofsurvivingfamilymembers,mostlyhomophonic writing,asingleverseofahymncharacterizedbymanyverses.Iwantedtopeel backthecurtain,sotospeak,onaninterpretationofthistextthatisstrikingly uncommon.WhenIthinkofthistext,Idon'tthinkoftearfulreunionswithloved ones.Ithinkoftheenormityoftheafterlifeandtheveryrealfactthatnooneknows whathappenswhenwedie.Wecanimaginebutwecannotknowbecausenoone hasverifiablyreturnedfromthedeadtotellus.

ThisarrangementisprimarilyinspiredbythechoralmusicofJakeRunestad, StephenPaulus,GabrielJackson,andFrederikSixten.Additionally,thepieceis dedicatedtomyparentsLoriRaeWillard(néeWhetzel),whodiedin2020from complicationsofhighbloodpressureanddiabetes,andTimothyRayWillard,who diedin2021fromexposure,aswellasmygrandfatherHarold"Hut"GeneWhetzel, whodiedfollowingacarcrashinlate2021.

DURATION:4'00"

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Firstprinting,May2023

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Additionaloctavosareavailableforpurchasefromthepublisheronline. ABOUT:

                                                Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Reduction   oo,   oo,   oo,  oo,        =70                                        oo,    oo,    oo,   oo,              sub.  sub.  sub.  sub.                                                             5        (oo)                                  oo,        oo,   oo                                 rit.                   CH0032-01 WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN? BrockWillard 2021 Copyright©2022T.U.X.People'sMusicPublishingCompany,LLC.InternationalCopyrightSecured. PrintedandengravedintheU.S.A.AllRightsReservedincludingPublicPerformance. LearnmoreaboutallofouramazingtitlesatTuxpeoplesmusic.com TraditionalforSATBVoices Dedicated to my mother Lori Rae Willard (née Whetzel), my father Timothy Ray Willard, and my grandfather Harold “Hut” Gene Whetzel. PERUSALCOPY legaluserequirespurchase

                                                            10   (oo)     Oneby       a tempo       onetheirseatswere             emptied,oneby             onetheywenta       -                                    14   (oo)  way,          Nowthe       oo,      fam'lyis                parted,Willit                       becompleteone            2 CH0032-01 PERUSALCOPY legaluserequirespurchase

                        19     ah  day?          ah                                                                                                           24     (ah)   (ah)                         Willthe     Willthe     Willthe     Willthe                circlebeun     circlebeun    circlebeun    circlebeun                 =80  u       3 CH0032-01 PERUSALCOPY legaluserequirespurchase

                                                            28      broken,byand      broken,byand     broken,byand      broken,byand                      by,byand    by,byand    by,byand    by,byand              by,Isa    by,Isa    by,Isa    by,Isa                betterhomea     betterhomea     betterhomea   better             --            32     waitinginthe      waitinginthe     waitinginthe    home,inthe                       sky,inthe     sky,inthe    sky,inthe    sky,inthe              rit.  sky?  sky?  sky?  sky?             ah,           a tempo-4 CH0032-01 PERUSALCOPY legaluserequirespurchase

                        36   ah,    ah,   ah,   ah,           =70                    ah,    ah,    ah,   ah,         sub.  sub.  sub.  sub.                                                                                                      41     ah,    ah,    ah,   ah,           sub.  sub.  sub.  sub.                        rit.             lunga lunga lunga lunga     Willthe     Willthe     Willthe    Willthe           a tempo         5 CH0032-01

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                        45     circlebeun     circlebeun     circlebeun     circlebeun             =80     brokenbyand     brokenbyand     brokenbyand     brokenbyand                   by,byand    by,byand    by,byand    by,byand             by?Isa    by?Isa     by?Isa    by?Isa              -            49     betterhomea     betterhomea     betterhomea   better                  waitinginthe      waitinginthe     waitinginthe    home,inthe                       sky,inthe     sky,inthe    sky,inthe    sky,inthe              rit.  sky?  sky?  sky?  sky?                             -    6 PERUSALCOPY legaluserequirespurchase