Stone

Composed by Jacob Narverud
Voicing: SATB with electronic track
Instrumentation: optional percussion*
Catalog number: AMP 1044
Price: $2.50

Music by Jacob Narverud and Ryan Main
Words by Robert Bode

*PERCUSSION I: Water Gong, 2 Stones, Combine Disc Blade, 4 Concert Toms
PERCUSSION II: Crotales, Bass Drum, Tam-tam, Dark Cymbal, Suspended Cymbal

Performance Notes

The text for STONE is a Haiku: a minimalist form of poetry based on a solid, concrete idea. Haiku poetry, which originated in Japan, is a form of purposeful meditation which is used by poets as a way to convey impressions and perceptions using only seventeen syllables per stanza. This particular setting of Robert Bode's Haiku is an aggressive fusion of choral, electronica, and percussion forces which utilizes the latest in digital instrumental sampling and non-traditional percussion effects (water gong, a combine disc blade, bowed crotales, stones, and a scraped tam-tam).

Haiku for STONE
Hard the ringing stone,
Heavy the flinting edges,
As cold as regret.

Volcano daughter,
Forged of slow and fiery breath,
Cooled to hardest ice.

Pressed against the night,
Against the strongest darkness,
Your iron heart is mine.

 -Robert Bode

Electronic Tracks
STONE may be performed using a variety of forces. There are four accompaniment tracks available for download. Clicking on the links below will play the file. With most browsers, if you then right-click on the embedded audio player, a menu appears allowing you to download and save the file. Below are links to the accompaniment tracks

1. Accompaniment Track (no piano, with percussion)

Use this track if you do not want the piano to double the voices, but you do have live percussionists. Get track 1 here.

2. Accompaniment Track (no piano, no percussion)
Use this track if you do not want the piano to double the voices, and you do not have live percussionists. (see cuts in the score). Get track 2 here.

3. Accompaniment Track (with piano, with percussion)
Use this track if you do want the piano to double the voices, and you do have live percussionists. Get track 3 here.

4. Accompaniment Track (with piano, no percussion)
Use this track if you do want the piano to double the voices, but do not have live percussionists (see cuts in the score).
Get track 4 here.

There is no click-track for STONE. The conductor should use the “Electronic Horns” sound in the recording (measure 5) as a cue, and begin conducting in measure 6. It is important that the percussionists, conductor, and the choir all have monitors to hear the electronic recording and that fine attention to detail is placed on rhythmic precision and clarity of articulations throughout.

Listen to a performance of STONE by the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory Concert Choir. Click here.

Click here to see a sample.



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