Those Tender Words

Composed by Ivo Antognini
Voicing: SSATB a cappella
Catalog number: AMP 1074
Price: $2.00

To see and listen on YouTube, click here

 


While I was correcting a four-voice dictation assignment in one of the ear training classes at the conservatory where I teach, I found a mistake made by Tommy, one of my students.>br>
Instead of writing a “French sixth chord” preceded by a first-inversion IV chord in C major, like this:


He wrote the very strange chord that you see here below:


While Tommy didn't receive the greatest grade on his dictation assignment, he did give me the idea of this unusual yet intriguing harmonic progression, which serves as the basis for this entire piece. For this I am indebted to him.

Those tender words is a poem of Rumi, the great Persian mystic. I had been wanting to set this beautiful text to music for quite some time. The harmonic inspiration that I just described allowed this to happen.

The piece is dedicated to the wonderful Riverside City College Chamber Singers, directed by John Byun, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the 2017 ACDA National Conference in Minneapolis. There, the choir gave the world premiere performance of my Alleluia, which is also published by Alliance Music Publications.

Ivo Antognini

recording performed by Conspirare,
Craig Hella Johnson, director
Austin, Texas

Click here to see a sample.

Click here to listen to a recording (MP3).



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