Finally On My Way To Yes - cover - NEW · 2017-02-14 · Finally On My Way To Yes - Choral Score 7...

Elizabeth Alexander

Seafarer Press

SEA-019-00 - SHEET MUSIC

Finally On My

Way To

Yes

Poem by Pesha Gertler

SSATB and piano

Please do not photocopy this score. Composing is my livelihood. Additional copies of this music may be

purchased at www.seafarerpress.com or through any music dealer.

The Healing Time

Finally on my way to yes

I bump into

all the places

where I said no

to my life

all the untended wounds

the red and purple scars

those hieroglyphs of pain

carved into my skin, my bones,

those coded messages

that send me down

the wrong street

again and again

where I find them

the old wounds

the old misdirections

and I lift them

one by one

close to my heart

and I say holy

holy.

Pesha Gertler

Copyright © 1994 by Pesha Gertler. Reprinted by permission of the author. All rights reserved.

The extended solo near the end of Finally On My Way To Yes was originally intended to be sung

by any female voice part: soprano, mezzo, or alto. In subsequent performances of this song,

several choirs have chosen to use male or multiple soloists, which can be quite effective as long

as balance is maintained between all of the singers.

In the soloist’s part, the chantlike opening notes (mm.176-189) and the brief reprise of

“finally on my way” (mm.208-210) are to be sung as written, but everywhere else, free

improvisation is encouraged. On pages 22-23 and 26-27, the music in the small staves may be

used as inspiration, actual material or a combination of the two.

In my “examples” of improvisation, I have offered a wide range of musical possibilities. Some

phrases are best suited to a voice with a powerful high range, while others call for deep, low

soulful notes. The soloist is encouraged to explore the material which feels most expressive in

her own voice — perhaps using other words from the song such as “one by one” or “again and

again” — or incorporating gospel-style techniques like slides and humming.

If vocal improvisation is a new experience for the soloist, you might consider making a rehearsal

tape of the repeated passage on pages 22 and 23, so that she can experiment with the tape outside

of rehearsal. - E.A.



Soprano I

Soprano II

Alto

Tenor

Bass

Piano

With passion ( h = 92)

playfully

mf

Pno

5

© 2000 by Elizabeth Alexander

Pno

11

22

34

22

34

22

34

22

34

22

34

22

34

22

34

22

22

34

34

Elizabeth Alexander

Commissioned by Out Loud Chorus of Ithaca, NY

for SSATB and piano

Finally On My Way To Yes

Pesha Gertler

m.d.

m.s.

m.s.

m.d.

Seafarer Press / SEA-019-00



Pno

16

Pno

22

mp

S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

Fi

p

nal ly on my

26

Fi

p

nal ly on my

Fi

p

nal ly on my

Fi

p

nal ly on my

Fi

p

nal ly on my

murmuring

p

22

22

22

34

22

34

34

22

34

22

34

22

34

22

34

22

34

22

34

22


Finally On My Way To Yes - Choral Score2



S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

way, my way, my way, my

mp

way,

32

way, my way, my way my

mp

way,

way, my way, my way, my

mp

way,

way, my way, my

mp

way,

way, my way, my

mp

way,

mf

Pno

37

34

34

m.s.

m.d.


Finally On My Way To Yes - Choral Score 3

Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret & George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous

web designer B Scott Bates, poet B Abbie Betinis, composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael

deVernon Boblett, poet B Ray Bradbury, writer B Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey,

poet B Emily Dickinson, poet B Evelyn Dudley, poet B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer

B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher,

composer/teacher B Paul Gerike, proofreader B Steve Harper, technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web

designer B Edie Hill, composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa,

composer/teacher B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet

B Jonathan Machen, artist B Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet B J. David Moore, composer/colleague B Joan Wolf

Prefontaine, poet B Gerald Rich, poet B Carl Sandburg, poet B King Sigismund III, religious reformer B Steven

Stucky, composer/teacher B Rabindranath Tagore, poet B Howard Thurman, civil rights leader/writer B John

Greenleaf Whittier, poet B Theodore Chickering Williams, poet B Daniel Winter, pianist/teacher B Nancy Wood,

poet B Yehudi Wyner, composer/teacher B Paul Adams, technical advisor B Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret &

George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous web designer B Scott Bates, poet B

Abbie Betinis, composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael deVernon Boblett, poet B Ray

Bradbury, writer B Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey, poet B Emily Dickinson, poet

B Evelyn Dudley, poet B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer

B Pesha Gertler, poet B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher, composer/teacher B Paul Gerike,

proofreader B Steve Harper, technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web designer B Edie Hill,

composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa, composer/teacher

B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet B Jonathan Machen,

artist B Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet B J. David Moore, composer/colleague B Joan Wolf Prefontaine, poet B Gerald

Rich, poet B Carl Sandburg, poet B King Sigismund III, religious reformer B Steven Stucky, composer/teacher B

Rabindranath Tagore, poet B Howard Thurman, civil rights leader/writer B John Greenleaf Whittier, poet B

Theodore Chickering Williams, poet B Daniel Winter, pianist/teacher B Nancy Wood, poet B Yehudi Wyner,

composer/teacher B Paul Adams, technical advisor B Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret & George Alexander, parents

B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous web designer B Scott Bates, poet B Abbie Betinis,

composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael deVernon Boblett, poet B Ray Bradbury, writer B

Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey, poet B Emily Dickinson, poet B Evelyn Dudley, poet

B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet

B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher, composer/teacher B Paul Gerike, proofreader B Steve Harper,

technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web designer B Edie Hill, composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet

B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa, composer/teacher B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller

B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet B Jonathan Machen, artist B Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet B J.

David Moore, composer/colleague B Joan Wolf Prefontaine, poet B Gerald Rich, poet B Carl Sandburg, poet B King

THIS PAGE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.

(YOU KNOW WHY.)

A COMPLETE PERUSAL COPY MAY BE PURCHASED

FROM ELIZABETH ALEXANDER AT

Seafarer PressSeafarer PressSeafarer PressSeafarer Presswww.seafarerpress.com

A LOT OF HARD WORK &CREATIVITY

WENT INTO BRINGING

THIS MUSIC TO YOU...

...AND SOME OF IT

WAS EVEN MINE.



S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

way, Fi

mp

nal ly

52

way, Fi

mp

nal ly

way, Fi

mp

nal ly

way, Fi

mp

nal ly

way, Fi

mp

nal ly

mf

S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

on my way to

rallentando

rallentando

57

on my way to

on my way to

on my way to

on my way to





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

spoken, half-whispered: mp

yes

A tempo

A tempo

62


yes


yes


yes


yes

mp

marcato

sfz

T

B

Pno

I

p

bump in to all the plac -

66

I

p

bump in to all the plac -

sfz sfz

sfz

m.s.m.d.





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

no

sfz-p

to my life

mf70

no

sfz-p

to my life

mf

no

sfz-p

to my life

mf

- es where I said no

sfz-p

to my life

mf

- es where I said no

sfz-p

to my life

mf

sfz

(mp)

T

B

Pno

all

p

the un tend ed wounds

75

all

p

the un tend ed wounds

sfz sfz

(for rehearsal only)







































(YOU KNOW WHY.)





WENT INTO BRINGING


...AND SOME OF IT

WAS EVEN MINE.



S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

in to my skin,

mf

my

87

in to my skin,

mf

my

in to my skin,

mf

my

in to my skin,

mf

my

in to my skin,

mf

my

S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

bones

f90

bones

f

bones

f

bones

f

bones

f

f

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

3

3

3

3

3





Pno (mf)

92

marcato

Pno

94

S I

S II

A

Pno

crisply mp

those cod ed mes sag es

96

crisply mp


crisply mp


(m.s.)





S I

S II

A

Pno


98



S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

those cod ed mes sag es that send me down

mf

the wrong street a -

100


mf



mf


down

mf

the wrong

down

mf

the wrong

f

58

58

58

58

58

58

58







































(YOU KNOW WHY.)





WENT INTO BRINGING


...AND SOME OF IT

WAS EVEN MINE.



S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

- gain

114

- gain

- gain

- gain

- gain

crisply

(mf )

T

B

Pno

those

mf

cod ed mes sag es

120

those

mf

cod ed mes sag es

34

34

34

34

34

34

34





T

B

Pno

that send me down the wrong

126

that send me down the wrong

S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

132

a

mf

gain and a gain, a -

a

mf

gain and a gain, a -

street a gain and a gain and a -

street a gain and a gain and a -





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

137

- gain, a gain, a gain where I find

- gain, a gain, a gain where I find

- gain, and a gain and a gain where I find

- gain, and a gain and a gain where I find

S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

down

mf

the wrong street where I find

f

them

141

down

mf

the wrong street where I find

f

them

them, where I find

f

them

them, where I find

f

them

them, where I find

f

them

f





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

146

S I

S II

A

Pno

the

pp(h . = h = 56)

(h . = h = 56)

152

the

pp

the

pp

pp

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

22

(half-pedal with each chord)





S I

S II

A

Pno

old wounds the old

157

old wounds the old

old wounds the old

p pp

S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

mis di rec

mp

tions and

ppp

I

162

mis di rec

mp

tions and

ppp

I

mis di rec

mp

tions and

ppp

I

and

ppp

I

and

ppp

I

mp pp

3

3

3





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

lift

mp

them

167

lift

mp

them

lift

mp

them

lift

mp

them

lift

mp

them

mf p

bell-like

S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

one

p

by one by one by one by

172

one

p


one

p


one

p


one

p






S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

close

mp

to my heart, close

176

one, one by one,

one, one by one,

one, one by one,

one, one by one,

one, one by one,

Solo

3

(upper chords for rehearsal only)





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

to my heart, and I say:

181

one by one,

one by one,

one by one,

one by one,

one by one,

Solo

3 3

(upper chords for rehearsal only)





Pno

ho

tenderly

ly

186

tenderly

(p)

S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

ho ly,

190

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

Solo





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

ho ly,

194

Fi nal ly, fi nal ly, fi nal ly on my

way, ho ly, ho ly, ho ly, ho

ho ly, ho ly, ho ly,

ho

(p)

ly,

ho

(p)

ly,

ho

(p)

ly,

ho

(p)

ly,

ho

(p)

ly,

tenderly

Solo

Repeat ad libitum The examples below may be used as inspiration or as actual musical material.

Soloist improvises in a gospel style on "finally on my way," "holy," and/or "one by one."

Notes for improvisation include (but are not limited to) the notes of the key signature.

Dynamics, expression, and number of repeats may vary.

2nd time

through

3 3 3

3rd time

through

4th time

through

3 3

Repeat ad lib.

Repeat ad lib.

Ossia





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

ho ly

198

way, on my

ly Fi nal ly

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

Solo

3

3





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

ho ly,

202

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

mp

3





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

Fi nal ly on my

206

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

Solo

3





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

way,way, my way to yes

Senza misura, freely

Senza misura

Senza misura

210

my way to yes

my way to yes

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

ho ly,

(p)

Solo

Soloist improvises in a gospel style from here on out.

The three examples below may be used as inspiration or actual material.

port.

Other solo

possibilities:





S I

S II

A

T

B

Pno

oh yes, oh yes, oh yes

CONDUCTOR DIRECTS EACH NOTE

215



Fi nal ly I'm on my way





ad lib. under vocal improvisation

(p)

Solo

port.



Elizabeth Alexander spent her childhood in the Carolinas and Appalachian Ohio, the daughter of a

minister and a piano teacher. Her passion for language and music is reflected in her catalogue of over

100 songs and choral works, which have received many national and international awards.

Reviews of her music have referred to “the close personal resonance between the composer and the

words,” as well as her music’s “delicacy and sincerity,” “elegance,” and “freshness within a well-known

language.”

Performers of her orchestral and chamber music have included Charleston Symphony Orchestra,

Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, North/South Consonance, Society

for New Music, Affinity Chamber Players, and Sounds New. Her solo songs have enjoyed varied

interpretations by such artists as Bradley Greenwald, Andy Wilkowske, Ruth MacKenzie, and Janet

Youngdahl. Her choral music has been performed by thousands of choirs worldwide, including such

varied ensembles as VocalEssence, Elmer Iseler Singers, Gregg Smith Singers, New York Virtuoso

Singers, MUSE, San Francisco Gay Mens Chorus, Anima, many university and high school choruses,

and the entire student body of Waunakee Elementary School.

Among her composition teachers were Jack Gallagher at The College

of Wooster, and Steven Stucky, Yehudi Wyner and Karel Husa at

Cornell University, from which she received her doctorate in music

composition. A recent McKnight Composition Fellow, she has also

received awards, grants and fellowships from the Jerome Foundation,

New York Council on the Arts, Minnesota State Arts Board,

Wisconsin Arts Board, National Orchestral Association, International

League of Women Composers, and American Composers Forum.

Alexander lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she reads

voraciously, makes pretty good biscuits, and gardens during the three

month period in Minnesota which is not winter. When she is not

looking for excuses to visit her two fabulous grown sons, she is busy

working on her new music theater piece.

She believes she has the best job in the world.

www.elizabethalexander.com

Selected Choral Music by Elizabeth Alexander

April Rain Song (Langston Hughes) SATB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-006-01

Before the Bread (English folk prayer) SSSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-023-00

Blessed Be the Flower That Triumphs (Michael deVernon Boblett) SATB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-078-00

Cherish Your Doubt (Alexander) SATB & piano / SSAA & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-063-01 / SEA-063-02

Climb (Edna St. Vincent Millay) SATB & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-059-00

Dragon Dance (Elizabeth Alexander) S & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-001-00

Die Gedanken Sind Frei (155h century German protest song, arr.) SATB & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-087-00

The Earth Called To My Friend (Nancy Wood) SSA & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-057-00

Even a Fist Was Once an Open Palm (Yehuda Amichai) SATB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-026-01

Faith Is the Bird That Feels the Light (Rabindranath Tagore) SSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-068-00

Fighting Over What We Believe (Alexander) SAB youth choir, SATB & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-099-00

Finally On My Way To Yes (Pesha Gertler) SSATB & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-019-00

Folks, I’m Telling You (Langston Hughes) SSATB & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-027-00

For So the Children Come (Sophia Fahs) SATB & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-010-00

Glen Song (Scott Bates) SSATB & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-025-00

Go Out! (John Murray) SATB & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-081-00

I Write This Poem Out of Darkness (George Ella Lyon) SSA, flute, violin & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-024-00

If You Can Walk You Can Dance (Zimbabwean Proverb) SAB & piano / TTB & piano . . SEA-022-03 / SEA-022-05

Immortal Love (John Greenleaf Whittier) SATB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-017-00

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (arr. Polish carol) SSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-020-00

The Journey (Evelyn Dudley) TTBB / SATB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-075-00 / SEA-075-01

Jump! (Ray Bradbury) SSA & string quartet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-090-00

Life is not a Garden (Alexander) SATB & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-064-00

May This Be a Working Alleluia (Alexander) Children’s choir, SATB & piano (opt. flute & trumpets) . SEA-098-00

Morning Bread (Amy Lowell) SATB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-060-00

...or a musician (Philip Dacey) SATB & orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-007-00

A Palette To Paint Us As We Are (Gerald Rich) SA & piano / SATB & piano . . . . . . . . . SEA-014-00 / SEA-014-01

Praise Wet Snow Falling Early (Denise Levertov) SATB & piano SEA-015-00

Reasons for the Perpetuation of Slavery (Alexander) SSAA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-091-00

Spring Grass (Carl Sandburg) SATB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-006-03

They Have Freckles Everywhere (Alexander) SSAA & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-076-00

Those Who Wish To Sing Always Find a Song (Swedish proverb) SSS, oboe & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-022-01

To Make a Prairie (Emily Dickinson) SSA & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-016-00

Tomorrow, God Willing (Garrison Keillor) TTBB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-077-00

Trust the Seeds (Alexander) SATB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-009-00

We Lift Up Our Hearts (Richard Fewkes) Children’s choir, SATB & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-021-00

We Remember Them (Sylvan Kamens & Jack Riemer) SATB & piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-083-01

Where There Is Light in the Soul (Chinese proverb) SAB/SATB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-070-00 / SEA-070-01

When the Song of the Angels Is Stilled (Howard Thurman) SSAA / TTBB . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-062-04 / SEA-062-02

Why I Pity the Woman Who Never Spills (Joan Wolf Prefontaine) SSAA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-058-00

CD: Finally On My Way To Yes — Award-winning choral works by Elizabeth Alexander . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-CD-001

For more information about these and over 100 other choral pieces, visit:

Seafarer PressSeafarer PressSeafarer PressSeafarer Press ~ www.seafarerpress.com

Finally On My Way To Yes - cover - NEW · 2017-02-14 · Finally On My Way To Yes - Choral Score 7...

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