Let Your Life Sing
by Laura Farnell
SSA - Sheet Music

SSA choir, piano (SSA choir)

SKU: AN.AMP-1113

Composed by Laura Farnell. Octavo. Alliance Music Publications #AMP 1113. Published by Alliance Music Publications (AN.AMP-1113).

Farnell.

Let Your Life Sing is based on and inspired by Amy Lowell's poem, Listening,included in its entirety below. The poem conveys the idea that singing frees thebeautiful essence of an individual (including all his or her songs, thoughts, anddoings) and that each person's essence is the true music, rather than the song itself.The added chorus text was inspired by a quote from Fredrick Buechner andencourages one to discover both his or her own unique passion, as well as to findhow that passion can meet the world's needs.

Lowell's rich, descriptive writing lends itself to text painting, or capturing a textualidea through the motifs and patterns of the music. Strive for expressive singingthroughout, especially in portions of the piece (such as m 37-55) where text paintingis prevalent. Also, listen for the many iterations of the opening Let your life singmotif, which is repeated to highlight the text's urgency and importance. Finally, asyou perform this piece, seek not only to share the text's meaning with your audience,but also to internalize and live out its message.

Laura Farnell

'Tis you that are the music, not your song.
The song is but a door which, opening wide,
Lets forth the pent-up melody inside,
Your spirit's harmony, which clear and strong
Sings but of you. Throughout your whole life long
Your songs, your thoughts, your doings, each divide
This perfect beauty; waves within a tide,
Or single notes amid a glorious throng.
The song of earth has many different chords;
Ocean has many moods and many tones
Ye t always ocean. In the damp Spring woods
The painted trillium smiles, while crisp pine cones
Autumn alone can ripen. So is this
One music with a thousand cadences.