morena faceira
4-Part - Sheet Music

Choral SATB chorus

SKU: ES.S-421

Composed by Daniel Afonso. Arranged by Jr. Daniel Afonso. Secular. Octavo. With Text language: Portuguese (Brazil). Earthsongs #S-421. Published by Earthsongs (ES.S-421).

Morena Faceira is based on two different folk songs from the state of Sao Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. They are documented in an anthology of Brazilian folk music entitled Melodias Registradas por Meios Naifo-MecaiaEURsnicos, by Oneyda Alvarenga (Discoteca PuiAblica Municipal, Sao Paulo, 1946). Neither song is associated with any particular event, festivity, or ritual. Morena FaceiraaEURthe first songaEURsimply describes a beautiful and charming brunette woman. The second song, originally titled Chiquinha (possibly in reference to a real person), are the words from a boy who is asking a brunette (Chiquinha) for a kissaEURand he promises her that no one will see it!

This work tries to portray that initial spark that we experience when we first fall in love with someone: that feeling that is a combination of excitement, curiosity, enthusiasm, joy, and stupidity! We can only see the other person's qualities and cannot stop thinking about that first kiss.... The opening fanfare (with body percussion as drums) sets the overall character of the piece as fun, with a strong rhythmic drive. If claps are not possible, singers can slap their thighs on the side instead. It is very important that as many singers as possible do the body percussion.

If the tenor part in mm. 39 through 54 is too low for the tenors, feel free to have some baritones sing that melody with them and/or adjust the dynamic level of the other parts so that the main theme sung by the tenors can still be heard clearly.