Sifting the Stars Soprano Voice - Digital Sheet Music

Composer’s Note - Sifting the Stars

In 2015 I was commissioned by Sydney Philharmonia Choirs to create a Christmas show for kids. Being me, I decided that I wanted to make it a narrative show because I’m ambitious that way. It was called Cog in the Machine (a family Christmas tale with a twist) and alongside the carols was a gentle commentary on the commercialisation of the festive season, and how our priorities of family celebration are often overshadowed by the extravagance of gift giving.

One of the main characters in the story is a smart, sassy teenage girl called Stella. She loves science, particularly astronomy (hence the name!) and it was therefore a family tradition for her to put the star on the top of the Christmas tree each year. This particular Christmas, she has a bit of a disagreement with her mother and as she’s putting the star on the tree, she goes into a kind of dream sequence, floating about the galaxies inside her head, trying to process her adolescent need for independence and protection in equal amounts. It’s a coming of age song.

-- Sally Whitwell