The Sense of a Place Will Remain
4-Part - Digital Sheet Music

Choral Choir (SATB) - Digital Download

SKU: A0.835786

Composed by Paul Burnell. Contemporary. Octavo. 124 pages. Paul Burnell #3405305. Published by Paul Burnell (A0.835786).

Composed 2007, duration 8:30 approx.

The music and text of ‘The Sense of a Place Will Remain’ was inspired by pictures of an early carved stone cross and a tenth-century Viking burial stone on the island of Inchcolm in Scotland.

First performed by Inchcolm New Music Ensemble 29 June 2007, conductor Steve King.

 

Instrumentation is flexible; the following is a guide:

Part 1 - Violin 1, flute 1 (doubling piccolo if possible) oboe 1,

Part 2 - Violin 2, flute 2, oboe 2 (doubling tenor recorder if possible), clarinet 1, trumpet

Part 3 - Viola, clarinet 2, horn in F, Eb horn (2 players doubling harmonicas in C)

Part 4 - Cello, bassoon

Part 5 - Double bass, bass guitar (or Cello 2 - playing as if usual bass clef, but an octave lower where possible)

SATB voices (doubling metal spoons and pitch pipes)

Optional:

Percussion (one player) - claves, glockenspiel (could be a child’s toy instrument such as an ‘Angel’ glockenspiel), mark tree, spring drum (thunder shaker), frame drum, musical jewelry box (or similar clockwork device).Should a glockenspiel not be available, a special part has been created which arranges the glockenspiel for two flutes, together with the other percussion music. This special part is not visible in the score.

Keyboard instrument with sustaining capability - piano sound

 

Instructions:

Wind players can breathe ad lib. during any very long notes. From letter D onwards non-wind players who are not soloists blow across the top of small bottles. The pitches produced are not specified, but they should not be shrill. A soft breathy tone is preferred.

About half of the voices play pairs of metal spoons (share printed part between two singers and anyone not holding the music holds metal spoons). Hold the spoons one in each hand, and strike the larger ends together. Spoons are struck together where shown with a large patterned note head. Strike rapidly where a tremolo sign is given.

Four singers play pitch tuning pipes: 1 Soprano and 1 Alto play viola/cello pitch tuning pipes, 1 Tenor and 1 Bass play violin pitch tuning pipes

Pitch pipe playing is indicated with square note heads - player should breathe ad lib. during very long notes. Where there are very long sung notes, the singers may stagger breathing ad lib. Spoken sounds are indicated with x note heads and with the text in italics.

There are many pauses. These can be of varying duration, but on the whole they should not hold up the momentum of the piece, but be of sufficient duration to establish the solo and pitch pipe notes.

 

Text:

Carve stone

Strike out

Stay at home

Or go far alone.

Blocks of stone are laid

Emblazoned with the signs of great deeds

That signify our memory,

Mem’ries of who we are.

Careful carvings erode through time,

Chiseled grooves smooth away.

Families, they scatter and fade

As generations age

Descendants pass on memory time.

Sense of our allegiance shifts when major faults are found,

Feelings of belonging fall on shaky ground,

But the sense of a place will remain.