Music>SATB Choral

Little Birds

Kimberly Barclay and I were students together at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and we sang in all of the choirs together, which is to say that we spent 99% of all our time together. She is a blast to be around, has a gorgeous soprano voice, plays piano like a maniac, and as soon as she graduated she was snatched up by the school district and given a brand new high school. It came as no surprise that she build a world-class choral program in just a few short years.

Ms. Broccoli (as I love to call her) commissioned me from her own pocket to write a piece for her women’s chorus, so I found a beautiful Octavio Paz poem and set it in its original Spanish. The work is an homage to Gabriel Faure, with its running piano part and fluid sensual melodies. At the end of the piece the conductor claps his/her hands and all of the singers shake a piece of white paper into the air, emulating the sound of a tree full of birds taking flight.

This version (SATB) was commissioned by Dr. Bruce Mayhall (again from his own pocket) for the Delaware Junior All-State Choir. Little Birds is dedicated to my crazy friend and fantastic conductor, Ms. Kimberly Barclay.

Little Birds

Noon
Light unblinking,
time empty of minutes,
a bird stopped short in air.

Later
Light flung down,
the pillars awake
and, without moving, dance.

Full Sun
The time is transparent:
even if the bird is invisible,
let us see the color of his song.

Octavio Paz, 1914-1998

8 Comments

  1. Brad Sampson on April 10, 2010 at 1:31 pm Reply

    I love this piece! My high school choir sang it to open our performance at the American Choral Director's Association Western Regional Convention. I love the building tumult in the crescendo into "De su canto"! The ending is especially magical!

    Thanks!

     

  2. Davis Good on April 14, 2010 at 2:37 am Reply

    I can't believe I've never heard this one before. I enjoy it immensely!

     

  3. Courtney Lea K on April 14, 2010 at 6:48 am Reply

    Why haven't I heard this piece before?! lol It's really…interesting – in a good way. The beginning startled me though haha. The sounds effects were pretty sweet too!

    The piano accompaniment reminds me a lot of Isaac Shepard.

     

  4. Chris on April 16, 2010 at 11:36 am Reply

    I too have never heard this one. Don't know why! This is awesome!

     

  5. Robert Morie on April 24, 2010 at 9:51 am Reply

    This is awesome… and thanks because it helped a lot… just about showtime. Thanks again!

     

  6. Tyler Riggs on September 1, 2011 at 8:35 pm Reply

    I have actually sung this piece before for a competition set for a chamber choir in high school. It’s an impressive piano piece as well as a phenomenal choral work! The beauty of the Spanish is great along with the chords! Very cool piece, though I am a bit sad that it wasn’t included in the “Light and Gold” CD. :-( When is your next CD coming out, Eric? I would love to be the first one to purchase it!!!!

     

  7. Christine Pratt on September 13, 2011 at 1:59 pm Reply

    My High School Choir called Choir of the Titans is performing this song this year. I am SUPER EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     

  8. Polly Black on November 7, 2011 at 2:06 pm Reply

    Where can I get the sheet music to this piece?!

     
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