She Rises
Poet/Lyricist:
Catherine Dalton
A jubilant celebration of energy and a reminder of the light that resides without and within all of us.
Premiere:
Aurora Chorus, Joan Szymko, director
Level:
Mod-Advanced
| Item | Voicing | Media | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSP-109-05D | SSAA double choir, a cappella |
Vox Femina Los Angeles, Iris Levine, conductor |
$2.45 | |
| HSPD-109-05Ddigital download | SSAA double choir, a cappella | $1.47 | ||
| HSP-109-06D | TTBB double choir, a cappella |
|
$2.45 | |
| HSPD-109-06Ddigital download | TTBB double choir, a cappella | $1.47 |
Text:
She Rises
She rises up from the heather.
Her flame in hand, she crosses the sky.
When she's tired she lays down her head.
In the sweet heather, she makes her bed.
All night we tend to her flame,
her sacred light, eternal and bright.
When she wakes, she'll open her eyes.
Then up from the heather, she'll again rise.
She flames the poet's pen,
fires the forge and hearth,
lights the fire within.
Copyright © Catherine Dalton 2012
Program Notes:
A very popular piece for high school through professional treble choirs, "She Rises" was written, in part, by a desire to explore the physics of light and the mystery of illumination through the power of the human voice. I began by imagining the sounds of electrons falling from higher to lower energy levels, emitting light in the process. For a few weeks, I walked around making "sun sounds" and asking other people what they thought the sun "sounded" like.
I was surprised, at one point, to hear a Celtic-style melody find its way into the composition. This melody inspired the lyrics for "She Rises" which speak of the Celtic sun goddess, Brigid, and of St. Brigid of Kildare, the Irish saint of, among other things, poetry, the hearth fire, the forge and illumination. A jubilant celebration of energy, She Rises is a reminder of the light that resides without and within all of us.
Critical Acclaim:
"‘She Rises’ by Catherine Dalton combines an evocative Celtic melody with vocal and foot percussion reminiscent of the ancient primal pulse of the bodhrán and bones." Lauri D. Goldenhersh, Singerpreneur, March 28, 2014
“Seeing the Divine in All”...could be said to be a thread that ran through the entire concert, never more bracingly than when former Cantus member Aaron Humble’s arrangement of “Still, Still, Still” gave way to an inspired Connie Wanek poem about motherhood (“Long Nights”) and a fierce Catherine Dalton song of maternal strength, “She Rises.” - Ron Hubbard, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Dec 13, 2018
A powerful and energetic piece with Celtic flavors, this score is meant to remind us of the light within each person. Although the double choir voicing looks daunting, conductors of advanced high school treble ensembles (as well as collegiate and community treble choirs) should take a serious look at this score. There is unison singing, stomping, vocal effects, and dramatic melodic figures. The teaching possibilities of this work are vast and students will be engaged in this work at every step. Hear a recording and see a score at www.jwpepper.com as well as the composer’s website. Matthew Culloton, Artistic Director, The Singers, ACDA-MN Pick 6