Creating Meaningful Connections through a Collaborative Commission

At a time when social divisiveness is on constant display and our differences are highlighted in a contentious way, choral music that brings communities together and focuses on shared values is more important than ever. Well-crafted and meaningful repertoire creates a lens through which young singers can focus on their community and develop a meaningful value system. As youth choir directors, we often find ourselves searching for a deeper pool of new repertoire with inventive texts that appeals to younger singers.

The choirs of the Lake Superior Youth Chorus (LSYC) recently had a mountaintop collaborative experience with a well-known choral composer, in which singers of all ages and audience members were transformed by a newly composed choral work. Throughout the process, the directors of LSYC and the composer engaged in important conversations about the creation of well-crafted and meaningful composition for all types of choral ensembles, in this case, composition for youth choruses. We discussed creating a new work that reflected the beauty of our geographic area, contained a distinct style and aesthetic, and was developmentally appropriate for our singers.

Here’s how this collaboration came into being: prior to our 2015-2016 Concert Season, the directors of LSYC decided to commission a children’s choral composition where the technical craft was imaginatively blended with the communicability of the text. LSYC was awarded an Arts Learning Grant through the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council. The grant required that our singers interact with our guest artist and have a hand in the creation of new art, resulting in a performance of the collaborative work. For this task we turned to composer and native Minnesotan, Dr. Eric William Barnum, who was intrigued by the idea of culling poetry from the singers in the natural setting of our annual outdoor retreat. Barnum, recognized for his intricate blending of text and music, has frequently spoken on the role poetry plays in his compositions. In his 2014 presentation “Telling Stories” he noted that, “like a sculptor, [he] finds the inspiration from within the poetry and then by his hand, the music comes to life.”

Barnum and the directors of LSYC decided that the singers’ contribution to the new work would be the creation of a brand new text combining the beauty of the Lake Superior area and the beauty of singing. “To me, choosing a text that I can connect with is the most important aspect of a piece,” says the composer. “So, we decided to let the students’ voices speak and have them create the text of this new work. The Lake Superior area is a magical place where the beauty of nature is something its residents are very connected to and very proud of.” Associate Artistic Director Jennifer Robbins noted, “Creating, rehearsing, and performing a work to which all participants have a distinctively intimate connection is a powerful mechanism for building community. Collaborative repertoire has the potential to underscore the values and shared experiences that bring singers from different backgrounds together to breathe as one.”

During LSYC’s fall retreat at an outdoor camp, Barnum led the students in a reflection about why they loved singing with LSYC, why they loved living in the Lake Superior area, and how singing and nature are comparable. Throughout the two day camp, the singers became extremely connected as they brainstormed and reflected about these questions. The students wrote down their observations and shared them with the large group, the staff took notes about what the singers said during the conversation, and Dr. Barnum took all of this writing back with him.

Singers enjoyed the experience of being involved in creating the text. 14-year-old Kierney said, “I really liked that we got to contribute to the lyrics, because I remember what I wrote down [at camp], and then hearing it in the piece was really cool.” Mrs. Robbins added, “The fall retreat brainstorming sessions were fascinating and revealing; it was an amazing feeling to observe a singer, who does not normally, unleash a stunning poetic idea.”

Over the next several months, Barnum compiled the singers’ observations. “Once the text was in place, I wanted to compose a melody that was easily singable; something that had an almost folk-like quality.”

A challenge for Barnum was composing this piece for the entire LSYC organization. The directors and composer decided that each choir should be featured for a portion of the piece, and writing for LSYC’s Level I choir (grades 3 through 5) presents very different challenges and opportunities than writing for the Level III choir (grades 7 through 10). Barnum addressed this challenge by working closely with Artistic Director Bret Amundson to better understand the vocal ranges and abilities of each choir. He assigned the primary melodic material for the Level I choir, and wrote increasingly complex parts appropriate to the respective Level II and Level III choirs. “I was really impressed with Dr. Barnum’s attentiveness to our particular organization and investment in our singers. He was committed to writing a piece that reflected who we are as an organization and that fit our singers’ voices like a tailored suit,” reflected Dr. Amundson.

“The Choristers immediately connected with the text upon introduction and, by the end of the first rehearsal, singers were performing from their hearts. Students readily took ownership of the piece because the text spoke to them on multiple levels,” said Assistant Artistic Director Sarah Cohen. Julian, age 10, shared that his “favorite part about ‘I Sing of the Northland’ is that it starts out with a question.” Dr. Cohen continues that, “Young singers are longing to create meaning in their lives and Dr. Barnum crafted a way to honor their words, bringing to life their vision of the community in which they live. Any time the Choristers began singing their opening section, both in rehearsal and performance, singers lit up in the most deep, honest way.”

Barnum visited our choirs again the week of the premiere. Students appreciated the experience of getting to sing for the composer and hear about his conception of the piece. 14-year-old Izak said, “I liked getting to ask [Barnum] questions, because you got to know a lot about the creative process.” 10-year-old Jenaya noted, “I liked learning about how [Barnum] turned our words into poems and then into music.”

The premiere performance of “I Sing of the Northland” was a moving experience for both singers and audience members. “Because I run things ‘behind the scenes’, the first time I truly heard the piece in its entirety was at the premiere performance,” said Jennifer Campbell, Choir Coordinator. “As I sat in the audience listening to Dr. Barnum’s glorious music in combination with the singers’ reflective lyrics and soaring voices, I was completely overcome by pure joy and pride in how far the singers and the entire LSYC organization has come. It was futile to try to hold back the tears, especially being six months pregnant!”

Creative choral collaboration, carefully planned and crafted, is a community building experience for singers, directors, composer, and families. This collaborative commission gave the singers of the Lake Superior Youth Chorus the opportunity to grow as an ensemble and as a community. Jennifer Campbell summarized the experience perfectly, stating, “Even now as I await the birth of my first child, it gives me hope to see that, though there is so much destruction in the world, a collaborative spirit that produces such great beauty still exists, inspiring our youth to work together and embrace their common humanity.”

“I Sing of the Northland” text:

Where can I feel alive and free as a bird in the sky

Learning to fly, soaring high above the sunset?

 

I sing of the sun shining over the water,

I sing of the snow falling onto the mountain,

I sing of the radiant colors of autumn,

I sing of the Northland my beautiful home.

 

The wind blows strong amid the trees;

They sway and rustle and toss their colorful leaves.

 

Where can I feel the wild and never ending waves

Beat on the dim and distant shore,

Crashing white and evermore?

So calm, but powerful, beautiful.

 

I sing of the sun shining over the water,

I sing of the snow falling onto the mountain,

I sing of the radiant colors of autumn,

I sing of the Northland my beautiful home.

 

The bridge lifts high overhead.

The boats race fast, far down below.

 

People are running and laughing and swimming and

Playing and biking and fishing and skiing and jumping and

Singing and dancing and hoping for more.

 

I sing of the sun shining over the water,

I sing of the snow falling onto the mountain,

I sing of the radiant colors of autumn,

I sing of the Northland my beautiful home.