I Am A Face!
I am a face!
Do you see me?
A face unknown within a crowd! Would you love me? Would you respect me? In my journey to be me.
I am a soul, behind my eyes. I am love, beneath my skin. There is compassion, in my tears. I sing of hope through the words I speak.
I am a face!
Do you see me?
I am a face!
An enigma behind my smile. And if you do not know me or understand I will be proud to tell you who I am.
I am a face!
I am resolved!
to make a difference with my life. No holding back. Resilient and strong You will know that I am here.
I am a face!
Do you see me?
This is my face!
I am a face!
Maya Angelou said, “All of us carry the burden of an untold story!” We will pass by people through our lifetime and never know them, nor will ever see them again. Yet as we pass themwe might wonder what is going on in the life of the person whose face is observed through oureyes as we encounter them.
I AM A FACE conveys the message that there is a story to thefaces we see before us. Faces, that yearn to be noticed, accepted, loved, affirmed for theuniqueness of who they are. This choral work is about every human being, not just a selected group. Individual or social circumstance. Robert Cohen has set my text in a powerful statementof our individual worth. And through the voices of those who sing its message, we will affirmand respect the life behind every face we meet and celebrate that each of us can proclaim, I AM A FACE!
---Ronald W. Cadmus, LyricistOptional Performance Note
The chorus can begin with some kind of mask so we're unable to see their faces clearly. At a point, indicated in the score (that point is flexible), these face coverings are removed and the singers step forward towards the audience. The conductor should feel free to employ choreography and other dramatic effects. This is a piece with a statement to be made and it should be made forcefully and dynamically.
Soprano
Alto
Tenor Bass
Piano*
Mm Mm
Mm Mm
(for rehearsal)
Mm
S A T B Pno.
I Am a Face *AHammondB3organ,orequivalent,wouldalsobenice
Atempo 8
Ah
Oo Oo Oo Oo
poco rit. Mm Mm Mm Mm
Solo S A T B Pno.
Solo S A
T B
Iama
Mm
Mm
Mm
Mm
3 face!Doyou Mm Mm
Pno.
knownwithinacrowd! Oo Oowith Oowith
Oowith
Wouldyou inacrowd!
Solo S A T B Pno.
spectme?Inmy
Oo Oo
Oo Oo
18
soul,behindmy
Iamasoul,
Iamasoul,
Iamasoul,
Iamasoul,
journeytobeme.
---3
eyes.Iam behindmyeyes.
love,skin.
love,be
love,be
Solo S A T B
Pno.
Solo S A T B
Thereiscom
neathmyskin.
neathmyskin.
passion,inmy
Ahinmy
Ahinmy Ah Ah Ooinmy
3 hopethroughthewordsI
Isingofhope
Isingofhope
Pno.
tears.Isingof tears. tears. inmytears.
speak.IIama
wordsIspeak.
thewordsIspeak.
Solo S A T B
Pno.
face!
Solo S A T B
Pno.
face!Iama
Iamaface!
Iama Iama
Iama
Iama
DoyouseeDoyouseeDoyouseeme?
face!
face!
3
face!Iama
Doyouseeme?
face!
face!seeme
face!
face!Iama
Iamaface!
Iama
Iama
face!
Iamaface!
Iama
Iama
Iama
Doyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyou
face!Iama
Iamaface!
Solo S A
T B Pno.
face!Iama Iama Iama
Mm
face!
face!
face!
face!
face!
Iama
37
Solo S A T B Pno.
40
Solo S A T B
3 seeme?Ane
Mm
Mm
Mm
Mm
3 nigmabehindmysmile.
Oo
standme,Iwillbe understand understand
42
Solo S A T B
Pno.
3
proudproudtotellyou
Iwillbeproud
Iwillbeproud
whoIam.
whoIam.
whoIam.
Solo S A T B
Pno.
Solo S A T B
Pno.
Ahdiff'rence
Ahdiff'rence
diff'rencewithmylife.
diff'rencewithmylife.
strong.Youwill
strong.
strong.
strong.
strong.
Noholding
Solo S A T B Pno.
face!
Iamaface! face! Iama Iama Iama Solo S A T B Pno. 55 Iama Iama
face!Iama
Iamaface!
Iama
Iama
Doyouseeme?
face!
DoyouseeDoyouseeDoyouseeme?
57
Solo S A T B
Doyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyou
face!Iama
Iamaface!
myface!
face!Thisismy Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
face!
11
Iama Iama face!ama
face!This
Solo S A T B
Pno.
Solo S A T B
12
myface!Thisismyface...myface
face!Thisismy Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
Pno.
myface!
face!Thisismy Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
face!
DoyouseeDoyouseeDoyouseeme?
See! Thisismy... Thisismy... Thisismy Thisismy div. div.
Solo S A T B
See!
See!
Pno.
Thisismy...
Thisismy
Thisismy...
Thisismy
Thisismy
Thisismy
Solo S A T B
Thisismyface!
face!
Thisismyface!
Thisismy
Thisismy
face!Thisismy
Thisismyface!
face!
Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
Iama
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
Pno.