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.
Soprano1
Soprano2
Alto1
Alto2
Piano
Mm Mm
Mm Mm
(for rehearsal)
Mm
S1
I Am a Face *AHammondB3organ,orequivalent,wouldalsobenice
Atempo 8
Pno. poco rit. Mm Mm Mm Mm
2 Oo Oo Oo Oo
Solo S1 S2 A1
A2 Pno.
Mm
Mm
face!Doyou
loveme?Wouldyoure
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2 Pno.
spectme?Inmy
Oo Oo
Oo Oo
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2
soul,behindmy
Iamasoul,
Iamasoul,
Iamasoul,
Iamasoul,
Pno.
journeytobeme.
Mm
Mm Mm
eyes.Iam behindmyeyes.
behindmyeyes.
behindmyeyes.
behindmyeyes.
tobeme.
tobeme. tobeme. tobeme.
love,beneathmyskin.
love,skin.
love,be
love,be
love,skinbe
Solo S1
S2 A1 A2
Thereiscom
neathmyskin.
neathmyskin.
neathmyskin.
Pno.
passion,inmy
tears.Isingof
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2
3 hopethroughthewordsI
Isingofhope
Isingofhope
Pno.
tears. tears.
inmytears.
inmytears.
speak.IIama
wordsIspeak.
wordsIspeak.
thewordsIspeak.
thewordsIspeak.
Solo S1
S2 A1
A2
Pno.
Solo S1 S2
A1
face!
A2
Pno.
face!Iama
Iamaface!
Iama Iama
Iama
Iama DoyouseeDoyouseeDoyouseeme?
face!
face!
3
face!Iama
Doyouseeme? face!seeme face!seeme
Iamaface!
face! face!Iama Iamaface!
Doyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyou
Iama
Iama
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2 Pno.
Iama
face!Iama
Iama
Iama
Mm
Mm
Pno.
face!
face!
face!
face!
face!
Iama Mm Mm Mm
37
Solo S1
S2 A1 A2
Pno.
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2
3 seeme?Ane
Mm Mm
Mm Mm
3 nigmabehindmysmile.
Oo
knowme,orunder Ah Ah Ah Ah
standme,Iwillbe understand understand
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2
42 3
Pno.
proudproudtotellyou
Iwillbeproud
Iwillbeproud
whoIam.
whoIam.
whoIam.
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2
Pno.
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2
Pno.
Ahdiff'rence
Ahdiff'rence
diff'rencewithmylife.
diff'rencewithmylife.
strong.Youwill strong. strong.
strong.
strong.
Noholding
withmylife.
withmylife.
knowthatIamhere. strong. thatIam thatIam
here. here.
thatIamhere.
Iama
thatIamhere.
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2
Pno.
face!
face!Iama
Iamaface!
Iama
Iama
face!
3 face!Iama
Doyouseeme?
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2 Pno.
Doyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyou
face!Iama
face!Iama face!
Iamaface!
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2
60
(Optional: chorus members begin to remove their face coverings and point to their faces)
myface!
face!Thisismy Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
Pno.
Iama
face!
face!Iama
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy face!This face!This
Doyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyou
face!Thisismy
face!
Doyouseeme?
face!Thisismy
Solo S1 S2
A1 A2
myface!Thisismyface...myface
face!Thisismy Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
DoyouseeDoyouseeDoyouseeme?
face!
Pno.
Solo S1 S2 A1
A2
myface!
face!Thisismy
face!Thisismy
Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
Pno.
Doyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyoudoyou
3
face!Thisismy
Doyouseeme?
face!Thisismy
Solo S1 S2 A1 A2
See!
Thisismy...
Thisismy...
Thisismy
See!
Thisismy
Thisismy
Thisismy
Thisismyface! face!
face!Thisismy
Thisismyface!
Pno.
Thisismy
Solo S1 S2
A1
Thisismy
face!Thisismy
A2
Thisismyface!
face!
face!Thisismy
Thisismyface!
face!Thisismy
Thisismyface! face! face!Thisismy
Iama
face!
face!
face!Thisismy
face!
Pno.