DP023
James Deignan
Next Year arr. for SATB and piano By Mark Sonnenblick, Shaina Taub, and Benj Pasek
About The Composer James Deignan is a composer of choral music and musical theater based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A proud Luther College graduate, James studied composition with Brooke Joyce and has been mentored by educators such as Andrew Last, Allen Hightower, and Phillip Shoultz, among others. James has been commissioned by Luther College's Collegiate Chorale and Nordic Choir; Turtle Creek Chorale; San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus; and many high school choral programs across the Midwest. He has also had his works performed by the Northern Arizona University Shrine of Ages Choir, North Dakota State University choirs, and various other university ensembles. James' music received its Carnegie Hall debut in 2019. He and his creative partner (and wife) Christine Deignan debuted their high school musical theater song cycle Primer in the fall of 2021. James sings baritone in the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, under the direction of Phillip Brunelle. James teaches music at PiM Arts High School, practices Buddhist meditation, and consumes lots of pop culture and politics in his free time.
Note From the Composer Saturday Night Seder was a virtual event of music and comedy developed quickly at the end of March 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. "Next Year" is a poignant number from the even still found on Youtube that grieves our current situation and imagines what life might be like when the pandemic stops dominating the headlines. The piece should be sung with a modern, pop sensibility (brighter vowels, less back space, oriented towards chest voice). The pianist and soloists are encouraged to improvise throughout.
Commissioned by Dr. Andrew Last and the Luther College Nordic Choir of Decorah, IA
Next Year By Mark Sonnenblick, Shaina Taub, and Benj Pasek
Simply, Lightly swung
Soprano
Tenor
Bass
Piano
Solo 1
When the world has turned grey
When the walls have grown nar - row
pianist and soloists are encouraged to improvise throughout
T.
A.
Pno
10
S.
B.
Alto
= 87
arr. by James Deignan
4
Solo 1
18
S.
T.
Pno
Solo 1
eans
crossed.
Cause next
we’ve al - rea - dy
As you won - der and won - der how long
-
day
re - mem - ber the des - erts and oc
day af - ter
you’ll stay lost
har - row - ing
T.
A.
Pno
26
S.
B.
And the head - lines are
A.
B.
5
Solo 1
34
S.
T.
Pno
Solo 1
the doors will break
we’re gon - na get
by
Though to -
we’ll breathe in the sky.
year
‘til it’s here.
next
op - en next year
un - cer - tain
year
- mor - row’s
T.
Pno
42
A.
next
S.
B.
year
A.
B.
So
here’s to next
6
Solo 1
50
S.
A.
T.
B.
Pno
Solo 2
S.
Pno
T.
year.
year.
year.
are
Next
Next
here’s to next
year,
stark
Oh,
Oh,
Oh,
here’s to next
here’s to next
year,
year,
here’s to next
Next
year,
Cause the days seem so
Next
plead - ing
here’s to next year.
here’s to next year.
here’s to next year.
here’s to next year.
falsetto
year
year
When the peo - ple
year
next
year
next
Oo
year.
next
Oo
next
58
A.
B.
Oo
Oo
year.
Oh,
7
Solo 2
66
S.
T.
Pno
Solo 2
S.
-
T.
Pno
er - y
har - den
A.
B.
73 -
er - y
out
your heart.
dark.
Oo
Oo
-
-
er
er
Oo
the worst will pass ov
The worst will pass ov
of the
you
har - den your heart
lead - ing
Oo
Oo
Oo
And where there’s no - bo - dy
Oo
A.
B.
Can’t let
can’t let
the mis-
Oo
Oo
one day the wat
the mis-
Oo
one day the wat
and
and
-
Oh
ers will
-
ers will
Oh
Oh
8
Solo 2
80
S.
part
T.
B.
Pno
Solo 2
S.
part
mm
breathe in
the sky.
year.
year.
year.
year.
mm
88
T.
Pno
A.
B.
Cause next year
mm
A.
Oo
next
year
Oo
next
year
next
year
Oo
Oo
here’s to
to
next year.
year
to
next year.
un
un
-
-
cer - tain
we’re gon - na
-
cer - tain
get
un
-
we’re gon - na
cer - tain
we’re gon - na
get
by
by
un
Next
we’re gon - na
get
Next
get
‘til
by
by
‘til
get
by
we’ll
cer - tain
Next
-
Next
un
year
we’re gon - na
cer - tain
next
next
next year.
next year.
to
Though to - mor - row’s
year
Though to - mor - row’s
op - en next year
next
Though to - mor - row’s
Though to - mor - row’s
Though to - mor - row’s
the doors will break
it’s clear.
it’s clear.
‘til
it’s clear.
‘til
it’s clear.
‘til
it’s clear.
9
S.
A.
T.
B.
Pno
S.
Here’s
Here’s
T.
B.
Pno
next
year.
to
next
year.
next
Here’s
to
year.
next
year.
So here’s to
next
Oo
next
next
year.
next
Oo
next
year.
Here’s
year.
Here’s
Next
Here’s
Next
year.
Here’s
year.
year.
Next
year.
year.
Next
Oo
year. Oo
to
to
Here’s
101
A.
Solo 2
94
to
next
to
next
to
to
next
next
10 Two ensemble members per repeat share a personal wish for a life no longer dominated by Covid-19. Conductor can encourage audience to join in on "Here's to next year" from here to the end of the piece.
S.
106 repeat x4 year.
A.
T.
B.
Pno
S.
A.
Pno
year.
year.
year.
114
T.
B.
one ensemble member per repeat shares a slightly longer statement on life after the pandemic
repeat x4
year.
year.
year.
year.
Next year,
Next year,
Next year,
Next year,
next year,
next year,
next year,
next year,
here’s to next
here’s to next
here’s to next
here’s to next
year.
year.
Here’s to
Here’s to
Here’s to
Here’s to
year.
year.
Here’s to
Here’s to
Here’s to
Here’s to
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
next
11
Solo 2
122
S.
A.
T.
B.
Pno
Solo 2
S.
year.
year.
year.
year.
year,
year,
T.
Pno
Next year,
Next year,
year,
year,
next
year,
year,
next
next
year,
year.
Here’s to next
Here’s to next
Here’s to next
Here’s to next
year,
next
next year.
Next year,
next year.
next year.
Next year,
next year.
130 year
A.
B.
final ensemble member wish
year.
worlds
will
Oh
next
Next
Next
break
year.
next
year.
Next
Next
op
-
en
next
year,
here’s
to
next
year,
here’s
to
next
year,
here’s
to
next
next
next
year,
here’s
next
to
next
12
Solo 2
134
year
S.
year.
A.
year,
T.
year.
B.
Pno
year.
year,
here’s
to
next
take
Next
year,
next
year,
Next
year,
Next
year,
next
all
this
stuff
a
next
year,
here’s
to
next
year,
next
year,
way
next
here’s
to
next
here’s
-
to
next
13
Solo 2
138
Solo 1
S.
year,
A.
year,
T.
year,
B.
Pno
year,
the world will break
next Oh,
next
next
next
next year.
next year.
Oh,
Oh,
next
next
Oh,
year.
next
next
year.
we’ll breathe in the sky
next
Oh,
next
year,
year,
Oh,
op - en
year,
Oh,
year,
Oh,
Here’s
to
next
Here’s
to
Here’s
to
Here’s
to
next
next
next
14
Solo 1
142
Next
Next
year.
A.
year.
T.
year.
year.
Pno
it’s gon - na be
S.
B.
Oh,
Oh,
Oh,
Next
Oh,
Next
bet - ter
it’s gon - na be bright - er
As you
next year.
next year.
year,
year,
year,
year,
Oh,
Oh,
Oh,
next
next
next
year.
next
Oh,
year.
next
next
year.
year.
15
Solo 2
Solo 1
148
A.
T.
B.
Pno
Solo 1
S.
T.
Pno
156
A.
B.
won - der and won - der how long you’ll stay lost
S.
Oo
year
next
next
year
year
al - rea - dy
year
next
next
Oo
Oo
Oo
des - erts we’ve
re - mem - ber the oc - eans and
cros - sed
16
Solo 2
Solo 1
163
S.
year
next
Oo
year
Oo
Oo
next
next
next
T.
Pno
Oo
A.
B.
molto rit
year
year
here’s
to
next
here’s
to
next
Oo
Oo
Oo
year.
year.
mm
mm
Oo
mm
mm