Nibi (Water) Song
Dorene Day, arr. Jonathan Posthuma
The story of the Nibi (Water Song): (as told by Beatrice Menase Kwe Jackson, Migizi Clan) This song was written by Dorene Day at the request of her grandson. She attended a conference about the water in which the internationally known speaker, Dr. Masaru Emoto said, the very least we should do every day, is to speak to the water: Water, we love you. We thank you. We respect you. So she did this. Every day on their drive to drop Mashkoonce (Little Elk) to school, they passed a body of water. And every day they said these words to the water as they drove by. They made games by saying it in different voices and then would say it as fast as they could. Then one day Mashkoonce, said, “Nokomis why can’t we say this in our language?” So, Dorene asked her daughter’s language teacher to write it in Ojibwemowin. Dorene had the words taped to the car visor as they learned the words. One day this grandson Mashkoonce said, “Nokomis why don’t we sing the words, don’t you think the water would like it to be sung?” So, she thought about it and came up with the tune. They sang this song to the water every morning on their drive to school. It is sung like a lullaby and we don’t use shakers or drums. Dorene and her grandson, Mashkoonce, give permission for everyone to share this song… sing it to the water every day. Ojiwbemowin*: Ne-be Gee Zah-gay-e-goo Gee Me-gwetch-wayn ne-me-goo Gee Zah Wayn ne-me-goo
English: Water, we love you We thank you We respect you
International Phonetic Alphabet**: ni-be gi sa-ge-i-go gi mi-guɛ-tʃɛ-ueɪn ne-mi-go gi ʒa ueɪn ne-mi-go * text as printed on NibiWalk website ** pronounciation as sung by Dorene Day Note about style: Grace notes are generally sung quickly, on the beat, and accented. But at Rehearsal A, they are longer, smoother and more free, in order to create a calm, water-like texture. Soloists should listen to a recording to match the vocal style and interpretation, as well as the character and diction of the Ojibwe language. Tenors at Rehearsal B, should sing with a resonant, vibrant, and full-throated tone, as in the traditional male singing of Native American music.
This arrangement can be freely copied and distributed, please notify the composer of any performances, see www.jonathanposthuma.com for more information
Nibi (Water) Song Dorene Day arr. Jonathan Posthuma (b. 1989) Slow, Tenderly; q. = 40 SOPRANO
9 8
12 8
ALTO
9 8
12 8
Solo
9 8
12 8
9 8
9 8
12 8
9 8
mp freely
Ne [ni
TENOR
9 8
BASS
9 8
12 8
pp
be be
Gee gi
Zah sa
gay ge
e goo i go
9 8
12 8
9 8
9 8
12 8
9 8
stagger breathe
12 8 [m] gentle "open" hum
5
9 8
12 8 mf
p
9 8
12 8 Gee Me gwe gi mi gu
tch wayn t ue n
ne ne
me goo mi go
Gee Zah wayn a ue n gi
ne ne pp
me mi
9 8
goo go]
12 8 [m]
pp [m]
9 8
Ne
12 8 © 2016, Jonathan Posthuma The Water Song by Dorene Day is licensed under a Creative CommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4. International License.
3
flowing p
mp
pp
9 8
SOPRANO I
A
flowing p
Ne
mp
be Ne p
be
9 8
SOPRANO II Ne
be Ne
be
Soli (Alto/Soprano) f freely
9 8
MELODY
ALTO I flowing p
flowing mp
Ne
p
pp sempre
9 8 Ne
be mp
pp sempre
p
9 8
ALTO II Ne
flowing p
mp
be
Ne
be
pp sempre
p
98
TENOR I Ne
be Ne
be
TENOR II
be
p Ne be
Ne be flowing p
p
mp
pp sempre
9 8 Ne
be Ne Ne be
be
Ne
be Ne
pp sempre be
Ne
be
Ne
98
BASS I and II Ah
poco accel.4 10
mf
9 8
12 8
9 8
9 8
12 8
9 8
niente
12 8 mf
niente
12 8 ff
9 8
12 8 be
Gee
div.
9 8 Zah gay e goo
Gee Me gwe tch wayn
ne me goo
Gee Zah wayn ne me
mf
9 8
12 8
9 8
9 8
12 8
9 8
9 8
12 8
9 8
9 8
12 8
9 8
98
12 8
niente
12 8 mf
be
niente
12 8 mf
Ne
niente
12 8 mf
be
12 8
niente
12 8 Ne
be
Ne be
f ne me
98
12 8 Ah
ne me
5
B mp
15
f richly
12 8
9 8 ne
12 8
Poco più mosso (q. = 48)
me
goo
12 8 Ne
9 8
be
Gee
Zah
gay
e
goo
rejoin main choir
non dim.
9 8
12 8
9 8
12 8
9 8
goo
mp
f richly
12 8
9 8 Ne
be
ne
me goo
mf
Ne
12 8
goo
Gee
Zah
me
goo
9 8 Ne
e
goo
12 8 be
T2
non dim.
goo
9 8
Gee
Zah
gay
9 8
be
Gee
Zah
poco rall. 18
9 8
6 8 me go
gay
e
goo
Solo (or small group) f rich and vibrant Ne
mf A Tempo
ne
goo
12 8 Ne
Me gwetch wayn
e
f richly
9 8
12 8
Gee
gay
ff rich and vibrant (full-throated) T1
ne
be
9 8
Gee Zah
wayn
ne
me
goo.
Sop.
ne
me
ne
me
pp
9 8
6 8 Gee
Me gwetch wayn
ne
9 8
me goo
Gee
Zah
wayn
mf
9 8
6 8 Gee
Me gwe
tch
wayn
ne
me goo
div.
9 8 Gee Zah wayn
ne me goo. T2 rejoin
pp
9 8
6 8 Gee
Me gwetch wayn
ne
me goo
9 8 wayn
ne
me goo.
be
Gee
Zah
gay
e goo
Gee Me gwe
tch
ff ne
wayn
p
6
me goo
22
12 8 goo.
Ne
9 8
be
Gee
Zah
gay
e goo
6 8 Gee
Me gwetch wayn
ne
12 8 Ne
9 8
be
Gee
Zah
gay
e goo
6 8 Gee
Me gwetch wayn
ne
f rich and vibrant
Gee Zah
gay
e goo
6 8 Gee Me gwe
tch
wayn
ne ff
f richly
12 8 Gee
Zah
gay
e goo
Gee
Me gwetch wayn
ne
me goo
ff
12 8 Gee
Zah
6 8
mf
9 8 Gee Zah wayn
Gee
[m]
pp
p
ne
me goo.
[m]
p
[m]
mf
9 8 Gee Zah wayn
pp
12 8
Ne
6 8
pp
[m]
me goo.
mf
f defiantly
p
niente
9 8 Gee Zah wayn
me goo
12 8 ne
f defiantly
ne
pp
niente
mf
Gee Zah wayn
Me gwetch wayn
me goo.
9 8
6 8
e goo
6 8
12 8 ne
f defiantly
6 8
gay
q. = 40
poco rall.
f defiantly
p
9 8
be
Sop. tutti
p
6 8
f richly
26
me goo
9 8
be
Ne
p
9 8
be
Ne
me goo
ff
12 8 Ne
p
ff
f richly
goo.
me goo
12 8 ne
me
goo.
[m]
be
[m]
p Ne
be
7
C 31
pp
p
pp
p
pp
9 8
12 8
3 8
9 8
9 8
12 8
3 8
9 8
[m]
Solo (opt.) mp freely
Ne
pp
be
p
Gee
pp
p
gay
e
goo
pp
9 8
p
pp
12 8
[m]
p Ne
Zah
3 8
[m]
mp freely Ne
be
9 8
[m]
be
Gee
98
Zah
gay
e
goo
12 8
38
98
[m]
35
9 8
3 8
9 8
9 8
3 8
9 8
12 8
mf
Gee
Me gwe
tch wayn
ne
p
me goo
pp
Gee
p
9 8
pp
3 8 [m] Gee
Me gwe
tch
wayn
ne
ne
me
p
12 8 [m] Gee
me goo
3 8 Ah
Zah wayn
9 8
[m]
9 8
12 8
9 8 Ah
Zah
12 8
8 mp
39
pp
p
12 8
9 8 ne
me
go,
pp
ne
Alto tutti p
me go
mp
12 8
9 8 goo
Gee
pp
Zah wayn
mp
ne
me
goo
pp
mp
12 8
9 8 wayn
tutti
wayn
ne
ne
me
go
[m]
ne
pp
me goo
p
me
go
mp
12 8
9 8 wayn
42
ne
Gee
me goo
p
pp
9 8
Zah wayn
me goo
niente
12 8 Ne
be
[m]
p
mp
9 8
pp
niente
12 8 Gee
Zah wayn
ne
me
go
[m]
pp
9 8
niente
12 8 Ne
be
pp
9 8
ne
[m]
p
pp
niente
12 8 Gee Zah wayn
ne
me goo
[m]
-- Saint Paul, MN October 10, 2016