Credo | Jessica Rudman | MusicSpoke

Credo

a Capella SATB Choir

Program Notes

Credo sets a short text by Alfred Kreymborg. When I first read the text, its repeated words, insistent rhythms, and powerful message immediately suggested a choral setting to me. The main motives came into my head while I was trying to sleep one night, and the rest of the piece followed quickly.

The music falls into three main sections: one setting the first line, a second contrasting section that sets all but the last line, and a third that sets the last line of the poem in a variation of the opening section. The text is gradually introduced, with words added to build up each line. The work is minimalist in nature, featuring repeating patterns that shift and change and combine to create an undulating texture, allowing the listener to inhabit and meditate on the poem.

Text

I sing the will to love: the will that carves the will to live, the will that saps the will to hurt, the will that kills the will to die; the will that made and keeps you warm, the will that points your eyes ahead, the will that makes you give, not get, a give and get that tell us what you are: how much a god, how much a human. I call on you to live the will to love.

Composer Contact Information

Jessica Rudman

Email: jessica@jessicarudman.com

Website: www.jessicarudman.com

Alfred Kreymborg (1883-1966)

Energetic J.=80 (J=t20)

SOPRANO

I sing, I sing, I sing, I sing, I sing,

ALTO

TENOR BASS

Energetic . =80 (J=120)

I

sing, I sing, I sing, I sing,__ I sing, I sing,

Jessica Rudman (b. 1982)

)=) throughoutI sing,

I sing, I_ sing, I sing, I sing, I sing,

)=) throughout -

sing, - � I sing, ...

10 , t, I! ,. s. ti fl� I! A. � ,. I! T. ') .. B. fl '"' II ..., < .. 14 , t, ,. I! S. ti t, ,. I! A. Hti ' ,. I! T. . Hl) .. B. fl ,.. II ..., < ..

- I I sing, I -...__..,r_sing, mp r I sing, I- �-sing, I .. --------- ....__...., sing, I- ..I I sing, Ir I,. .J <

sing, I .Tsing,_ .. sing, . sing, � sing, mf I I sing, .J r '

mpsing, I sing, I sing, I sing, I mp . .

- .._,sing, I sing, I sing, I sing, I - - -sing,_sing, I sing,_sing,_- I.. -"- .. ..

I sing, I sing, I sing, I sing, I mf .. . u - - .. .. T sing, I sing, I sing, I ..- � - � - � - � u - --sing,_sing,_sing,_sing,_ I r r I sing,Ising,I --

s.

A. T. B. <

18 '11/f � t, I! " -

ti sing, t, "I! -· u �

ti -----sing, �" I! - -

l' sing, .. �� � sing, f\"II..., I . I J

I sing,_ I .. .. ..___..., I sing,r I sing, I f -sing, IJ) _J_. FJ

sing, I sing, I sing, �·- - .. -----T sing, I sing, . -sing,_ sing,_ sing, � � � -- - ·-., ., I sing, I- I ,.. ,.. I .J I

I22I poco accel. a tempo ,f'J.IJI! �

s.

A. T. B.

ti - -I sing,_ I sing, I sing, I sing_ the will, t, .IJI! f

'V - � - ·�- - ·- � -· ·-

ti ....__...,..._..., I sing, T sing, I sing_ the will, �.IJ I! f/'"

1) I r - I I sing, I sing,_ sing, I sing the will, f sing the will, I � poco accel. - - - a tempo fl " II - •

u (_J I r .J J. .)) .r-i J , .. 7 .. � :

26 � t, I! pp " ,-..s. tiI sing, I sing, I sing, t, " I! pp l

A. ,�" - . - ,. I - - ...._.... - I sing, I sing, I sing, pp ��11.--_ .�

T.

i) I I - I sing, sing, sing, pp

B. r r I sing the will, I sing, I sing,

ti,.II

..., I - - I <

A.

t) - I I__ sing, I sing, I sing, I sing, I sing, I mp

tu I! l l l l

ti ...___.;;- ----- ..

I sing,_ I sing, I sing, I sing, I sing, I mp � � I! --

T. � " .- ,� - ,� - - - - ..

i) I - r r I sing, sing,_ sing,_ sing, I sing, I mp I

B. I r r I I sing, I sing,__ I sing, T fl � II I - - I u - - f -

S.

A.

T. B.

34 ,f'l.11 It - I ...,sing, f'l.11 It - .. ,�"...__,, sing, �.II II.. ') I sing,__ ".. -If\ " II.., f I I J I

poco accel. '"!I mp -I sing,_ I mf mp . ... --___, r sing,_ I mf mp ... -I sing, I ,� sing the poco accel.-

(_J I ..J.. J

1391 Determined J=t32

38 f-===== ffp �-----

S.

I sing, ·� sing, •=sing,_ f,< ·� will, .. -

I I sing, lI sing, I ------�

5 - - I I sing_ the ·- - - ·-___,r sing_ the_ ,..--..._ ,. - - � ·I sing the_ - �IL ,. . ·the-- I

A.

., fl.II It _,.,,,.. --..... _,.,,,,.,will to Jove!

I\ .,. II f ffp :

..., I I I I will to love!

�.,. II f (/j) mp

T. B. <

l) will to

The willthatcarves thewill to " -& L'11.•- lL ,._ will f\ " II

.., I .. ? :

19to I ?

(/j)

1391 Determined �=132 ---= I � : I

(_J I 1.--■-' . .,.. .. ---..p # .. .. .. .. .. the will that saps the will to '"!I live, p I

7 r r:.___r LJ r:.___r ,.,

s. ..., fl.i,llnp p '"P A. ..., hurt, the will thatmadeandkeepsyou warm, �" II p '"P p T. ') the will that kills the will to die, the will thatpointsyoureyes a -

B. .. TI � sina the will /\ ,.. II u

45 ., fl-" II pS. ..., - I I sing, I sing, fl" II p A. ..., I - ----the will thatmakesyou give, not get, the will that saps the will to �" II np p '"P p T.

l) I head, the will that carvesthe will to live, the '"!I "

B. H -I I - to love! /\

S.

48 ., fl " II -

A.

T. B.

ti -- I -- - I -- I sing, r sing, r sing the_ will to flJJllmp p . �

ti - --hurt, the will thatmadeandkeepsyou warm, \ " II mp ...........

') --- I I will that kills the will to die, the will- thatpointsyour eyes ap : I sing the will to

fl " II - - I I ..., - [.._J L...J L.._J L...J I .. r-, II J t I-. � j 1-. r-, II I I I I I

51 mf ., fl II -�======= mf Jl - -

S.

A.

T. B.

ti -- - -Jove! r__ sing, r_ sing the will, flJJ II mp "'!I mp -

ti - -- - .. --the will thatmakesyou give, not get, the will, that sapsthe will to \" II "'!I mp c::=---

') I I head, the will, that carves the will to live, the will, mf mp -==== "'!I p .... -, : - I ,.love! I sing the will, I sing the will, r_

fl � II I I -

u p L......J � - 7 p r I r LJ c....J j )) J .J j r--J- .. i I JI r-, i I-. : - I I --

54 p �ti1'11s. "

..., - I - - - I I sing the_ will, I sing thewill to t," II ef mp '"!I mp A. ..., ., ...___,, ., --

T. B. S. A.

hurt, \ " II ') Ising r-," II "' ..-J

T.

57 f ; t, II � � love!

t," II ..., -

the will, I that kills the will to '"!I the will, I 7 p L.--J J r-i r-, r - I

- the will thatmakesyou give, not �� II f

I) Ihead, the_ '"!I " , -B. I__ sin�

fl ,. II - - I

u 1---,J L.......J � < ,.J: -

'"!I I die, I ,.J mp I f I get, I will � .l

that madeandkeepsyou warm, the will, mp I I the will, thatpointsyour eyes a p --r - r I sing the_ will I sing the_ will, - I I I I L-.J L.......J I 7 p . .l � r-, r-, • - •I I I - Ising the will, I__ sing,_ I sing the_ mp I I -0,I sing the will, I sing, mp I to love! the will that saps the will to 1:.,_______ the will thatcarvesthe will to live, - � 1 .l J 7 iir-J. r-J. ,,

S.

A. T. B.

60 "'!I ; fl"II

� I Iwill, I sing the_ fl"II 11if f

� I the will that killsthe will to die, mf \"II --:') hurt,I__ f',,. II I .., d. I' ..-

63 f;fl�II

s.

A. T. B.

� I will fl" II f �-v � �the ��II "'!f

TI l) head, ",_ I ur,,. II

u 7 p .. .J. :

sing the ' - IL.........J .__, L........I J .J'-

thatmakesyou give, not get, --- ' � will thatmakesyou give, f �a give f � �

I sing, a -L......J 1-..-l I ., " I - I'

f - ~,

- I -will, I sing the_I sing, ....__., I__ sing, f mp - 'I, the will thatpoints youreyes a f --will thatmadeandkeepsyou warm_, I__ sing,

I- [_J .n_ J7 J, ...r)_ r-J ..rJ 7 --rit. .::=:::;---.. I

I sing a give and get that tell us � -not get, a give and get that tell us � - � � � � � � I r and get that tell us, that tell us - I give and get that tell us, that tell us rit.

- - I I. r---, r---, I

� _r-i J ,. ,. ,. - I

66

you youyou n you I �

[67[ Majestic J=t20

-

are: ff I are: ff..c- --:::. are: ff -- -. are:

1671 Majestic J=120 -- .__J .... n -&- ..