M O N U M E N T SSSAATTBBB
2001 3.5 minutes
FORREST PIERCE TEXT BY WILLIAM STAFFORD
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
At The Un-National Monument Along The Canadian Border This is the field where the battle did not happen, where the unknown soldier did not die. This is the field where grass joined hands, where no monument stands, and the only heroic thing is the sky. Birds fly here without any sound, unfolding their wings across the open. No people killed—or were killed—on this ground hallowed by neglect and an air so tame that people celebrate it by forgetting its name. —William Stafford from "The Darkness Around Us is Deep" New York: HarperCollins. 1993 Used with the permission of the estate of the author.
t for ordering information, contact info@forrestpierce.com
t Text notation: The poem is set across multiple registers as a continuous line: at all times the intelligibility of the text should govern diction and pronunciation of individual syllables. Elision consonants have been provided, along with the original text at the bottom of the page.
Forrest Pierce, aficionado of open sky, composes music steeped in religious mysticism and contemporary virtuosity. Sincere, often triadic, and blatantly tuneful, it draws on both non-western and rock-era traditions to depict an authentic world of sacred unity and natural beauty. His works have been performed in sacred and concert settings around the world, on noteworthy concert series and by diverse ensembles such as the BBC Singers, Brave New Works, the Chamber Players of the Society of New Music/ISCM, the BMOP chamber series, DuoSolo, the Chamber Orchestras of Portland and Kansas City, Khorikos, the Indianapolis and Walla Walla Symphonies, Volti, the Concord Ensemble, Octarium, the Seattle New Music Ensemble, the Latvian Radio Choir, the Oregon and Northwest Repertory Singers, the Boston Choral Ensemble, the Dublin and Canadian International Organ Competitions, Songfest, and by numerous distinguished soloists in North America and abroad. Pierce is the past resident composer of the Seattle New Music Ensemble and was the founding artistic director of Portland's Friends of Rain Contemporary Ensemble. His catalog is led by over 50 works for voices, including operatic, choral, and solo vocal forces. He has been the winner of the 2012 Barlow Prize in Composition, the Robert Avalon International Composition competition, was named a winner of the 2012 Ortus International competition, was first prize recipient of the Boston Choral Ensemble and Boston Chamber Singers choral competitions, and teaches on the vividly convivial faculty of the Cortona Sessions for New Music. He is Associate Professor of Composition at the University of Kansas.
t
Key: a(ny) = sing the vowel of the word "any". Omit the consonants. l•did = precede the word "did" with the closing "l" of the previous word. [m] = close to final consonant.
t This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
M O N U M E N T text from William Stafford: "At the Un-national Monument Along the Canadian Border" used with permission of the estate of the author.
Soprano 1
Soprano 2
Soprano 3
Alto 1
©»∞™
& 44 Ó
Œ
& 44 Ó
Œ
& 44 Ó
Tenor 1
π 4 &4 ˙ This π 4 V4 ˙
This
Tenor 2
Baritone
Bass
Reh.
π #œ ˙
field
π œ ˙
field
Œ
field
Œ ‰ œ J
œ Œ
Œ œ ˙
Ó
Œ ‰ # œj œ Œ
Œ #œ ˙
Ó
Œ ‰ œj œ Œ
Œ œ ˙
Ó
tle
V 44 Ó ? 44 Ó ? 44 Ó
z•the
p ‰ jŒ œ
p ‰ œj Œ z•the
p j œ ‰ Œ z•the
s•is
p œ ‰ Œ J
s•is
p œ ‰ Œ J
s•is
& 44 ˙˙ ˙ π œ ? 44 œœ
œœœ # œœœ p
Ó
pen
tle
d•where bat
Ó
pen
tle
sempre cantabile e legato π p 4 j j & 4 ˙ ‰ œj Œ Ó œ‰œ ‰ This
Alto 2
π œ ˙
lonely, windswept
F. PIERCE, 2001
j‰ j ‰ œ œ
d•where bat
j j œ‰œ ‰
d•where bat
pen
F 34 œ . œj œ 44 F 34 # œ . j 4 nœ œ 4 un - known
F 34 4 œ . œj œ 4 un - known
un - known
Œ œj ‰ œ Œ
Ó
Œ œ
Œ j‰ Œ œ œ
Ó
Œ
Ó
Œ œ
l•did hap
l•did hap
Œ œj ‰ œ Œ l•did hap
where the
œ
where
Ó
Œ ‰ œj Ó
Ó
‰ œJ Œ
Œ ‰ œJ Ó
∑
Ó
‰œŒ J
Œ ‰ œÓ J
∑
˙˙˙
œœœ œœœ # œœœ œœœ
œœœ œ œœ
r•the
r•the
not
not
not
œœœ
œœœ # œœœ ˙˙˙
∑
Œ œ œœ ∑
un - known
F 34 j œ œ. œ œ the un - known F 3 œ 4 œ . œJ œ
where the
‰ œjŒ r•the
F 34 j 4 œ œ. œ œ 4
44 44
F 34 œ . œ œ 44 J un - known
F 34 œ . # œJ œ 44 un - known
un - known
F 34 œ . œ œ 44 J un - known
3 œœœ 4 43
# œœœœ .... F œœœ ...
j œœœ # œœœ J
œœœ 44 œœœ 4 4
This is the field where the battle did not happen, where the unknown
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies. 3
6 S1
p j π 4 j ‰ & 4 œ œ œ. œ œ ˙ p π 4 j j ‰ & 4 œ œ œ. œ œ ˙ sol - dier did
S2
sol - dier did
S3
A1
Reh.
did
not
did
not
p ? 44 œ œJ ‰ œ . œ J sol - dier
6
not
p ? 44 b œ b œJ ‰ œ . œJ sol - dier
B
not
p . 4 œ V 4 œ J ‰ œ œJ sol - dier
Bar.
n
die
π
œ ˙
n
98 Ó
Œ
Œ
98 Ó
Œ
Œ
98 Ó
Œ
98 ˙
‰ œj Œ
98 ˙
‰
π (non dim.) œ ˙. die
die.
p π j 4 V 4 b œ b œJ ‰ œ . œ œ n ˙ . sol - dier
T2
die
& 44 œœ œœj ‰ p œ b b œ ? 44 œ œœJ ‰
did
not
die.
π œ ˙
die.
π œ n˙
die
π œ ˙
die
did
not
die
œœ .. œœ ..
j œœ œœœ J
œœ ˙˙ .. π œœœ n ˙ .
π
Œ
p π (non dim.) 4 j ‰ & 4 œ œ œ . œj œ ˙ . sol - dier did
T1
not
p 4 j & 4 œ j‰ bœ œ. œ sol - dier did not p 4 & 4 œ œj ‰ œ . œj sol - dier did
A2
not
n
This
This
Œ
98 Ó
n
98 Ó
n
Œ
n
Œ
44 Œ
œ
‰
44 Œ
œ
‰
44 Œ
field
π
field
π
field
π π
hands
where no
œ œ 43
˙
hands
where no
3 œ œ 4
˙
hands
where no
Ó
43
j 44 ‰ r ≈ Œ œ œ
Ó
r j œ 44 ‰ œ ≈ Œ
43
Ó
43
j œ ‰ Œ.
44 œr ≈ ‰ Œ
Ó
43
œ ‰ Œ. J
44 œ ≈ ‰ Œ R
Ó
43
Ó
43
d•where
jŒ œ
z•the
‰ œj Œ z•the
d•where
d•where
s•is
π j 98 Ó œ ‰ Œ. s•is
s•is
98 ˙˙˙ 98
œ œ 43
˙
j 44 ‰ r ≈ Œ œ œ
z•the
This
98 ˙
‰
œ
œœœ
œ œœœ œœ
joined
joined
joined
grass
grass
44 œr ≈ ‰ Œ grass
r ˙ j 4 œœœ œœœ 43 œœœ 4 ‰ œœœ ≈ ˙˙ 44 œœœ ≈ ‰ Œ Ó 43 R
soldier did not die. This is the field where grass joined hands, where no
4
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10 S1
S2
S3
A1
& 43 Œ
œ stands
& 43 Œ
œ
Œ
œ
Œ
stands
& 43 Œ
stands
3 & 43 œ ‰ œ Œ
mon ment
A2
T1
& 43 œ ‰3 œ Œ
3 j 3 ‰ V4 œ ‰ Œ
n•u
Bar.
? 43 ‰ œ3 ‰ Œ J n•u
B
3 ? 43 ‰ œj ‰ Œ
n•u
10
Reh.
œ œ
z•and the
p œ œ œ p œ #œ nœ
on - ly
he
p œ œ œ
on - ly
on - ly
he
he
p œ œ œ p
on - ly
he
44 œ œ ˙
-
ro - ic thing
44 œ œ ˙
-
ro - ic thing
44 œ bœ ˙
-
ro - ic
ro - ic
is the
œ œ
is the
˙.
sky
˙.
sky
˙.
thing
œ œ
is the
sky
thing
œ œ
w
44 œ œ ˙
-
œ œ
44 œ œ ˙
is the
Œ
∑
43
Œ
∑
43
Œ
∑
43
˙.
sky
œ œ œ bœ œ w mon ment z•and the on - ly he ro - ic thing is the sky p 3 3 V 4 œ ‰ œ Œ œ œ b œ œ n œ 44 œ b œ ˙ œ b œ n w mon ment
T2
Œ
3 & 43 œœ œœ œœœ œ œ ? 43 œœœ
œ œ
z•and the
Œ Œ Œ œœœ œœœ
p œ œ œ
on - ly
he
p œ œ #œ
on - ly
he
p œ œ œ
on - ly
on - ly
œœœ œ p b œœœ œ
he
he
# œœœ œœœ œœœ # n œœ œ œ
-
ro - ic
thing
44 œ œ ˙
-
44 b œ b œ ˙ 44 œ œ ˙
œ œ
-
thing
œ œ
is the
-
ro - ic
is the
ro - ic thing
ro - ic thing
44 œ œ œœ ˙˙ 44 b œœœ b œœ ˙˙
is the
œœ œœ
œœ œœœ
˙. sky
sky
˙.
sky
www
F
43
œ F œ 43
birds
˙.
œ œ n˙.
is the
birds
˙.
sky
F 3 4 œ
birds
Œ
∑
43
Œ
∑
43
Œ
∑
43
∑
˙˙˙ ...
∑
monument stands, and the only heroic thing is the sky. Birds
5
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œœœ
43 43
15 S1
S2
S3
A1
F ‰ œJ Jœ ‰
& 43 Œ
(h)ere
F ‰ bœ œ ‰ J J
& 43 Œ
F ‰ œj œj ‰ (h)ere
& 43 Œ
(h)ere
A2
‰.
j j ≈ ‰ j 3 ‰ œ œ. œ V4 (fl)y he(re)
T2
r•with
F 3 V 4 œj. ≈ Ó
r•with
ds•flah
Bar.
F ? 43 œ . ≈ Ó J ds•flah
B
F ? 43 b œj. ≈ Ó ds•flah
15
Reh.
& 43
? 43 b œœœ
œ œ œœœ œœœ b œœ œœ œœœ
P ‰ 44 œ œ œ
j 3 p œ. œ 4 œ.
p j 43 nœ. œ œ.
fold-ing their wings
P , 4 œ. ‰ 4 œ œ œ
sound
fold-ing their wings
‰.
p P 4 rŒ ‰ j 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ. (a)ny un - fold-ing their wings p P r j œ Œ ‰ œ 44 œ b œ œ n œ .
œ
œ ≈ Ó
œ
œ ≈ Ó
bœ
œ ≈ Ó
(a)ny
un
-
(a)ny
un
P 44 œ œ œ
b œœœ
a
-
-
cross the o - pen
Œ œ œ œ
cross the o - pen
P 44 b œ œ œ
a(ny)
œœœ
p 3 j Œ œ 4 œ. œ œ œ a - cross the o - pen p œ 43 b œ . b œ œ œ Œ J a
-
cross the o - pen
p 3 œ. œ 4 œ. J
the o - pen
p 3 œ œ. œ 4 . J
the o - pen
fold-ing their wings
a
-
cross
œ œ œŒ
p #œ. œ 3 bœ. bœ œ œ Œ J 4
fold-ing their wings
th•out a(ny)
œœœ ... b œœœ
-
fold-ing their wings
P 44 œ œ œ
th•out a(ny)
th•out
a
œ œ œŒ
p j 43 Œ œ. œ . œ bœ œ œ sound fold-ing their wings a - cross the o - pen p p P 34 r Œ ‰ j 44 j œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ Œ
Œ
& 43 ‰ œj œj. ≈ ‰ œj
r•with
,
P , 4 bœ. ‰ 4 bœ œ #œ
sound
Œ
‰.
(fl)y he(re)
T1
Œ
& 43 ‰ œj œj. ≈ ‰ œj (fl)y he(re)
œ.
a
-
fold-ing their wings
a
fold-ing their wings
a
-
j œœœ œœœ J
43 œœ .. œœ p. 34 b œœœ .. b œœ
j 4 œ œ œœœ 4 b œœœœ œœœ P 44 b œœœœ b œœœœ
# œœœ
œœœ ... œœœ # n œœ .. œ œ.
-
cross the o - pen
cross
œ œ œŒ
cross the o - pen
œœ œœ
œœ Œ œœœ Œ
fly here without any sound, unfolding their wings across the open. 6
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19 S1
S2
p
&Œ ˙ no p &Œ ˙ p
no
S3
A1
&Œ ˙ no p &Œ ˙
p
no
A2
T1
&Œ
˙ no p Œ V ˙ no
T2
Bar.
B
19
Reh.
VŒ Œ Œ ?Œ Œ Œ ?Œ Œ Œ & Œ ˙˙ ˙ p ?
œ
œ
peo - ple
œ
œ œ
Œ ‰ j œ œ
peo - ple
œ œ
œ
Œ ‰ j œ œ
‰ œJ p ‰ œJ
œ. œ.
œ.
ple killed
œ.
ple killed
œœœ œœœ
œ œ œ
or were killed on this
ple killed
p œ ‰ J
œ œ œ
or were killed on this
ple killed
p œ ‰ J
œ œ œ
œœœ ...
œ Œ J
or
œ Œ J
or
œ J Œ
or
œ Œ J
or
j œœœ œœœ
œ
œ œ
killed on this
œ
œ œ
killed on this
œ
œ œ
killed on this
œ
œ œ
killed on this
œœœ
f
ground
œ œ œ #˙
or were killed on this
œ
peo - ple
˙
or were killed on this ground
Œ ‰ j œ œ
peo - ple
œ œ œ
or were killed on this
Œ ‰ œj œ
peo - ple
œ
Œ ‰ œj œ
f
˙
f f
ground
˙
f
Œ
44 ˙
œ‰ J
Œ
44 ˙
œ‰ J
44 b ˙ œ
œ‰ J
glect
glect
œ ‰ hal
f
f
ground
˙
f
ground
˙
f
ground
˙
ground
glect
44 Ó œ
œ ‰ J
n•air
œ ‰ J
n•air
ne
‰ œ œ ‰ œj
œ ‰
ne
and an r•so
ground hal
˙
-
n•air
œ ‰
ground hal
˙
ne
œ ‰ J
œ ‰ hal
≈
and an r•so
44 Ó ‰ ‰ j œ œ œ œ œ 44 Ó
ne
≈ 44 œ œ
lowed by
‰ œ œ ‰ œj
and an r•so
∑
≈ b œ œ ≈ 44
∑
44 ≈ œ
∑
lowed by
≈ œ
lowed by
œœœ œœœ # ˙˙˙ œœœ œœœ f œœœ œœœ ˙˙˙ b œœœ œœœ
44 b ˙˙˙ 44
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ ∑
no people killed or were killed on this ground, hallowed by neglect and an air so 7
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24 S1
S2
S3
A1
&
∑
&
∑
&
∑
&œ Ó
A2
&œ Ó
T1
Vœ Ó
T2
VŒ ˙
tame
Bar.
Reh.
p
p
that
œ that p œ Œ
Œ
˙˙
˙˙
peo - ple
˙
˙
˙
˙
ce
˙
˙
peo - ple
peo - ple
peo - ple
peo - ple
˙
b˙
p
peo - ple
˙
ce
˙
ce
-
leb
˙
leb
˙
leb
-
˙
leb
˙
-
b˙
ce
-
˙
ce
˙
˙
b˙
˙
˙˙
˙˙
b ˙˙
b ˙˙˙˙˙ ˙ ˙ b ˙˙˙˙
˙˙˙ ˙˙ b ˙˙˙ ˙˙
b ˙˙˙˙ ˙ ˙ b ˙˙˙
peo - ple
-
˙˙
-
˙
peo - ple
œœœ p
ce
˙
peo - ple
p
b ˙˙
b˙
p
that
?Œ ˙ & œœ œ ? b ˙˙ ˙
p
œ
Œ
tame
24
p
? Œ b˙
tame
B
p
˙
ce
˙
ce
ce
-
leb
b˙
leb
˙
leb
-
-
leb
˙˙
leb
˙
˙
˙
rate
it
by
for
#˙
˙
N˙
by
for
˙
˙
˙
œ œ.
œ.
-
get - ting
its
-
œ œ.
get - ting
œ.
its
-
œ œ.
get - ting
œ.
its
-
œ œ.
get - ting
œ.
its
œ.
-
rate
it
-
˙
rate
˙
it
by
for
-
˙
rate
˙
it
˙
by
˙
for
-
˙
#˙
it
b˙
by
b˙
for
-
bœ bœ.
get - ting
its
for
-
get - ting
its
œ œ.
œ.
-
-
b˙ -
n˙
-
-
˙˙˙ ˙ b b ˙˙˙˙
rate
˙
˙
N˙
it
by
˙
˙
˙
rate
rate
it
b˙ ˙
bœ bœ.
œ.
by
for
-
get - ting
its
˙
œ œ.
œ.
˙
N˙
˙
rate
it
by
-
get - ting
its
˙
˙
˙
for
it
by
for
-
get - ting
its
˙˙˙ # ˙˙˙
˙˙ b ˙˙˙
˙˙ b ˙˙
œœ .. b œœœ ...
œœ .. œœ ..
rate
# ˙˙˙ ˙˙˙ ˙
˙
tame that people celebrate it by forgetting its 8
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
œ œ.
œœ b œœ
œ.
30 S1
∏ & ˙.
n
na(me)*
S2
∏ & ˙.
n
na(me)*
S3
∏ & ˙.
n
na(me)*
A1
∏ &w
Œ Œ Œ
&
∏
w ∏ Vw
T1
∏ Vw ∏ ? ˙.
∏ ? ˙.
na(me)*
B
na(me)*
30
Reh.
&w ∏ ?w
n
Œ
n
Œ
∏ w
*parenthetical letters silent
w w w
w
w
w
∑
∑
(n)a(me)
ww w
w w
w b ww
w w
name. 9
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˙
U
˙
(n)ame [m]
˙
U
˙
(n)ame [m]
˙ ∑
bw
˙
˙
w
U
(n)ame [m]
˙
w
(n)a(me)
˙
˙
w
w
∑
(n)a(me)
ww w
(n)a(me)
w
w
∑
w
w
(n)a(me)
∑
(n)a(me)
w
∏
b www
w
∑
(n)a(me)
w
na(me)*
Bar.
∏ bw
∑
(n)a(me)
∑
(n)a(me)
w
name
T2
(n)a(me)
w
name
w
∑
∏ bw
w
name
A2
∏ w
˙
U
˙
[m]
U
˙
[m]
U
˙
[m]
U
˙
[m]
U
˙
(n)ame [m]
˙
U
˙
(n)ame [m]
˙ ˙˙ ˙
U
˙ ˙˙ ˙