Not Quite Stars | Juhi Bansal | MusicSpoke

NOT QUITE STARS

Words by Julie Baber, music by

Words

by Julie Baber, music by

Baber, music

Baber, music Juhi Bansal JuhiBansalJuhiBansal Juhi Bansal

SOPRANO AND PIANO

Text by Julie Baber, used with permission

juhibansalcomposer@gmail.com

www.juhibansal.com

PROGRAM NOTE

“I have learned that if you must leave a place that you have lived in and loved and where all your yesteryears are buried deep, leave it any way except a slow way, leave it the fastest way you can.... Passed years seem safe ones, vanquished ones, while the future lives in a cloud, formidable from a distance. The cloud clears as you enter it.”

― Beryl Markham, aviatrix (the ﬁrst person to survive ﬂying solo, non-stop across the Atlantic in 1936)

Not Quite Stars was written for soprano Laura Strickling and the 40 by 40 project.

NOT QUITE STARS

The time will come, as it has done and passed Where songs our eyes sing to one another Must turn kissing mouths to other things.

For it is no victory to last It is no victory to stand, stubborn on the path, Refusing that parting of mouths, releasing of hands, It is no victory to refuse our promised lands.

Even as the gloaming begins to spark, Our messenger of the dark –

Odd little flames we are to dot that horizon line, Even as it begins to drip, tar-black, Air hums that distant lullaby back.

We flit our tiny battles, our storming tiny spars, Free to choose our night path

We who are not yet ashes, not quite stars, We lightning bug singers, we fireflies sing, Ignite, we leap – and into the night we fly.

Notes on performance

Soprano

As the text is extremely introspective and intimate throughout, the character of the voice should be of one singing to themselves, not to an audience. Use minimal vibrato or no vibrato at all and an incredibly light tone, similar to marking. Float lightly above the piano.

Piano

The dynamic should never rise above piano, the instrument provides a coloristic, expressive pad for the voice to float above. While the part should be played with great expressiveness (including hairpins, dynamic changes, phrasing, articulation, etc), these should all happen at extremely soft dynamics.

Use the una corda pedal liberally.

Tremolos and trills (including those in aleatoric boxes) are used throughout the piece are to create an organic shimmer – they should always be barely audible, uneven and whispering –never at all mechanical or with a clear rhythm.

Words by Julie Baber

Music by Juhi Bansal

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Not Quite Stars | Juhi Bansal | MusicSpoke

Published on Jul 24, 2024

MusicSpoke

A rumination on new beginnings and the leaps of faith that guide us through times of change, Not Quite Stars was written for soprano Laura Strickling and the 40 by 40 project. “I have learned that if you must leave a place that you have lived in and loved and where all your yesteryears are buried deep, leave it any way except a slow way, leave it the fastest way you can.... Passed years seem safe ones, vanquished ones, while the future lives in a cloud, formidable from a distance. The cloud clears as you enter it.” ― Beryl Markham, aviatrix (the first person to survive flying solo, non-stop across the Atlantic in 1936) NOT QUITE STARS The time will come, as it has done and passed Where songs our eyes sing to one another Must turn kissing mouths to other things. For it is no victory to last It is no victory to stand, stubborn on the path, Refusing that parting of mouths, releasing of hands, It is no victory to refuse our promised lands. Even as the gloaming begins to spark, Our messenger of the dark – Odd litt