TOGETHER WE CAN
for SSAA choir and piano
Co-Created by the Choristers of the Advanced Treble Choir Western Washington University Dr. Angela Kasper, Director
Arranged by Angela Kasper and Giselle Wyers
Text adapted by Hafiz, Helen Keller, Kamala Harris, Angela Davis and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
copyright 2020
TOGETHER WE CAN
TEXT
Out of a great need we are all holding hands and climbing
Not loving is a letting go
Listen! Listen! Listen!
The terrain around here is much too dangerous for that.
Alone we can do so little
Together we can do so much
Our unity is our strength
Our diversity is our power
Through unity we find reservoirs of hope and optimism
I feel a need for all of us to breathe fire
---Text adapted from Hafiz, Helen Keller, Kamala Harris, Angela Davis and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
PROGRAM NOTES-
TogetherWeCan emerged from deep within the Covid-19 pandemic, with a question: Could a community of singers collaborate to compose a musical work, exclusively over Zoom? Under the direction of Dr. Angela Kasper at Western Washington University, with mentorship from composer Giselle Wyers, the Advanced Treble Choir curated text built around shared values. Students then improvised and crafted unique melodies to fit the lines of text, and finally imagined and described harmonic and textural ideas to enhance the expressive impact of the piece. Kasper solidified harmonies suggested by students, and Wyers pulled various sections of the piece together utilizing an original piano accompaniment. The co-created work, one of the first of its kind in the United States, enjoyed a 2021 premiere by the Advanced Treble Choir of Western Washington University and is now available to the public. All proceeds from the sale of this piece will go back to the Western Washington University Choral Program.
DR. ANGELA KASPER, Harmonist and Editor, is Director of Choral Activities at Western Washington University where she conducts the Concert Choir, Advanced Treble Chorale, Western Voices, and teaches courses in global choral music and choral conducting. She presents for state, regional, and national chapters of ACDA, NAfME, OAKE, and AOSA. Guest conducting engagements include honor choirs for the Eastern, Southern, Southwestern, North Central, Central, and Northwestern ACDA Division Conferences, the ACDA National Conference in 2015, engagements in Asia, South America, and the Middle East, and all-state choirs in over 40 states. Dr. Kasper is passionate about sharing what she has learned over the course of her career with other practicing choral teachers.
GISELLE WYERS, Arranger, is a conductor and composer with over 35 commissioned works in her catalog. She collaborates regularly with semi-pro and community choruses and orchestras as well as educational choirs, with performances across the globe. Wyers is especially dedicated to composing works that explore the beauty, mystery and heartbreak we all experience as modern citizens in a complicated world.
TogetherWeCan
AgroupcompositionprojectbythestudentsofAdvancedTrebleChoir,WesternWashingtonUniversity
Dr.AngelaKasper,director
TextadaptedfromHafiz,HelenKeller,KamalaHarris, AngelaDavisandAlexandriaOcasio-Cortez
Arr.AngelaKasperandGiselleWyers
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feelaneed for allofus
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for allofus tobreathe 85 90
tobreathefire
for allofus tobreathe fire