Eldfjallsviรฐ for chorus in 6 parts
Stephen Ryan Jackson
- Eldfjallsvið Performance / Staging Notes: pronounced : "elt-fee-all-sveeth" Eldfjallsvið is the Icelandic word for lava fields. In the work the chorus portrays the harsh landscape of Icelands lava fields, depicting the activity that is beneath a seemingly calm shell of rock and soil.
staging : while not required, any alternative staging (i.e. lights off, antiphonal, amongst the audience, with video, etc.) is encouraged.
chorus divisions : ideally the chorus should be divided into even groups of 6, including the possibility of just 6 solo voices or even one live voice with 5 pre-recorded voices. Gender and voice part divisions do not matter and the conductor / ensemble can mix and match these as they see fit.
amplification : while not required, with smaller groupings amplification is encouraged. If amplificationis used, add a tad of reverb to the output.
Notations / Techniques
hiss : hiss and follow pitch contour approximately. while hissing quickly shift vowel shapes with palette. Should sound like crackling static
time brackets : throughout, time brackets are given with approximate timings for how long an event should last. These are up to the conductors / ensembles discretion and can be manipulated throughout as they see fit.
repeats / arrows : sound events within a repeat should be repeated / looped throughout until the end of the arrow after it.
vocal fry : vocalize in the lowest register of the voice with an extremely slow air speed to create a "creaking" type sound. Any vowel shape is acceptable.
exhale : audibly exhale on any open vowel. Slightly compress the larynx to create a strained sound.
waves : slowly shift from held out whispered "f" sound to a "sh" sound should sound like cresting waves.
vocal percussion : harshly articulate "t" syllable with little or no voice sound. Rhythm should start fast and slow down with the dimminuendo.
Program Notes: "this eruption undoes stagnation / you didn't know i had it in me" { this piece is meant to recreate that distinct sensation }
Copyright © 2018 Stephen R. Jackson www.stephenryanjackson.com stephenjacksoncomposer@gmail.com (817) 233 9907
Performance Score
Eldfjallsvið Stephen Ryan Jackson (b. 1992) Stephen Ryan Jackson (2018)
(2018)
5 - 10 sec.
5 - 10 sec. improvise freely using rhythms given eb and flow tempo ad lib.
1 Voice I
3 5 3 ° í™ p & ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™™î ----nah nah nah . . . . . . . . . . . .
≠
≠ continue, taking care not to line up rhythmically
improvise freely using rhythms given eb and flow tempo ad lib.
p 3
5
3
í ™™ Voice II
&
≠ œ œ œ œ œ œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ œ œ œ œ nah nah nah . . . . . . . . . . . .
Voice III
&
Voice IV
&
Voice V
&
Voice VI
¢&
™™î
Copyright © 2018 Stephen R. Jackson www.stephenryanjackson.com
Eldfjallsvið 20 - 30 sec.
5 - 10 sec.
2 Voice I
° &
Voice II
&
3 ≠
≠
≠
≠
continue, taking care not to line up rhythmically
improvise freely using rhythms given eb and flow tempo ad lib.
p 3
Voice III
& œ
5
3
™î œ œ œ œ œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ œ œ œ œ ™
≠
≠ continue, taking care not to line up rhythmically
nah nah nah .
. . . .
.
. . .
. . .
exhale on any open vowel. slightly "clenched"
U ™ ‰ ™î
í ™™ >_ Voice IV
&
≠ improvise rhythm add lib.
exhale on any open vowel. slightly "clenched"
U ‰
í ™™ >_ Voice V
™™î
&
≠ improvise rhythm add lib.
improvise freely using rhythms given eb and flow tempo ad lib.
p 3
Voice VI
5
3
™î œ œ œ œ œ œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ œ œ œ œ ™
¢&
nah nah nah .
2
.
.
.
.
.
. . . .
.
.
≠
Eldfjallsvið 30 - 45 sec.
20 - 30 sec. a steady even tempo (q=48 - 54) 5 with mp ≠ í ™™ œœœœ-
4 Voice I
° &
ah
Voice II
&
ah
ah
ah
™™î œ-
≠
ah
≠
≠
≠
≠
slightly faster and more rushed than before
mf
U™ Œ î b>œ œ œ œ œ œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- ™ 3
Voice III
& í ™™
nah nah nah
5
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Voice IV
&
≠
≠
Voice V
&
≠
≠
Voice VI
¢&
≠
≠
continue, taking care not to line up rhythmically
3
Eldfjallsvið 45 - 60 sec. whispered but harshly articulated
6 Voice I
mf >¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ U ™ í Œ ™ ≠
° &
™™î ≠
t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t
whispered but harshly articulated
Voice II
mf U > ™ ≠ í™ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ
&
™™î
t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t
whispered but harshly articulated
mf Voice III
U > ≠ í ™™ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ ™™î
&
≠
t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t
whispered but harshly articulated
Voice IV
mf U > ™ ≠ í ™ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ ™™î
&
≠
t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t
whispered but harshly articulated
Voice V
mf >¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ U ™ í Œ ™™î ™ &
≠
t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t
whispered but harshly articulated
Voice VI
mf U > ™ ≠ í™ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ
¢&
t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t
4
™™î
Eldfjallsvið 45 - 60 sec. hiss vocal fry
7 p ff + mp Voice I
° &
U ™ Œ ™î
≠ í ™™ _
Œ
≠ +
quickly shift between s(i), s(u), ts, ps
vocal fry
ff +
mp Voice II
≠ +
&
Œ
vocal fry hiss
p
mp ff +
Voice III
& í ™™ _
U™ Œ ™î
≠ +
Œ
quickly shift between s(i), s(u), ts, ps
vocal fry hiss
ff + mp p Voice IV
≠ í ™™ _
&
U ™ Œ ™î
≠ +
Œ
quickly shift between s(i), s(u), ts, ps
hiss vocal fry
p ff + mp Voice V
& í ™™ _
U™ Œ ™î
≠ +
Œ
quickly shift between s(i), s(u), ts, ps
hiss vocal fry
p ff + mp Voice VI
¢&
U ™ Œ ™î
≠ í ™™ _
quickly shift between s(i), s(u), ts, ps
5
≠ +
Œ
Eldfjallsvið 20 - 30 sec.
5 - 10 sec. exhale on any open vowel. slightly "clenched"
Voice I
8 ° í ™ mf & ™_
9 mf > ≠ í ™™ _
™™î
U ™ ‰ ™î ≠
f - - - - - - - - - - - - sh______________________ improvise rhythm add lib.
improvise freely using rhythms given eb and flow tempo ad lib.
f mf 3
Voice II
5
3
™™î
&
≠ œ
œ
nah nah
≠
œ œ œ œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ œ œ œ œ nah . . . . . . . . . . . . with a more nagging, nasal quality then before
mf Voice III
& í ™™ _
™™î ≠
≠
f - - - - - - - - - - - - sh______________________ exhale on any open vowel. slightly "clenched"
mf mf Voice IV
& í ™™ _
> ≠ í ™™ _
™™î
U ™ ‰ ™î ≠
f - - - - - - - - - - - - sh______________________ improvise rhythm add lib.
mp
_ Voice V
_
& í ™™ _ s(u)
™™î ≠ _ -
-
-
s(i)
-
-
-
s(u)
s(i)
-
-
mp
_
_
™ Voice VI ¢& í ™ _ s(u)
™™î ≠ _ -
-
-
s(i)
-
-
-
s(u)
s(i)
-
6
-
Eldfjallsvið 20 - 30 sec.
Cut Off
10 - 15 sec. improvise freely using rhythms given
11 eb and flow tempo ad lib. mp 3 5 3 ™ í ≠ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™™î ----nah nah nah . . . . . . . . . . . .
10 Voice I
° &
f
≠
improvise freely using rhythms given eb and flow tempo ad lib.
exhale on any open vowel. slightly "clenched"
mp f Voice II
> & í ™™ J
U ™ ‰ ™î
3
5
3
≠ í ™™
™™î ≠
œ œ œ œ œ œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ œ œ œ œ nah nah nah . . . . . . . . . . . .
improvise rhythm add lib.
improvise freely using rhythms given eb and flow tempo ad lib.
exhale on any open vowel. slightly "clenched"
mp f
Voice III
> ≠ í ™™ J
&
U Œ
U™ ‰ ™î
3
5
3
™™î
í ™™
≠ œ œ œ œœœ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œœœœ œ nah nah nah . . . . . . . . . . . .
improvise rhythm add lib.
improvise freely using rhythms given eb and flow tempo ad lib.
mp f 3
Voice IV
&
≠
5
3
≠ í ™™ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ ™™î ----nah nah nah . . . . . . . . . . . .
exhale on any open vowel. slightly "clenched"
Voice V
> ≠ í ™™ J
&
U Œ
U™ ‰ ™î ≠
≠
improvise rhythm add lib. exhale on any open vowel. slightly "clenched"
í ™™ >Voice VI ¢& J
U Œ
U ™ ‰ ™î ≠
improvise rhythm add lib.
7
≠