The first thing that nearly all choral composers set out to do when starting a new piece is also the most daunting task: finding a text. The topic of finding the appropriate text for your next choral piece has been the subject of numerous contentious debates, articles, journals, and even university curricula. Composers constantly are reminded that a text can make or break your piece, or even the more feared comment from a director that the music is great, but “I just don’t resonate with the text”. Usually, these attitudes towards finding a stellar text are warranted. Think about your favorite choral piece—there’s a good chance you feel a strong connection to that text, whether it be the underlying message of the text, the way it is set to music, or the particular poet. Either way, this pressure on composers to find the “perfect text” brings us to the question that we ask ourselves every time we set out to write a new piece: “Where do I find this incredible, life-changing text”? We often approach searching for text with a set of parameters already in mind. Maybe we know we want to write an SATB piece with Piano for a High School Choir, and now we set off on the adventure of text-hunting. Popular search locations include public domain poetry sites and religious texts. While both of these options are great, I propose that one of the most exciting, fulfilling, and rewarding ways to “find a text” for your next choral piece is to work with a living poet. Collaborating with living poets yields several benefits both to you as a composer, and to the music itself.
To many (including myself at first), the idea of collaborating with a living poet can be intimidating. What if you don’t know any living poets? What if you prefer to work on creative projects on your own, and aren’t sure how you’d do with a collaborator? What if the poet doesn’t like the way you set their text to music? These are all valid concerns, and I’m going to do my best to address them with the hope that you will feel inspired and empowered to approach these collaborative opportunities.
On March 13th, 2020, I attended my last day of high school. On that day, I had no idea it would be the last day—I thought that after a “two week pause” in school to address the COVID situation, we’d be back in class and singing in choir. Unfortunately, I was wrong. We never went back into school, and everything that we had been waiting for in our senior spring (prom, graduation, etc.) suddenly slipped from reality. I had a very difficult time processing all of the emotions that came to me in the coming weeks, and I decided that I wanted to write a choral piece about my thoughts. I reached out to my close friend Joseph, who I knew to be a great creative writer and fellow tenor in choir. Although I wasn’t entirely sure what that collaboration would look like, I asked if he would be interested in writing a poem based on what we had been experiencing. He accepted, and wrote a beautifully moving text called “The World Afire”, which I set for SATB divisi. The process was incredibly personal. We had several conversations about the meaning of the text, how the music was set, and even changed around some words as the process went on. The piece that I was writing felt different from others because I had a unique connection to the text. It was incredibly comforting and rewarding to be able to create a piece with a poem written by someone who I knew personally and who I trusted.
One of the main benefits to you as a composer if you choose to collaborate with a living poet is that sense of personal connection to the music and the text. Since you are the only one who is setting the text, there is almost a sense of responsibility and care that you take when you approach the music. Additionally, working with a living poet provides endless opportunities for future collaborations and a deepening of your relationship both on a personal and professional level. It can also help you dive deeper into understanding how all collaborations (not just music-related) can be incredibly fun and exciting.
Working with a living poet can also provide enormous benefits to the music itself. The most obvious example is the fact that no other composer will have written a piece with that same text before. When you present your piece to a conductor for their consideration, this can be a very appealing selling point to them. Today more than ever, conductors are looking to program modern, relevant pieces with texts by living and active poets. It is also special to be able to have the opportunity to have both the composer and poet at a performance, and it can be very impactful on the members of the choir as well. One should also consider the possibilities of involving your poet in additional opportunities, such as including them in workshops with the choir, zoom meetings with the choir director, and of course, appearances at performances of the piece.
Although many composers (myself included) choose to reach out to poets whom they already know and may already have a relationship with, it is also easier than ever to reach out to poets who you may not know! I encourage you to read as much poetry as you can and to reach out to poets whose work you find compelling. You’d be surprised how willing to talk people can be if you show a genuine interest in their work and approach collaborations with a friendly attitude. It should also be noted that there is no one right way to work with a poet. Here are some examples of possible approaches to the collaboration:
Setting a text that has already been written by the poet
Commissioning the poet
Working on the text with the poet
Presenting the poet with a concept, idea, or even the music first, and then asking them to write a corresponding text
I encourage you to explore all of these possibilities and to explore the benefits that this will have both to you as a composer and to the music itself.
Working directly with a poet is a great way to find a text for your piece, but it is not the only way. In addition to the common use of public domain poetry and religious texts, you can also explore some of the following options that are less common but just as exciting:
Combine public domain texts
Commission a choir to write a text (ie. the students of the choir)
Try writing something yourself
Explore writing a piece that uses no text
However you choose to find your text is completely up to you, and will no doubt be central in the identity of your piece of music. Just know that the option of collaboration will always yield lots of excitement, opportunities, and positive benefits for all involved!
Thanks for taking the time to read. Feel free to share some of the ways that you go about searching for texts in the comments down below.
Sammy Strent
*Opinions expressed on The CCCC Blog are reflections of the individual author, and may not represent all members of The CCCC Community.
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