"Spring Shall Bloom" [Susan LaBarr]

"Spring Shall Bloom" [Susan LaBarr]

First line of lyrics: It is over. What is over?

LaBarr, Susan; music (American, born 1981)

Rossetti, Christina Georgina; text (English, 1830-1894)

2014 December [composition]; 2015 [copyright]

Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Inc.

genre: choral music|song

chorus: women’s SSAA chorus

instrumentation: piano

initial sharps/flats: five sharps

initial time signature: 12/8

origin: United States

female composer

English

Rossetti poem(s): "Amen"

Composition history: "Commissioned by the 2014 Women's Choir Commission Consortium of the American Choral Director's Association (ACDA) | Iris S. Levine, National Repertoire and Standards Chair for Women's Choirs." "Springfield MO | December 2014" appears at the end of the score. Composer notes: "When I encountered this poem by Christina Rossetti, I immediately thought of my mother’s life. She has had a difficult journey, although someone meeting her for the first time would never know . . . After everything that has happened, she is able to understand that spring will, in fact, bloom where now the ice is – that all things ultimately teach us something and make us better, if only we will let them . . . There seemed no better way to honor my mother (who is a lover of music and a musician herself) than to have women’s choirs across the country singing these words. Perhaps someone going through a difficult time will find comfort in them." ("Spring Shall Bloom")

Tempo markings: "Moderate with rubato"; dotted quarter note = 66

Performance history: Premiered in Spring 2015 at Lexington High School by the LHS Chamber Singers and throughout their China tour. ("LHS Chamber Singers"). Performed on 3 March 2018, Vancouver, St. John's Shaughnessy Anglican Church, by Elektra Women’s Choir, Morna Edmundson, Artistic Director, Stephen Smith, piano in a concert called "Fire Flowers – A tribute to the resilience of the human spirit" ("Fire Flowers..."), on July 2, 2018 in St. John's, Newfoundland at Podium on the Edge, Choral Canada's 2018 national, biennial choral conference and concert festival. ("Choral Canada Podium Conference...") "Spring Shall Bloom, performed by Elektra Women's Choir." YouTube, uploaded by Elektra Women's Choir, 15 July 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnVu8UFBsq8. Accessed 13 February 2021.

Recordings: "Spring Shall Bloom (Live)". Michigan Youth Arts Festival 2015 Gala Concert (Live). Performance by Holland West Ottawa High School Select Women's Ensemble, Pam Pierson, director, Soundwaves Recording, 2015. Apple Music, https://music.apple.com/us/album/michigan-youth-arts-festival-2015-gala-concert-live/1065368164. Accessed 13 February 2021.
"Spring Shall Bloom." Fire Flowers, performance by Elektra Women's Choir, Morna Edmundson, director, Stephen Smith, piano, 2020. Apple Music, https://music.apple.com/us/album/fire-flowers/1525651584. Accessed 13 February 2021.
"Spring Shall Bloom." Santa Barbara Music Publishing, performance by Kennesaw State University Women’s Choir, Alison Mann, conductor, https://sbmp.com/SR2.php?CatalogNumber=1311. Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.

Dedication: "Written in honor of my mother, Sherre Marek, | who is courage in the face of trial, openness when all is closed, and strength in times of weakness."

Format 1: musical score

14 pages; performance time 5 minutes and 40 seconds.

Other data reference(s): "LHS Chamber Singers." LHS Choral Department, 30 Sep. 2019. http://www.lhschoral.org/chamber-singers. Accessed 9 Mar. 2021.
"Spring Shall Bloom." Elektra Women's Choir, elektra.ca/pieces/spring-shall-bloom/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2021.
"Fire Flowers - A tribute to the resilience of the human spirit." Elektra Women's Choir, https://elektra.ca/performances/fire-flowers-a-tribute-to-the-resilience-of-the-human-spirit/. Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.
"Choral Canada Podium Conference, NL (3 concerts)." Elektra Women's Choir, https://elektra.ca/performances/elektra-performs-at-podium-st-johns-nfld/. Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.

Cataloguer: Baylie Karperien, University of Ottawa

Musical score: "Spring Shall Bloom." Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Inc., https://sbmp.com/SR2.php?CatalogNumber=1311. Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.

This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "Spring Shall Bloom." Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Inc., https://sbmp.com/SR2.php?CatalogNumber=1311. Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.

Record: CRM-amen-labarr

"It is illegal to duplicate this by photocopy or any other means. | © Copyright 2015 for ALL COUNTRIES by Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Inc."

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