"A Better Resurrection" [Georgia Stitt]

"A Better Resurrection" [Georgia Stitt]

First line of lyrics: I have no wit, no words, no tears

Stitt, Georgia; music (American, born 1972)

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

2006 [copyright] [publication]

Walton Music Corporation

genre: choral music|song

chorus: SATB chorus

instrumentation: piano

initial sharps/flats: two sharps

initial time signature: 6/8

other version 1 - chorus: women’s SSAA chorus

other version 1 - instrumentation: piano

other version 1 - initial sharps/flats: no sharps or flats

origin: United States

female composer

English

Rossetti poem(s): "A Better Resurrection"

Composition history: "Commissioned by The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City." "I have been a big fan of the poetry of Christina Rossetti since I discovered her in college. Her words, to me, have an innate music to them, and it has been a relatively easy task to uncover that music and set it down on paper. I have often said that some poems are so complete in their composition that the addition of music would get in the way of the work the poem does itself. By contrast, many of Rossetti’s poems are filled with emptiness and longing. They cry out for vocalization, for connection, and it is my hope that my music can fill those holes without compromising the poet’s original intentions. | In “A Better Resurrection” I have taken what is basically an A-A-A structure and tried to vary the texture of each section so the sense of yearning grows throughout the piece, giving it a forward momentum. One key example of this thrust is the addition of the humming and “ah” sections. Note that the first thing we hear from the singers (m. 4) is a very closed sound, a “hmm” on a very tight interval, a major second. The next time we hear it (m. 40), as the singers have first asked for strength, the harmonies have begun to open up. As the music and text progress together, the harmonies get bigger and more open (m. 78), until finally at the end (m. 126), we have only the open fifth, the most vulnerable and open of harmonies, as the singers look heavenward for their own redemption. | Originally conceived as a piece for SSAA ensemble, I am happy now to present the SATB version. I wish especially to acknowledge the Reverend Jay Wegman, formerly of The Cathedral of St. John The Divine, and to thank him for his support of this piece and of my work in general." ("A Better Resurrection").

Tempo markings: dotted quarter note = 70-72

Performance instructions: "Simply"

Performance history: "Premiered [at St. John the Divine, New York City] on June 17, 2002."

Recordings: "A Better Resurrection: for SSAA choir." Lyrics by Christina Rossetti, performance by Joel Fram, conductor, Kate Chapman, Jenni Frost, Laura Griffith, Suzanne Adams, Kate Chisholm, Bambi Jones, Leenya Rideout, Michelle Miller, vocals, Georgia Stitt, piano. Recorded at M&I Studios, New York City, 2002. SoundCloud, https://soundcloud.com/georgiastitt/a-better-resurrection-for-ssaa. Accessed 25 May 2022.

Format 1: musical score

12 pages

Other data reference(s): "A Better Resurrection." Georgia Stitt, https://georgiastitt.com/music-library/better-resurrection/. Accessed 25 May 2022.
"A Better Resurrection." GIA Publications, Inc. https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/a-better-resurrection-print-ww1358. Accessed 25 May 2022.

Cataloguer: Emily McConkey, University of Ottawa

This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "A Better Resurrection." GIA Publications, Inc. https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/a-better-resurrection-print-ww1358. Accessed 25 May 2022.

Record: CRM-betterresurrection-stitt

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