like a tree (SATB)

About like a tree:

I was inspired to adapt the text of Psalm 1:3 into a secular poem because of the beautiful image it conjures: a tree that has found its place near a source of water that allows it to set roots in the ground and grow branches towards the sky. It reminds me of how the people and environments we surround ourselves with influence us either to grow, to stagnate, or to wither and die. My adaption turns the call-to-action inwards to ourselves rather than outwards towards a higher being, emphasizing the idea that we have the ability to plant ourselves in environments of our own choosing. It is in our power to put ourselves around people and situations that encourage us to thrive.

Musically, I focused on the concept of growing like a tree. I tried to achieve this through a harmonic language that begins hymn-like, in homage to the source text, and grows in richness as the piece progresses. The musical texture and layering of the voices similarly grows in complexity as the work continues, emulating a tree sprouting branches and driving its roots deeper into the ground as time goes on. By the end of the piece, I hope to evoke the image of a green, towering tree, glorious and wise in its old age.

Pricing: $2.10 per licensed PDF, with a minimum order of 12 copies. Licensing is on the honor system. Please purchase one licensed PDF for each singer in your ensemble. For example, an ensemble of 20 singers would purchase 20 licenses for a total of $42.00. Thank you for supporting living composers by purchasing the appropriate number of licenses.