composition for choir
12 to 120 voices, any register
1.
metrically together. treat each group of five letters as a word, english spelling, one beat per word, sixty beats per minute
haosc / schao / schoa / shoac /
hoacs / ohacs / ohasc / osach /
soach / scoah / shcoa / ashco /
ashoc / shoca / socha / hcoas /
chaso / ochas / choas / chaos
2. attacca
metrically free, like reading a meaningful peom
haosc / schao / schoa / shoac /
hoacs / ohacs / ohasc / osach /
soach / scoah / shcoa / ashco /
ashoc / shoca / socha / hcoas /
chaso / ochas / choas / chaos
// (fermo)
3. alla breve, con calma
start together, try to stay together, try to spell the words in the correct tempo, even if you loose your neighbours
//: haosc / schao / schoa / shoac /
hoacs / ohacs / ohasc / osach /
soach / scoah / shcoa / ashco /
ashoc / shoca / socha / hcoas /
chaso / ochas / choas / chaos ://
// (fermo)
4. a tempo, mosso
a quarter of the choir starts with the last line and repeats it, metrically together. Three quarters of the choir start with the first line and do all five lines like in no. 2, i.e. metrically free
haosc / schao / schoa / shoac /
hoacs / ohacs / ohasc / osach /
soach / scoah / shcoa / ashco /
ashoc / shoca / socha / hcoas /
chaso / ochas / choas / chaos
5. attacca
a quarter of the choir starts with the last line and repeats it five times, metrically together. Three quarters of the choir do all five lines metrically, as in no. 1
haosc / schao / schoa / shoac /
hoacs / ohacs / ohasc / osach /
soach / scoah / shcoa / ashco /
ashoc / shoca / socha / hcoas /
chaso / ochas / choas / chaos *
* If executed correctly, at the very end the whole choir says „chaos“ in unison.
Moritz Gagern 