for mixed choir in many languages
Duration: 10 minutes
1. Just in English, 4 min
2. In twelve tongues, 6 min
The lyrics in this piece is just one sentence long, said by an eleven year old Croatian boy during the Yugoslav Wars:
When I close my eyes, I dream of peace
No name were to be found where I found this text.
Part 1 – Just in English is a tunelike mixture of English and onomato-poetic syllables.
Part 2 – In twelve tongues is sung in different languages where each language has its own melody and character. I have in many cases used scales and rhythms from the corresponding language: In Arabic there is a beautiful Arabic scale, in Swahili the lyrics are sung in a rhythmic, groovy way, in Russian the melody sounds deep and emotional through a male choir, in Swedish the danceble tune is sung in 3/4 metre, and so on.
This piece is a peace project, so feel free to use it with variation and in a suitable way for your choir. The first part can be sung separately, and as an introduction you may read the lyrics in different languages. The second part can be sung separately as well.
There is a short version available that consists of the second part only, but with an additional introduction.
19 January, 2016
Karin Rehnqvist
