No Title

justinmerritthay días for choir

NOTES ON THE PROGRAMJaime Quemain was the editor of an independent newspaper in San Salvador. In 1980 he was arrested by plainclothes men in a cafe. The next day his dead body was found on the street tortured and mutilated with a machete. He was 30. He was almost certainly murdered by paramilitary death squads associated with the Salvadoran army. He was killed at almost the same time and place as the more well known Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, who assassinated by Rafael Alvaro Saravia while celebrating mass on Monday, March 24, 1980.

Hay Días is not a poem of political protest. Rather it is a poem expressing the lives of the people during a time of violence and upheaval. This work has moments of dread and visions of death, moments of red-blooded exuberance, and a reminder of the power of crowds to strive for change amid violence and repression. This idea of cycles is expressed by the four stanzas of the poem roughly corresponding to the four seasons of the year: winter/death, spring/sex, summer/heat and violence, and a return to darkness and fear. The piece expresses this by a subtle harmonic progression that leads, over the course of the work, through all 12 key areas before returning to the original c# minor/A Lydian at the close. The poem ends with hope amid terror, the image of a flower growing from a grave. In a final ironic twist, the last bittersweet word of the poem, “flores” (flower), is the name of the right wing Arenero President

Francisco Flores who ruled El Salvador from 1999-2004.

This work was composed as a part of The Esoteric’s Polyphonos Competition, polyphonos meaning, “having many voices or manifold in expression.” I was inspired by this idea of many voices to create a work in which each of the many voices within the choir would have a chance to be heard individually. This work features a profusion of intertwining solos and extremely divided textures.

-notes by the composer

commissioned byEric Banks & the Esoterics

“… the highlight of

the year came Nov. 9

with Justin Merritt's

Five Preludes for

piano…” -Peter

Schimpf, Bloomington Independent

8 1 5 t h y e p a r k w a y • n o r t h f i e l d , m n • 5 0 7 - 6 4 5 - 4 8 2 0 • i n f o @ m o o n e a s t . c o m • w w w. m o o n e a s t . c o m

In 2000 composer Justin Merritt (bn. 1975) was the youngest-ever winner of the ASCAP Foundation/Rudolph Nissim Award for Janus Mask. He is also the winner of a host of other awards including the 2008-09 Copland Award, the 2008 Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute Prize for River of Blood, and the 2006 Polyphonos Prize

He received his Bachelors from Trinity University and

his Masters and Doctorate from Indiana University. H e s t u d i e d composition with Samuel Adler, Sven-David Sandström, C l a u d e B a k e r, Timothy Kramer, Don F r e u n d , a n d e l e c t ro n i c a n d computer music with Jeffrey Hass. He is currently Assistant Professor of Composition at St. Olaf College. He resides in Northfield, Minnesota with his wife Yuedong and their children Cullen Fang Ouxiang and Molly Fang Qinghe.

“Several times I wrote "Wow!" next to a work being played...”

-Peter Jacobi, Herald Timesju

stin

mer

rit

“…demands an audience's

attention…Merritt's

piece was the standout.”

-Rob Hubbard,

Pioneer Press

Hay DíasHay días, señoren que San Salvador se llenade sombras y de miedoy sus calles angostas parecencementerios cubiertos de cenizay creemos que un niñola muchachael amigomarchan a nuestro ladoy son simples fantasmas vagas sombras que sueñansienten hambredefecan...

Hay días, señor,en que San Salvador se llenade estupendas mujeresque con su movimientonos incendian el sexo...el amor es un niñovolando su piscuchao una parejacontemplando vitrinas:el amor se da por canastadas.

Pero hay otros días, señor,En que San Salvador despiertaDe su santa pacienciaY vemos muchachos y obrerosQue salen a la calleA gritar su iracundiaA dejar su protestaDibujada con sangre sobre el pavimentoA gritar sus cancionesSus poemasSus sueños...

Es entonces, señor,


Cuando los enemigosDe los niños sin techoCaminan silenciososSombreados por la lunaY golpean las puertas de los ángelesY los sacan atados a cavar una fosaDonde crecerán flores.! -Jaime Suárez Quemain

There are Days There are days, sir, in which San Salvador is filledwith shadows and fear and its narrow streets resembleash-covered cemeteriesand we think that a child a girl a friend walks beside us and they are simply phantomsvague shadows that dream feel hunger defecate…

There are days, sir, in which San Salvador is filledwith stupendous women whose movements inflame our sex… Love is a little boyFlying his kiteor a couplewindow-shopping:there are basketsful of love.

But there are other days, sir, in which San Salvador arousesfrom its saintly patience

and we see youths and workers take the streetsto shout in angerto leave their protest painted in blood on the pavement to shout their songs their poems their dreams…

It is then, sir, when the enemies of roofless childrenwalk silentlyshadowed by the moonlightand rap on the doors of angelsand take them away, bound, to dig a gravewhere flowers will grow.

-Jaime Suárez Quemain(translated by the Claribel Alegría & Darwin

J. Flakoll)


!

!

!

!

!

!

"

"#

#

#

#

!#

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

$$$$

!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!"#$

!"#$

%

%%

%

%%

%

%%

%

%%

!"&'$("

)*++",!"&'$("

-#."

/*("'

0$'1."(*

0$22

31$("!"#$%$&'&($)(*%#+*,-

%(412.1(5.67412.$(.7!"#$#%#&'(#%

%

%

&'

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

&'

%

%

%

%

&

(' *&.(/0))01#%)&12$&

( ( ( ( ( ( ("#$$$

(' *&.(/0))01#%)&12$&

( ( ( ( ( ( ("#$$$

%

%

%

%

%

%

%( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

) * +(,

( ( (%&'

%

%

&

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (%

%

%

%

%

%

) * +(,

( ( (( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

-( .( /() &*+

&"#$$$

%

&

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

&,"#$$$

&,"#$$$

&,"#$$$

&,"#$$$

&,"#$$$

&,"#$$$

-( .( /

&&&

( -( ( /*,- #.+

&'

%

%

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

&

&&

&

&

&( -( ( /

&&&

) ( ( (,/ 01, 2&/

&) (

,( (

,/ 01, 2&/

(' *&.(/0))01#%)&12$&

( ( ( ( ( ( ("#$$$

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (%

%

%

%

%

%

) ((,(( ((

%

3 3

4#5'.6789:;<<=:>:?1*96/:@,..699:AB24BCDC1EF6*8,(:E':@##/:G&*9BFF:.6789*:.,*,.H,(III$J##/,&*9$K#J

"#$%3$04%5(+6)%7%8'&%3)#/&$04)

8$97:;$2"#$%9:2($/%4'#0$%(%4(22&**(<$1=*7!>?'*+7@>*=$1(77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777<>2.1(7)*''1..

:>'A775B7CD7EFG

8'&$&%($&%;(,)<%)0$<%0+%='04'%>(+%>(*?(;#$%

!

!

!

!

!

!

"

"#

#

#

#

!#

$$$$

$$$$

$$$$

$$$$

$$$$

$$$$

$$$$

$$$$

$$$$

$$$$

$$$$

$$$$$$$$

$$$$

!"#$

!"#$

!"#$

%

%%

!"#"

%

%%

!"&B

),!"&B

-#.B

/*(

0$'B

02B

3("B

C

-( .( /2&F H& (#.

&-( +( /

2&F H& (#.

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

%

+( * 0 -(' *&.(/0))01#%)&12$&( ( ( ( ( ( ("#$$$

(' *&.(/0))01#%)&12$&( ( ( ( ( ( ("#$$$

%

&"#$$$

%

%--(( .(( //( ( ( ( ( ( ( (&

( ) ) (*,

%

( ) ) (*,

( ( ( ( ( ( ( *

%

%( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

%

&'

%

%

(( ) ) (( ( ( ( ( ( ( (&

H(7&"5"7&1I7="22"7!"#$#%#)*(#/ /FF,/ &

&"#$$$

/ /FF,/ &

&"#$$$

0 ) (1(,

('

( ( ( ( ( ( ("#$$$

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

0 ) (1(,

&

&,"#$$$

&,"#$$$

// //

&

/ 0

&

/ 0

&

/ ( ( ( (*#J E.&* ' (, J6

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

/ ( ( ( (*#J E.&* ' (, J6

%

&'

&'

// (' ( ( (

&

%

&

0 ) (1

(' *1*

&( -/, (#

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (( ( ( ( ( ( )( ( ( ( ( ( )($ -/, (#

&"#$$$

&,

&,

( ( ( ( ) (1 (&

22222222222222222222

2222222222222222222222222222222222222222

3 3 3

3 3 3

3 3 3

3 3 3

8$97:;$27,7&JB7K

0)%"0**&;%=0/'%)'(;#=)%(+;%"&($%%%%%%%%%%%%%%(+;%0/)%

this is a sample onlyto purchase the complete score or parts and

for other compositions by justinmerritt please visit:

www.mooneast.com

or send emails to

[email protected]


other compositions by justinmerritt

! ........................................................................... .......................Janus Mask! ! winds in 2s! .............................................................................................River of Blood! winds in 2s

.........................................................................................................! Dervish! winds in 2s! ..............................................................................................Lachryme! string orchestra! ........................................................................................................Monster! winds in 3s

..........................................................................................................! Corde natus! SATB! .......................................................................................................Lamentations! SATB

......................................................................................................! Hay Días! SMsATBrB.................................................................................................................! Nativity! SATB

.................................................................................................! Adoro Te Devote! SATB....................................................................................! Fire Sermon! SSATB & orchestra

.............................................................................................! Standard Deviation! violin.................................................................................................! Bar for Hans Sachs! flute

.......................................................................................................! Veloce! violin & piano................................................................................................................! Coupling! organ

...................................................................................................! Drum Break! percussion

..........................................................! A Gauze of Misted Silver! string quartet & harp..................................................................................................! Ravening! string quartet....................................................................................................! Invocation! 8 solo brass

............! The Day Florestan Murdered Magister Raro! clarinet, violin, cello, & piano.................................................................................................! Trio ! violin, cello, & piano

..............................................................................................................! 5 Preludes! piano..................................................................................! Chaconne: Mercy Endures! piano

..........................................................................................................! Rococo Suite! piano..................................................................................................! Sierpinski Gasket! piano

...........................................................................................................! Windchimes! piano...................................................................................................! Hive! 4 pianos, 16 hands

.....................................................................................................! Dissonance! song cycle........................................................................................! Steps Into Stillness! song cycle

................................................................................................! Dhammapada! song cycle...........................................! London Thoroughfare, 2AM! tenor, horn, violin, & piano

! May Evening in Central Park ...........................................................! baritone & piano


orchestral

choral

chamber

vocal

solo

piano

Documents

No Title