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I Shall Not Live in Vain
A piece for a cappella SSAATTBB chorus based on the text of the Emily Dickinson poem* by the same name. Revised in 2019 to more fully use the eight voices.

dur: 4.5 min, key of G, then modulates to F

"Beautiful harmonies. Love the slight touches of dissonance... --Charles M."

*
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
I now have a version that is sung, with all parts by Joel Murillo.

I Shall Not Live In Vain, for chorus from david on Vimeo.

video recording: https://vimeo.com/363642060

I_Shall_Not_Live_in_Vain_v108.mp3

I_Shall_Not_Live_in_Vain_ver0923_with_Joel.mp3

I_Shall_Not_Live_in_Vain_v108.pdf
chorus, choral, SATB
 
 
It's Muse Light
A commissioned work for San Francisco based Musae Womens Chorus and Bossa Five-O [flute, sax, guitar, percussion].

Lyrics

There's music in a whispered voice; She is the muse... of the song

Weaving beauty into the tapestry of creation,
and a thread of new music enters your dream.

She sparks your soul, melding thought, light and sound,
Then like a wisp [of smoke] she vanishes into the wind.

Spellbound, enchanted by the magic of the song, magic of the song
Singing, singing, singing for the joy.

The last rays of sunset are racing through the night
to rejoin the sky song of sunrise, of muse light!

instrumental

There's music in a whispered voice; She is the muse... of the song

And maybe you will hear it or see it at dawn,
and likewise be entranced by the sight of her song.

Beyond wordly facts and clashing views
All share a moment when the song and singer fuse.

It's_Muse_Light_FULL_a.mp3

muse_light_5-30-09_concert_a.mp3

It's_Muse_Light_FULL_Score.pdf
It's_Muse_Light_SSAA.pdf
womens chorus, guitar, flute, sax, percussion, SSAA, muselight, choral, musica sfinzi, 2011
 
 
QP Peace Be Unto Thee Stranger
A single movement choral piece in a madrigal/hymn style for four-part chorus using the text below.

Peace be unto thee, stranger, enter and be not afraid.
I have left the gate open and thou art welcome to my home.
There is room in my house for all.
I have swept the hearth and lighted the fire.
The room is warm and cheerful and you will find comfort and rest within.
The table is laid and the fruits of Life are spread before thee.
The wine is here also, it sparkles in the light.
I have set a chair for you where the sunbeams dance through the shade.
Sit and rest and refresh your soul.
Eat of the fruit and drink the wine.
All, all is yours, and you are welcome.
-- from S.O.M. E. Holmes, 1926

short url here: tiny.cc/peace_be
audio link also at soundcloud

Peace_Be_Unto_Thee_Stranger.mp3

Peace_Be_Unto_Thee_Stranger_v115.pdf
SATB voice, choral, chorus
 
 
Three Fingers of Light
Adagio for chorus and string trio in Fm. Written for Vigil for Iraq: honoring the dead, the wounded, the grieving and the dispossessed. The text is co-written by David Smith and Theresa Whitehill.
8.5 min (In this rendering, woodwinds are playing the vocal parts.)

Here's a link to the video of the choral performance.

Three Fingers of Light, a choral piece by David Smith, VFI_3 from david on Vimeo.

3fol_v113.mp3

3fol_v113a_cues.pdf
3fol_v113b_DB.pdf
3fol_v113b_VC.pdf
3fol_v113b_VLA.pdf
3fol_v113c_FULL.pdf
SATB, choral, chorus, string trio, viola, cello, bass
 
 
What Shall We Sing?
A madrigal-style song about singing madrigals. (Thanks to Andreas for singing all of the parts in this recording.)

2006.

"Bravo! What a lovely little 'madrigal' -- and a fantastic performance." -- M. Badarak

WhatShallWeSing_w_dirigent.mp3

SATB Chorus, choral,four-part, whimsical
 

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