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About the Composer
Timothy C. Takach
Timothy C. Takach Publications
One Boy Told Me
A truly unique set of miniatures: childlike thoughts strung together as a whole. Fiercely independent but repetitive vocal lines, stacked together to create a wonderful soundscape. An innovative approach to choral writing.
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One Boy Told Me
SATB, piano
Accessible and lovely vocal lines, delightful and idiomatic piano writing, and a chance to singers to show character in their singing: this piece has it all. Naomi Shihab Nye’s “found” poem is a collection of thoughts from her young son. They are insightful, imaginative, funny, truthful, and all a delight to sing out loud. Audiences will love this unique piece from Timothy C. Takach.
Composer’s Notes
I admit I was scared when, out of the 4 or 5 texts I submitted for this commission, we landed on this one. I had no idea how I was going to turn it into a compelling piece of music. But, not knowing how to do something can produce really neat contributions to the creative process. So this piece ended up being only a selection of the individual lines from Naomi’s original poem, and since they are each their own sort of punchline, the phrases are repeated in a way that allows each to develop on it’s own mood and character. But, there are a few that only are said once, so keep your ears open!
– Timothy C. Takach
Text
Music lives inside my legs,
It’s coming out when I talk.
There’s a stopper in my arm
that’s not going to let me grow any bigger.
I’ll be like this always, small.
I’ll invite a bee to live in your shoe.
What if you found your shoe
full of honey?
My tongue is the car wash
for the spoon.
Just think–no one has ever seen
inside this peanut before!
When I grow up my old names
will live in the house
where we live now.
I’ll come and visit them.
What does minus mean?
I never want to minus you.
I do and don’t love you –
isn’t that happiness?
– Naomi Shihab Nye, excerpts from “One Boy Told Me”
– Used with permission.
$2.15 per licensed PDF
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