History’s Stories

SATB, a cappella

“History’s Stories” is a musical puzzle. The first piece (“Echo’s History’s” for TTBB chorus) and the second piece (“Echo’s Stories” for SSAA chorus) combine to make up a third SSAATTBB work (History’s Stories), which layers the two previous pieces together without changing a note.

Contemporary poet Diane Thiel’s text for “History’s Stories” describes the myth of Narcissus and Echo and can be read three ways. Reading just the last word of every line forms a poem (“art allows chance turns…”); the poem can be read as it is on the page; or it can be read with this last word of every line—which “echoes” part of the preceding word—omitted. These three interpretations inspired the three different movements of “History’s Stories.”

The three movements can be performed together as a cycle, or each of the movements (TTBB, SSAA, or SSAATTBB) can be programmed as a stand-alone piece.

“History’s Stories” was commissioned by Flower Mound High School, Mark Rohwer, director, and premiered by the FMHS Jaguar Chorale with the FMHS Men’s Chamber Choir.