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About the Composer
Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander (Seafarer Press)
Faith is the Bird that Feels the Light (SATB)
A sweet and soulful affirmation on darkness, light and faith.
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Faith Is the Bird That Feels the Light
SATB a cappella
A soulful rendering of Rabindranath Tagore’s poetic aphorism on faith, featuring blues-inflected solos, varied choral textures, and a dazzling final chord. A favorite of high school and college choirs, and a popular programming choice for festival and All-State choirs.
Composer’s Notes
When I began composing this song I didn’t know how it would end; in fact, I thought it would be significantly longer than it is. But after composing the first 10 bars of a small recapitulation, I stumbled upon a surprising and glorious six note chord, offering not resolution but possibility. I suddenly thought, “Good heavens, what if I stop right here?!” I was so astonished I had to get up from the piano and take a brisk walk around the block. Returning to the piano, I took a deep breath and drew a double bar line after what is one of my favorite endings of all time.
About performing this song: Why sure, this song may be certainly sung with folk/blues inflections! The solo may also be divided between more than one soloist if desired. This song works at a variety of tempos, but it loses some of its nuance when it gets too fast.
-Elizabeth Alexander
Text
Faith is the bird that feels the light
And sings when the dawn is still dark.
-Rabindranath Tagore
From Fireflies: A Collection of Proverbs, Aphorisms and Maxims
$3.00 per licensed PDF
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