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Saunder Choi
Saunder Choi Music
Lakbay ng Agila (Eagle’s Flight)
A riveting and energetic Filipino-language piece about flight, journeys, and joy, filled with onomatopoeic sounds and textures.
SATB choir div. a cappella
Winner of the 2024 American Choral Directors Association Raymond W. Brock Prize for Professional Composers, Lakbay ng Agila (Eagle’s Flight) is a breathtaking musical journey that honors the endangered Philippine eagle, the country’s national bird.
Inspired by the innate musicality of birds and the powerful symbolism of the eagle, this piece reflects not only the beauty and strength of this majestic creature but also the urgent need for its conservation. Lakbay ng Agila is a testament to the power of music in bringing awareness to critical environmental issues and the enduring spirit of hope and joy.
Composer’s Notes
As a musician, I’ve always been fascinated by choral works derived from bird songs. From Clement Janequin’s masterful use of 15th- century French as onomatopoeic “bird sounds” in his Le Chant Des Oiseaux to Francisco Feliciano’s musical reimagining of an interaction between a sparrow and its hunter in Pamugun, the innate musicality of birds has inspired millennia of musical work.
In relation to this triumphant poem by Joey Vargas, it would be remiss not to mention that the Philippine eagle (a.k.a. the monkey- eating eagle) is, in fact, the Philippines’ national bird. You can distinguish it from other eagles by its distinct crown of brown and white plumage. And yes, it does feed on monkeys, particularly long-tailed macaques. Due to years of negligence and deforestation, Philippine eagles are considered critically endangered. Hunting and killing them is a criminal offense, punishable by law. This piece is dedicated to the conservation of our national bird.
Lakbay ng Agila (Eagle’s Flight) is the winner of the 2024 American Choral Directors Association Raymond W. Brock Prize for Professional Composers. It was commissioned by Providence High School for the Providence Singers, under the direction of Marisa Bradfield. Providence High School is a learning community where compassion, service, dignity, and justice are at the heart of their mission. Like the eagle’s journey, their young people prepare for the majestic flight out into the world, always leading with empathy, strength, and love.
-Saunder Choi
Text
Simula sa pagkabata,
mahahanap ng agila
ang gamit ng kanyang paa
at huni ng kanyang kanta.
Matututunang tumayo
ulit-ulit mang mabigo
hanggang matutong tumalon
nang bahagya, may hinahon.
Susukatin nya ang lawak
Na kayang abutin ng pakpak
sa marahang pagpagaspas,
pag-aaral ng pag-alpas.
Ang simulang tangkang igkas,
balikwas bawat wasiwas,
bigwas bagwis, tila igtad,
igpaw nang igpaw hanggang makalipad.
Kikilitiin ang hangin,
sa matinis n’yang awitin.
Himpapawid, lalambingin,
aangkinin, aariin.
Ganto’ng lakbay ng agila
mula sa asam, pag-asa,
patungo sa ninanasa,
tuktok ng tagumpay, tuwa.
-Joey Vargas
TRANSLATION:
While it is still young,
the eagle will sure to find
the use of its feet
and the tune of its songs.
It will learn to stand
no matter the times it fails
until it learns to jump
just a little, with patience.
It shall measure the length
its wings may reach
as it steadily wags them,
learning to be free.
The first attempt at sudden release,
flicking while flapping,
flinging wings, like a spring,
flailing till it flies.
It flirts with the winds,
with the sweetness of its hymns.
The air it caresses,
claims, conquers.
This is the eagle’s journey
from longing, hoping
towards what it desires,
peak of success, joy.
$3.00 per licensed PDF
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