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About the Composer
Saunder Choi
Saunder Choi Music
Release
A piece for tenor-bass choir challenging conventional notions of masculinity, embracing the power of emotional vulnerability and showcasing the diverse spectrum of gender identities through the evocative collaboration with trans, queer femme, two-spirit poet Amir Rabiyah.
TTB(B) and piano
Discover “Release,” a captivating tenor-bass honor choir piece that challenges society’s narrow view of masculinity. Through collaboration with trans, queer femme, two-spirit poet Amir Rabiyah, it delves into the multifaceted spectrum of gender identities. Experience the expressive piano, where rigid patterns clash with a rebellious undertone, symbolizing the breaking of societal norms. Commissioned by the California Choral Directors Association for the All-State Tenor Bass Choir, “Release” premiered at the 2023 CASMEC Conference, delivering a powerful message of strength and vulnerability.
Composer’s Notes
When I got the commission to write a tenor-bass honor choir piece, I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to address our flawed perspectives of masculinity. We have traditionally thought of gender identities in the binary with little space to acknowledge its expansive spectrum. I invited trans, queer femme, two-spirit poet Amir Rabiyah to reflect on what masculinity means to them. At the heart of it, Release speaks of emotional vulnerability as a source of strength and power.
The ostinato in the piano represents rigidity and the idea of society’s fixed thinking. It is intermittently interrupted by an alternate yet constant figure that goes against the beat, creating a polyrhythmic blur. The ostinato eventually concedes to a more fluid gesture when the weighted jacket is taken off.
Release was commissioned by the California Choral Directors Association for the 2023 All-State Tenor-Bass Honor Choir. The premiere was given at the California Music Educators Association (CASMEC) Conference in Fresno on February 2023.
– Saunder Choi
Text
Blundering through adolescence
antsy to escape locker room brawls
Sometimes the halls of school swallow you
and spitball you against the wall
You learn how to make a fist
Before you learn to sift through emotions
The translation of boy or man—fixed
cumbersome, leaden, difficult to shift
Are you tired yet?
There comes a time, in the quiet,
where waves of sorrow meet
the shore of possibility
Take off that weighted jacket
& wade into the sea, float on your back
& gaze at the expanse of sky,
Cry–let salt commingle with salt
Release Release Release
There is a refuge in vulnerability
strength in redefinition
-Amir Rabiyah
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