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About the Composer
Timothy C. Takach
Timothy C. Takach Publications
Soldier
A piece embodying the spirit and values of the American Soldier.
SATB, a cappella
Commissioned by The Soldier’s Chorus of the U.S Army Field Band
“Soldier” stands as a monument to the brave men and women who swear an oath to “defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Through a setting of Joshua Chamberlain’s public speeches, this piece embodies the spirit and values of American Soldiers past, present and future. In this masterful setting Chamberlain’s words echo through history and resonate with Americans today.
Composer’s Notes
So much has changed about national conflict over the years – uniforms, tactics, machinery, technology, and yet the reasons why people choose to serve their country and protect its values has not. This is evidenced by these words from Joshua Chamberlain, a professor of modern languages at Bowdoin College in Maine who volunteered for the Union Army in 1862. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroiosm and tenacity. The text of “Soldier” is taken from two different speeches that he gave in 1888 and 1901.
His words echo his service in the Civil War, but his sentiments remain true today for all those currently serving the Country. Musically these words are set simply, but there is a palpable energy in hearing the country move “far forward through the years to come.” The line that means the most to me reads “Forms change and pass; bodies disappear; but spirits linger.” Years pass, but the spirit of serving our country does not waver or change. These women and men give their all.
– Timothy C. Takach, 2020
Text
The flag we bear into the field is the flag of our country, the flag of our people.
We fight the enemies of our common Country, we fight for home and all the sanctities of life, wide over the land, and far forward through the years to come. We are beckoned on by the vision of destiny, we see our Country moving forward, far forward through the years to come.
In great deeds, something abides. On great fields, something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear; but spirits linger. We believe in the power of high aims and of strong purpose; of great endeavor and the onward, upward path of history. Each one gives themselves and belongs to, something beyond time and above place, – something which cannot die.
– Joshua Chamberlain (1828-1914). Adapted by TCT from public speeches, with edits by MSG Adrian Hernandez, U.S. Army Field Band
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