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About the Composer
David von Kampen
David von Kampen
Swimming
A beautiful and pulsing setting of a quietly unsettling contemporary poem.
SATB and piano
I found this poem in a bookstore in Lincoln in 2021 and emailed the author, local Nebraska poet Heidi Pattee. She graciously agreed to let me set her words to music, and I proceeded to do something I rarely do anymore – compose a piece just because I wanted to, with no specific ensemble or performance in mind. The poem affected me in a strange way. I felt like the text had an openness – both in meaning and in character – that led to effortless melodic shapes and shifting harmonies.
Composer’s Notes
Directors, I recommend approaching this piece in an emotionally neutral way. Don’t sing too expressively, let the pulsating piano and gently twisting chords do the work. I think this text can be interpreted in a number of different ways, and simply delivering the notes and rhythms in an understated manner should provide your listeners with a rich and thoughtful experience.
-David von Kampen
Text
Swimming
In the ocean
Where it’s deep and
Getting deeper.
Her arms are tired.
So are her legs.
Her long hair sways behind her head
In graceful swirls
And it’s all that can be seen.
But the thoughts from that head
Ever so carefully,
Ever so slowly,
Carry her safely
Onto the shore.
-Heidi E. Pattee (used by permission)
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