Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music ... - NewMusicBox

NewMusicBox May 2003
seen the city. I was so sad that I couldn't work for five days during that period of time, because
it was my second homeland: New York, the States. I studied there for many years—I graduated
from Columbia University. When I came back to work, I took a Chinese poem that is from the
Tang dynasty. I translated that into English because it is a requirement that this time we have to
write in English. Although I had written another choral work with this old poem as the text, sung
in Chinese, I found that this piece is more dramatic and with more contrast, and it's more
emotional. Also, I hope that it's powerful in spirit to remember and to honor the New York
firefighters, and to think more about the future and for peace on our earth. I have one other
rehearsal on Saturday. I think the Elmer Iseler Singers are doing a great job.
R. MURRAY SCHAEFER: When I received the information about the commission, I hesitated at
first because I don't particularly like writing something for people I have never met. I much prefer
working with people that I do know and working cooperatively with them. So a choir was
assigned on the other side of the world, and I wrote to the conductor, Derek DuHei, and
suggested to him what I had in mind. And he wrote back and said, "Maybe you would like to
write something on a Chinese poem." I immediately felt that we each had our own idea of what
we would do, what would be expected or appropriate. Rain Chant, which some of you heard
yesterday, consists exclusively of words in an invented language. I would call these magic words,
tone magic if you want because back very far in all cultures, people invented words and gave
them presence and power. By saying those words and believing them, people believed they could
change the world. So, Rain Chant, in its fundamental form, is sung every year with a group of
people who camp in the bush and remain there for eight days in the wilderness of Northern
Ontario. It has a very simple function; to make the rain go away. Sometimes we have to sing it
for two or three hours, but eventually the rain does stop. So, I decided to make a very
abbreviated version for the concert, since I didn't expect there to be much rain in the hall,
anyway. That's what I did, I wrote a four-minute rain chant.
Composers’ Dialogue #1, 08/06/2002