Reena Esmail - She Will Transform You (Full score)

She Will Transform You is centred around a powerful poem by Indian-American author Neelanjana Banerjee. The text explores the special relationship of an immigrant and her child to their country of origin, as well as the significant role that a child from both cultures has in bridging the divide between them. The work moves in and out of the Hindustani raga Rageshree, a raga that is grounded in such a way that the ear feels as though it is never quite 'home': the perfect reflection of the text's depiction of simultaneous belonging and distance. Esmail artfully engages full orchestral forces, both in the orchestral prelude and as backdrop to the choral writing, to create a colourful and vibrant work that draws on the sound-worlds of Western European and Indian traditions. Vocal scores are available on hire/rental and for purchase.

INSTRUMENTATION 2 FLUTES

INSTRUMENTATION 2 FLUTES (2nd doubling PICCOLO) 2 OBOES 2 CLARINETS in Bb 2 BASSOONS 4 HORNS in F 2 TRUMPETS in Bb 3 TROMBONES TUBA TIMPANI PERCUSSION—2 or 3 players* (Suspended Cymbal, Glockenspiel, Vibraphone) HARP CELESTE VIOLIN I VIOLIN II VIOLA CELLO DOUBLE BASS *The percussion parts can be covered by two players, with one player on both Glockenspiel and Vibraphone, but the opening section would benefit from three players, if available. COMPOSER’S NOTE She Will Transform You explores the idea of belonging and is centred around a powerful poem by Indian-American author Neelanjana Banerjee. Told through the voice of an immigrant mother, who feels shunned by both her country of origin and her country of residence, this piece is a fervent prayer for her child: that, with a little bit of kindness from the child’s environment, they might have the power and perspective to embrace and connect both cultures. As a child of immigrants myself, I have felt that distance—of being the ‘other’ in both America and India—and also the resonance of being at home in either place. The piece moves in and out of a Hindustani raga called Rageshree, which has such a lush resonance; it is also harmonically grounded in an unusual way, containing no 5th scale degree, which makes our ear feel like it’s never quite ‘home’. As a result, it has both a sense of belonging and one of distance. It is these two feelings, and the journey between them, that I wanted to explore in this work. This note may be reproduced as required for programme notes. Duration: 16 minutes PERFORMANCE NOTE There are some performance effects in the upper string parts that may benefit from more descriptive explanations than the notation allows for, as follows: In bar 5 (and subsequent places), players should start from niente and gradually move the bow towards the bridge as indicated by the arrow, landing on the tied-over accented semiquaver with a very quick and loud tremolo. The effect should be a brief ‘zing’ or ‘sparkle’. In bar 37 (and subsequent places), players should again start from niente and, with a single bow-stroke, crescendo towards the staccato semiquaver, which is not rearticulated but the bow should move faster and the note stop abruptly. This should produce the sonic equivalent of a ‘glint’—a small flash of light, especially as reflected from a shiny surface.

Neelanjana Banerjee (b. 1978), altd Commissioned by the University of Richmond Department of Music for the 2018 –2019 Tucker-Boatwright Festival of Literature and the Arts She Will Transform You REENA ESMAIL Piccolo Flute Oboe Clarinet in Bb Bassoon Horn in F Trumpet in Bb Trombone Tuba Timpani Suspended Cymbal Glockenspiel* Vibraphone* Harp Celeste SOPRANO 1 SOPRANO 2 ALTO TENOR BASS Violin I Violin II Viola Cello Double Bass Solemn q = c.56 ° 2 4 3 & ∑ ∑ ∑ 4 ∑ 4 2 4 3 1 & ∑ ∑ ∑ 4 ∑ 4 pesante 3 a 2 5 3 3 3 2 - 1 4 3 2 & ∑ ‰ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ j œœ œœ œ œ 4 œ˙ œ 4 p mf pŸ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 4 3 & # pesante 3 5 3 3 3 - 1 # ∑ ‰ 2 nœœ œœ œœ œœ œœœœœœœœœœ nœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ 4 nœœ œ œ 4 for online perusal only 1 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 1 2 3 ? ¢ ° & & ? ? ¢ 4 4 Œ 4 Œ & # # 4 ? 4 Œ 4 Œ 4 Œ pesante p pesante p pesante p pesante p ∑ p 3 5 3 3 mf 3 5 3 3 mf p mf p p pesante mf p 3 5 3 3 3 ∑ ∑ ∑ 2 4 ∑ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ ˙ Œ ∑ 2 4 ∑ 3 5 3 5 p mf p mf mf ? 4 Œ 2 æ˙ Œ Ó ∑ 4 ∑ œ mfpp ° 2 / 4 ∑ ∑ Ó Œ ‰ æœ j 4 ˙ p mp 2 & 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ 4 ∑ (motor off) 2 ¢ & 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ > 4 bœ œ œ f mp Eb F# G§ A§ > Bb C§ D§ 2 {& 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ bœ 4 œ œ f mp 2 {& 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ 4 œ œ Œ ° & Solemn q = c.56 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ 2 4 ∑ & 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ 2 4 ∑ 2 & 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ 4 ∑ ? ‹ 2 ¢ 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ 4 ∑ ° & Solemn q = c.56 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ 2 4 ∑ & 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ 2 4 ∑ B 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ 2 4 ∑ ? 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ 2 4 ∑ pizz. ? 2 ¢ 4 Œ ˙ ˙ Œ ∑ œ 4 Œ p mf p ‰ œœ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œwœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 2 ˙ J 4 œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ j œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ Œ * If the Glockenspiel and Vibraphone parts are both being played by one person, the Glockenspiel notes may be played with a Vibraphone mallet until bar 36. © Oxford University Press 2023 Printed in Great Britain OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, MUSIC DEPARTMENT, GREAT CLARENDON STREET, OXFORD OX2 6DP The Moral Rights of the Composer have been asserted. Photocopying this copyright material is ILLEGAL. p p Œ mf mp mp Œ Œ Ó Ó ∑ ∑ 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 p mp mp ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4