Mack Wilberg The Prodigal

for SATB and organ or orchestra With a text by David Warner on the parable of The Prodigal Son from St Luke's Gospel, this dramatic choral work brings to life the ancient, universal story of reconciliation and belonging. The closely woven text and music feature an expansive range of expression-plaintive, exuberant, and resolute-before concluding with a transcendent coda that gives way to reverberating 'Amen's. With echoes of some of the minimalist elements of Wilberg's Requiem, as well as Arvo Pärt, Henryk Górecki, and John Tavener, the work is scored for mixed voices without soloists, allowing the choir to function like a Greek chorus-sometimes narrating, sometimes participating in the action, sometimes reflecting on it-all underpinned by organ, or orchestra, or chamber ensemble

286 As the beginning,

286 As the beginning, but slightly faster q. = 63 cry. As the beginning, but slightly faster q. = 63 p SOPRANOS 290 p lamenting S. *Cry, ALTOS p lamenting A. *Cry, for online perusal only cresc. cry, cresc. cresc. cry, 29 *For added dramatic effect, tenors and basses may sound the unvoiced ‘c’ consonant at the beginning of some or all of the ‘cry’ entries in this section (bars 290–310).

30 cry, 295 div. f unis. f cry, cry cry, f cry, cry, cry, f 300 dim. mf cry, cry, cry, cry, dim. mf cry, cry, cry, cry, dim. mf cry, for online perusal only