Celestial Light Benjamin M. Cramer pdf download - $1.50 GP - C007 printed - $3.00 SSATBB, a cappella

Benjamin M. Cramer

Celestial Light

for a cappella SSATBB

www.graphitepublishing.com Performance Notes

This piece combines two different sacred cultural traditions. One, being Tibetan , and the other, a Taiwanese prayer-song. Both types create a very ethereal and mysterious soundscape, so the ideal performance space should be suitable for long-sustained . The extended techniques utilized in this piece are meant to create a soundscape of cascading and clashing . Do not be too concerned with the accuracy of the partials, since the desired effect is more broad and bathing.

All breaths should be staggered except when notated. Because of this, no fewer than 18 singers (3 per part) are required for performance of this piece.

The time durations listed along the top of each system are approximate. They may be adjusted at the conductor's discretion to more suitably fit the performance space. Ideal performance time should last between 7-8 minutes.

Time Signatures are used to assist with cues, and are not strictly metered.

Extended Techniques

- [/o/a/ɛ/u/] : Each singer begins on an open vowel (not /i/, or /ɪ/), and slurs freely between different vowel sounds. When taking a breath, sing a different vowel each time.

- /i-u/ : . To practice this technique, hold a single pitch while slowly transitioning between the vowels /i/ and /u/ (/iy#ɪʏɨʉɯu/). Focus more on gradually slurring between the two rather than singing distinct vowels. One this is comfortable, sustain an /ɹ/ (keeping your tongue lifted against your back teeth) while simultaneously slurring from /i/ to /u/ and back to /i/. Every singer should do this independently to create a cascading effect of overtones.

- Slow slide from first to second pitch. Once the top is reached, singers should breathe and re-enter independently on the first pitch, repeating the slide throughout the duration. The desired effect is multiple staggered slides going at once, not the entire section slowly moving together.

IPA Guide - It is preferred that all performers are familiar with the International Phonetic Alphabet. The guide below shows equivalents for North American English, however your region or dialect may vary from the examples here.

/e/ as in chaos /o/ as in home /a/ as in father /u/ as in cow goes moo /ɛ/ as in Boba Fett /i/ as in bee /ɹ/ as in rear GP-C007 pdf download - $1.50

Dedicated to Phillip Cooke and his new office. Celestial Light SSATBB choir For Duration perusal ca. 7-8 minutes purposes only. Do not copy.Benjamin M. Cramer Dark, Mysterious 5" 15" 15"

π j Tenor ? w œ W /o/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/]*

π j , 4 Bass ? w œ W 4 > > w w w- /o/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/]* ()/e/ /e/ /o/ *Grace-note slides should be very slow and repeated each time a ∑ singer breathes and re-enters. Sing a variety of open vowel sounds for & (not /i/ or/I/), and slur freely between. rehearsal

only j 4 w œ W w w w ? ()4 w w w 1 15" 10" 15" 15" π , p Soprano j & j œ W œ W W [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /e/> [/o/a/ɛ/u/] p 4P Alto , 4 & j w œ W W w w [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] ()/e/> /e/> /o/- Tenor π p j j V œ W œ W For[/o/a/ perusalɛ/u/] purposes only.[/o/a/ɛ/u/] Do not copy. π p P j , 4 Baritone ? œ W 4 w> > W w w- [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] ()/e/ /e/ /o/ πj , 4 p p Bass ? œ W 4 w> > w W [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /e/ /e/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] ()4 4 & ∑ 4 W 4 w w w () ww ww W ()w w w W 4 4 ? W 4 w w W 4 w w w () w W ()w w w Benjamin M. Cramer Celestial Light GP-C007 2 15" 30" 15" P , F > 4P j o W 4 w- & œ W W W For[/o/a/ perusalɛ/u/] /i‑purposesu/ [/o/a/ only.ɛ/u/] Do not copy./o/ even )( 3-part j & œ W W split [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /i‑u/o P , 4 F P ∑ 4 & W w w /ɹ/ /e/> /e/> /o/w- P () Ten j V œ W W [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /i‑u/o P Bar ? ∑ W /ɹ/ P Bass ? j œ W W [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] 4 j 4 w w w œ W w w w & W W () w w w j 4 ? œ W W 4 w w w œ W W () w w w 3 4 15" 15" 5" 15" P 4 4 P œ W & W w œ For[/o/a/ perusalɛ/u/] purposes )( /o/only.[/o/a/ɛ /u/Do] not[/o/a/ copy.ɛ/u/] & W W /i‑u/o /i‑u/o P 4 F P , 4F , 4 4 & W w w w W w w w [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /e/> /e/> /o/- /i‑u/o /e/> /e/> /o/- P () 4 P () , , - o V W W 4 w W /io‑u/ [/o/a/>ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /i‑u/ F )( P P , 4 > > o ? œ 4 w w w- œ œ W [œ/o/a/ɛ/u/] /e/ /e/ /o/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /i‑u/ F P () Po , 4 > > ? œ W 4 w w œ /i‑u/ /e/ /e/ /o/w- [/o/a/ɛ/u/] *Slowly slide from first pitch to the second. Repeat on each breath. Slides() should only occur in the direction notated and should be staggered by the singers. 4 4 W 4 w w w W 4 w w w & W w w w W w w w 4 w W 4 w w w ? W ()4 ww ww w W ()4 w w w W w w w w () 3 () Benjamin M. Cramer Celestial Light GP-C007

5 5" 5" 5" 6 5" 15" 4 f P w> > - & W œ œ ∑ 4 w w For[/o/a/ perusalɛ/u/] purposes[/o/a/ɛ /u/only.] Do not/e/ copy./e/ /o/ P F () & W œ œ œ œ W /i‑u/o [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /i‑u/o P F & œ W W [/o/a/œ ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] f P 4 > > Wo ∑ 4 w w w- V /i‑u/ /e/ /e/ /o/ F () jP o ? œ W W [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /i‑u/ F P j o œ W W ? œ œ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /i‑u/ 4 W W W 4 w w w & W W W W () w w w 4 w w W W W W w w w ? ()4 7 20" f 4 > > > ∑ 4 w w w w- & /e/ /e/ /o/ ForF perusal purposes() only. Do not copy. W & /ɹ/ F & W /i‑u/o f 4 > > ∑ 4 w w w- w V /e/ /e/ /o/ F W () ? [/o/a/ɛ/u/] F œ ? œ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] 4 W 4 ww w w w & W () w w ww w W 4 ww w ww ww ? W 4 w w w w () 4 Benjamin M. Cramer Celestial Light GP-C007 8 20" 4f w> > > ∑ 4 w w w- For& perusal purposes/e/ only./e/ Do not/e/ copy./o/ f () & W [/o/a/ɛ/u/] f & W /io‑u/ f 4 w> > > ∑ 4 w w w- V /e/ /e/ /e/ /o/

fW () ? [/o/a/ɛ/u/] f œ ? œ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] 4 4 w w w & W () w w w ww W 4 w ww w w W w w w ww ? ()4

9 25" 4ƒ > 6 4 >˙ ˙ >˙ w#> w- & ∑ 4 4 4 /e/ Forf perusal purposes() only. ()Do not copy.() & W [/o/a/ɛ/u/] f & W /io‑u/ 4ƒ > 6 4 >˙ ˙ >˙ w#> w- V ∑ 4 4 4 /e/ f W () () () ? [/o/a/ɛ/u/] f œ ? œ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] 4 ˙ 6 4 4 ˙ 4 ˙ w# 4 w & W w w. w

() ˙ () () W 4 w˙ 6 w˙ . w# 4 ww ? W 4 w 4 w. 4 w () 5 () () Benjamin M. Cramer Celestial Light GP-C007 10 25" 11 5" ƒ 4 > >˙ 6 > > f F 4 ˙ 4 ˙ w# >˙ w- & ∑ Œ œ œ For perusal /e/purposes only. Do not copy.[/o/a/ɛ/u/] ƒ () () F & W W œ œ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] ƒ f F o & W œ œ /i‑u/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] ƒ 4 > >˙ 6 > > - f F 4 ˙ 4 ˙ w# W w V ∑ /e/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] ƒ W () () fœ F ? œ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] ƒ o j jf F ? W œ W œ w /i‑u/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/]

4 ˙ 6 W 4 ˙w 4 w˙ w# ˙ w w w & W w w. ww. ww w

() ˙ () W 4 w˙ 6 w˙ w# ww. W W w w. w. W ? ()4 ()4 12 20" 5" 20" F P & W w [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /i‑u/ For Fperusal purposes only. Do not copy. & Wo w /i‑u/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] F P & W œ œ o w W /i‑u/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] F P 4P W œ œ ∑ 4 V w w w w [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] ()/e/> /e/> /o/- j F P ? œ W w W [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] 4 F P 4P ? 4 > > 4 ∑ w w w- ∑ w w w w ()/e/ /e/ /o/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] ()/e/> /e/> /o/- 4 4 & W 4 w w w w W 4 w w w w w W w w w ()4 ()4 W w w w ? 4 w w w w W 4 w w w w W w w w () 6 )( w Benjamin M. Cramer Celestial Light GP-C007

13 14 20" 5" 4 p p & ∑ Œ 4 For perusal purposesw wonly. Dow not copy.w /e/> /e/> /o/- [/o/a/ɛ/u/] p () p & W w [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] p p & W w [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] 4 p ∑ 4 V w w w w /e/> /e/> /o/- [/o/a/ɛ/u/] p () p ? W w [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] p p ? W w [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] 4 4 & ww W w w ww W ()4 ? W 4 ww w ww W W () w w w W 15 5" 10" 10" 5" 5" 5" π n. & w œ /o/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] œ /o/w For perusal purposes only. Don. not copy. ∑ & w œ /o/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] œ /o/w π n. & w œ /o/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] œ /o/w π V w œ /o/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] œ π ? œ j ∑ w œ œ w w /o/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /o/ π ? j ∑ w œ w w /o/ [/o/a/ɛ/u/] /o/

& ww

w w ? w j w j j ∑ w œ w œ w œ w w 7 Aberdeen, 2016 For perusal purposes only. Do not copy.

For perusal purposes only. Do not copy. For perusal purposes only. Do not copy.

For perusal purposes only. Do not copy. For perusal purposes only. Do not copy.

For perusal purposes only. Do not copy. Benjamin M. Cramer

Benjamin M. Cramer is a composer and conductor committed to the creation and continued performance of new music. His music has been described as “modern new tonalism” and “a multicolored fractal sound pattern.” As a composer, Benjamin’s music has been performed internationally; mostly recently in London, Scotland, Wales, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America. In 2016, he was a runner up in the London-based Fourth Choir’s International Shakespeare composition contest under the direction of Dominic Peckham.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Benjamin became immersed in choral music, theatre and journalism. In 2009 he came to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa as a physics and music student where he sang in the Nordic Choir under the direction of Dr. Allen Hightower. In 2016, Benjamin completed his Master’s Degree in with distinction, studying both conducting and composition at the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom with Royal Wedding composer Paul Mealor. He is currently serving as composer-in-residence with the King’s Philharmonic Wind Orchestra in Scotland.

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