GI hat lS There to Sing About? A SHORT THEATER PIECE BY CO.MPOSER CHARLES STROUSE

DONALD B. MILLER "Everyman" plays. But.these memories only mock and gen­ erally disappoint him. The score of "What Is There to Sing About?" is through­ composed: an apt choice of form for conveying the idea that Donald B. Miller received his MM from Cincinnati College life is an ever-changing, evolutionary process and we are Conservatory of Music with graduate stUdy at Indiana Uni­ shaped or victimized to a certain extent by our own time. versity and the University of Southern California. He was Truly serious music throughout, the work exhibits neo-classic elected New York State President of ACDA in 1972. As direc­ tendencies in several quasi-recitative sections (Example 1) tor of the Onondaga Community College Choirs at Syracuse, New York, Miller's group placed third on its day of competi­ tion at the International Koorfestival at Den Haag, Nether­ £am .. Ie. 1 lands in 1973. The Syracuse Bicentennial Ambassadors chorus performed for the New York State Composers Radio series in April. He is also director of the St. Paul's United Methodist Church Choir at Syracuse.

I'1r1.Jic "lh T£xr JANUARY 15, 1976: An historically momentous date for .jy c/TA.NE.f ./r,fdc!.ft'.F the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York. After half a century of planning, Onondaga County's new $25 mil­ lion Civic Center arrived at its Opening Night(l). And, as if the building itself was reluctant to be considered finished (is anything ever really finished?) pungent odors of last­ minute paint jobs greeted an elegantly dressed opening night -capacity audience, each of whom had paid $25 or $35 to attend. The Civic Center Opening Night concert was divided into three parts: First the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra (Chris­ topher Keene conducting) performed Samuel Barber's First which are used much in the same manner as found in opera and Second Essays fOl' Orchestra. Following a first inter­ and in oratorio to carry the narrative from one changing mission came the world premiere of a commissioned work mood to another. We have to admire the skillful baroque by Broadway composer Charles Strouse. Ella Fitzgerald closed figurations which accompany the solo parts of Death (bass), the program, after a second intermission. This article deals Good Deeds (mezzo soprano 01' alto), Friendship (baritone), with Charles Strouse's unique work, "What Is There to Sing and the related choral parts (Example 2, bar 549-552). About?" - the middle part of the program. Strouse's talent is well known: Bye Bye Birdie, Applause, Golden Boy, and the musical score for the film Bonni,e and Clyde, among others. In these scores, however, we are not exposed to his total versatility and musicianship as we are in this newly premiered work(2). "What Is There to Sing About?" is both fascinating and frightening, Fascinating as a multidimensional work in scope and content, it could be understood on several levels. Moreover, for vocal and choral musicians, it is an original in that it lies somewhere between the theater and contemporary secular oratorio. The work is frightening as a stark commentary on the repetition of history(3). At the same time that this is a new kind of theater piece, it is as well a personification of Charles Strouse's philosophy as an artist; in short, one dimension is an auto­ biographical sketch of the composer himself. A thought that can concern all of us: composers, choral directors, singers, instrumentalists any kind of musician, any kind of artist, is the germinal question: why do something which is of no Some sections call for sprechstimme from the chorus, as a tangible or material value? Thus evolved the question, "What commentary on and illumination of the narrative carried by Is There to Sing About?": a metaphor about singing and more the principals. In other sections, the principals personify dis­ importantly about life. illusionment with the 20th century (Example 3, bar 389-394), The theme centers on a young composer who has been commissioned to write a new work, and who experiences disillusionment about his own career, and about life. Re­ flected constantly in today's "pop" music, particularly Rock and Gospel, there is still and again (and always?) a perva­ sive disillusionment with the world: Watergate, Vietnam, ~f pollution, "ennui", suicide, racism, crime, drugs, and so forth. This disillusionment accounts for the "now" sections in ...... Strouse's work, which have been written satirically with ('TCJ

12 THE CHORAL JOURNAL and prophetic of impending doom for the Young Man who faces death. And so, Friendship tells the Young Man, "... the truth is there, it can't be denied" because "I was your pal!" As the Young Man further recalls his past, Young Love (soprano) is not tender, but jeering and mocking: a part of him that was all hedonistic and rhythmic, just full of Oh wow!, like 00 and Oh, Baby, Baby! (Example 5, bar 599-606),

Pictured above: Donald Miller (left) and Charles Strouse (right) reviewing score of "What Is There to Sing About?"

In this case Good Deeds is a poor, broken Black woman. Those three memories (Good Deeds, Friendship and Young Strouse's concluding section, a choral coda, is an example of Love) abysmally disappoint him; but after all, he has no exceptionally beautiful writing for principals, chorus, and one to blame but himself for conjuring them up. orchestra, consisting of bitonal complex harmonies remini­ There are some hauntingly beautiful sections that seem scent of the pseudo jazz-influenced style of Darius Milhaud entirely Strouse's creation. When the Young Man actually (Example 4, bar 770-773).

Summer Conducting with William Hall for School Musicians and Church Directors

Chapman College is offering ADVANCED CONDUCTING, Music 657, 3 units, as part of the MASTERS IN CONDUCTING program. June 21·July 9,1976 Monday through Friday 7·10 p.m. in the NEW Music Building DR. WILLIAM HALL, noted conductor and teacher, will concentrate on three aspects of conducting: First week: Review of conducting techniques; basic patterns June 21-25 to complex rhythms Second week: Conducting new literature for school June 28-July 2 and church Third week: Rehearsal techniques for choral-orchestral .. II July 5-9 performances; emphasis will be on major choral works for church and school

THE WILLIAM HALL CHORALE All conductors will be able to work with the William Hall It would appear that Strouse's prime methodology in this Chorale as a laboratory choir composition is to fuse the natural mockery and parody found CONDUCTING RECITAL-Sunday, July 11, 1976 in today's popular music with his own very significant talents There will be a recital of several students conducting as a classical composer, resulting in a completely new sort compositions studied in class of vocal work. To us, this composition is therefore distinctive in a very special way. Strouse's unique talent has unified This will be an opportunity to refresh yourself in several what could have been simply a musical collage of multiple conducting areas in addition to earning credit towards a unrelated concepts. Masters degree The following solo parts are examples of the composer's For further information write to: Dr. Thomas G. Hall, Chairman, mockery/parody technique: Department of Music, Chapman College, 333 N. Glassell, Good Deeds is a beaten old Black woman. She is good­ Orange, CA 92666 - Or call: (714) 633-8821, Ext. 291 ness that has simply grown old by waiting so long (racism!). Friendship is an overbearing, oversincere rhinestone cow­ boy country and western star whose friendship is ludicrous

MAY 1976 13 Above all, we feel that the vocal!choral art form has been SING ... significantly enriched by this new theater piece(6). faces death, this momentous transformation of thought is FOOTNOTES inspirationally portrayed in the music by means of an har­ 1. By 1966 when a Performing Arts Facility Committee monic "shift" at bar 309 (Example 6, bar 307-313) from b was established, the drive to get a concert theater built al­ ready had been going on for 38 years! 2. Charles Strouse studied music with Howard Hanson, at the Eastman School in Rochester, with Nadia Boulanger in Europe, and with Aaron Copland at Tanglewood. The United States has yet to see his latest show, I and Albert which opened in London and is based on the lives of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. 3. Strouse had in mind the medieval morality, or "Every­ man" plays. 4. He was commissioned by Onondaga County, with the ~ ..... ,., _:....:::==:::'j::::-/l~-_:::::::==:::::..../- specific request that it be written for full orchestra. 5. There will soon be available a score for small orchestra, moderate in difficulty. 6. Those interested in purchasing the work should con­ tact the composer directly: Charles Strouse, c/o Barbara Siman Associates, 119 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019. Perusal copies are available. :.:

_' i:' ,..----- JI$

11II 11II y t 11II 198 Davenport Road Toronto, Ontario M5R 1J2 • 1776-1976 minor to C major. Toward the end of the composition the Woman (soprano) representing the person or persons who commissioned the young composer brings the composer back from his world of fantasy to reality. In fact, the Woman has I never stopped being the real world (Example 7, bar 677-679). Hyas lllahee - A corosymfonic suite for chorus of mixed voices and orchestra or piano. The text consists of Indian names of localities in the United States and Canada (Our.: 16' cal. The sophisticated musical texture blends with the sonorous Indian enunciation in a trib­ ute to the first inhabitants of the Continent. Vocal Score $7.00 Orchestra material on rental I I I America sings - uNew England" for chorus of mixed voices and band (Our.: 13' cal The toil, the humour and the sombre legends which went to form the historical background She is the National Arts Council, the Ford Foundation, John of the New England settlers are recaptured in or Jane Q Public, or she is his own conscience; in essence, she can be anything or anyone serving the function indicated this most attractive work. here. Ironically, the music finds him between a rock and a Set w/Score ... $35.00 hard place! That is, the Young Man has no choice but to Chorus Parts ...... 75 make music. He was put on earth to do just that. "What Is There to Sing About?" is exceptionally flexible Hymn of Hope - A Variant of "The Battle Hymn and therefore well suited to community, high school or col­ of the Republic" with a modern text (Our.: 6' cal lege choirs. Strouse had originally intended the piece not for full orchestra(4). Instead, he had envisioned and now prefers The longing for universal peace and a new a small instrumental ensemble. It could easily be done with freedom, poetically expressed in the new piano and a rhythm section, or with piano and a chamber text, is eloquently enhanced by the musical group, or with piano and four solo instruments. Very good drive and power of the familiar Hymn. principals are required; however, choral parts are of moderate difficulty(5). Orchestra (Set B) w/Score. . $18.50 The composition is an extended work of about 28 minutes Band Set w/Score .... 20.00 in length, which could be used to commemorate almost any Chorus Parts...... 40 kind of celebration: of spring, of a particular city event, of ...,... a new high school auditorium, or other event. Charles Strouse has written a work peculiar in its diver­ Sole Agent in the United States gence of styles. A comparison might be an imaginary four­ movement Beethoven Symphony, in which each of the move­ Joseph Boonin, Inc. ments was in a different style. And incidentally, we do not consider this divergence of styles a lack of continuity, but P.O. Box 2124 instead a microcosm of the age in which we live and most South Hackensack, New Jersey 07606 necessary if the work is to speak with inspiration and validity.

14 THE CHORAL JOURNAL