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How Can I Keep from Singing

Taylor Davis
General Information
Style period: contemporary arrangement of folksong
o Hymn from Quaker community
Same family of hymns as Simple Gifts
Congregational singing allowed after the American
Civil War
Group worship, prayer through music
Taken over by Pete Seeger, sparked folk revival in the
1960s
Covered by variety of artists: John McCutcheon,
Arlo Guthrie, Enya, Bruce Springsteen
Taylor Davis (b. 1980)
o Current director of music and worship for First United
Methodist Church in Fulshear, Texas
BM in Sacred Music from Centenary College of
Louisiana
o Has been composing since the age of seven
Main instrument is piano
Has been singing in choirs since early childhoodfather Sid Davis is director of music and fine arts at
Saint Luke United Methodist Church (Houston, Texas)
o Works with jazz trio when not directing sacred music
Paul Eason Band
Wrote this piece in 2010 for the Luther College Music Series
o Series designed to provide quality literature in areas that
are important to the ongoing mission of Luther College
(Dr. Craig Arnold, Director of Choral Activities)
o Performed by many all-state choirs, graduation ceremonies
Text
Poem titled Always Rejoicing by Pauline T.- credited to Robert
Lowry in this edition
o Published in 1868, The New York Observer
My life flows on in endless
song above earths lamentations.
I hear the real, though far off hymn
that hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear its music ringing.
It sounds an echo in my soul;
how can I keep from singing?
o Rhyme scheme: ABCB, DEFE, GHIH, etc.

End of the second and fourth lines of each stanza


rhyme
o Returning line: How can I keep from singing?
Second part (when tyrants tremble) added in 1950 by Doris
Plenn
o Referencing the witch hunts of the House Un-American
Activities Committee
o Substitutes from original poem: While though the tempest
loudly roars, I hear the truth, it liveth is second verse
More descriptive, captivating text
o Included in most arrangements post-1950

Form
Strophic, adding more harmony each verse
o Key change continues strophic feel in different key- same
intervals/rhythms with different pitches
Oboe/violin/piano introduction returns as coda
Rhythm
Melody:

Eighth notes prominent in piano accompaniment


Later homophonic sections are embellished with moving eighth
notes in lower voices
Melody
Starts with unison women, repeated by unison men; sopranos in
four part homophony
Pentatonic
o Drmsl
Mostly skips
Text stresses more on beat two, unique for 3/4 meter (usually on
beat one)
Harmony
Diatonic
o Only altered tone is fi (E natural)- tenors mm 60
Tension created by suspensions or secundal harmony between
voices
Majority homophonic
Timbre
Overall mellow, smooth lines
o Contrasted by fuller moments at louder dynamics
Darker timbre because of relatively low tessitura
o As pitches rise, the timbre becomes brighter

Addition of oboe and violin emphasizes timbral shifts through


their range/tessitura setting
o Ex) as the lines ascend, the timbre becomes bright and full
Texture
Clear, thin texture for first two verses
o Unison voices with minimal accompaniment
Slightly more dense as harmony is added, especially homophonic
passages at higher dynamics
o Moving eighth note lines fill in beats under melody
Expression
Phrasing is the key to this piece!
o Long phrases with few/no unison breaths
Text stresses most often on beat two
o Unusual for 3/4
o ID the text on beat two- is it descriptive? Would that be
stressed in normal speech?
Additional Considerations
Long sustains
o Staggered breathing exercise
o Gradual decrescendos
Extreme dynamics
o Fortissimo in mm 60-64 needs control and support from the
lower voices
English vowel uniformity
o Diphthongs
o Sustained bright vowels (ringing, singing, keep)
Adding oboe and violin soloists
o Can choose similar timbres in different instruments
Teaching the Piece
Solfege in the air to learn melody
o Trace melody through the piece
Sideways tornado through dashed slurs (no breath marking)
o Staggered breathing can be defined to sneak in breaths in
other places
Text stresses
o Sustained pitches (dotted quarter or longer) usually get the
stress
Happens to fall most often on beat two
Vowel uniformity in English
o Subdivide diphthongs to make precise vowels
Or choose to use one pure vowel
o IPA/define pronunciation of tumult
Rope trick once pitches are learned and text is mostly memorized

Balance with instruments and choir


Outcomes
Skill #1- The learner will sing long phrases with spin through
sustains.
o Sideways tornado to track breath on longer notes
o When piece is learned, use rope trick to keep pull through
long phrases.
Skill #2- The learner will sing in 3/4 while maintaining tempo.
o Sing melody on reiterated solfege.
o Tap eighth note pulse on chest/arm/leg while singing
counts (and one and two and three and)
Knowledge #1- The learner will compose pentatonic melodies.
o Define pentatonic scale and identify in the piece
o Give pentatonic scale (d r m s l) in a key and have students
improvise four beats using those pitches.
Knowledge #2- The learner will identify the key change and
discuss the affect of modulation.
o ID where the key changes and determine the relationship
between the original key and the modulation.
o Teacher plays different modulations (transposed, major and
minor) and students Think-Pair-Share the affect of different
keys.
Affective #1- The learner will discuss the importance of music in
religions.
o Discuss the Quakers and their shift to congregational
singing
o Research and share findings on music in world religions,
including Buddhism, Islam, different facets of Christianity,
and traditional African religions.
Affective #2- The learner will reflect on and share their positive
experiences with musical performances.
o Think Pair Share- When did listening to music or making
music make you happy or excited?
o Quick Write- What can music remind you of in your life?
Examples would be family, places, events, friends, or even
other media like movies or books.
Heart Statement
The heart of this piece is folk music written in a new setting while
preserving the feelings of joy in making music. Music about
singing or performing music can be paradoxical thinking, but it is
meant to celebrate the expressive power of making music as a
community.

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