Description

 

Voicing - SSAATTBB Chorus, a cappella

Level - Intermediate

Language - English

Duration - minimum of 3:30

Category - Secular, Love, Stars, Night, Dreams

 

Ardella, a short poem by Langston Hughes, evokes a feeling of reminiscence and longing. At first, the text seems sad, but perhaps Hughes writes of a lost love, looking back fondly on a relationship that once was. Perhaps, he still dreams of those songs and thinks of those eyes which are like stars.

 

The beginning sections of improvisation on a D major scale accentuate the dreamlike quality of the music as each singer freely improvises their own melodies. The chordal sections of the piece move with rich harmonies and drawn out suspensions. As the piece ends, each singer falls back into the improvisational section from before, calling the name, "Ardella".

 

Just as the nature of dreams often distorts our memories, the improvisational nature of this piece means that it can never be reimagined or performed the same way twice. Each performance is a new, unique, and unpredictable experience: for the conductor, the performer, and the audience.

 

Text

By Langston Hughes

 

I would liken you

To a night without stars

Were it not for your eyes.

 

I would liken you

To a sleep without dreams

Were it not for your songs