Performed by Cypress Ranch HS Chamber Choir

With dramatic rhythmic intensity, this setting of the words of 18th century Chassidic Rebbe, Nachman of Breslov conveys the tension and resolve of this teaching: "The whole world is a very narrow bridge and the main thing is not to be afraid at all." Set in the original Hebrew, with hand percussion 

Joan Szymko has been composing consciousness raising choral music for decades. This set list touches on:

• Climate 
• Valuing the Voices of Women 
• Facing Fear/Anxiety 
• Recognizing Our Common Humanity

Lo Lefached

Performed by Pleiades Ensemble with Nancy Ives, cello

Always Coming Home

Performed by the 2013 TMEA All-State Choir

"Inspired by the sensitive, imaginative text, the composer has painted a glorious picture with soaring melodies, building to a dramatic climax, supported along the way by an artistic piano accompaniment. Wonderful for the large choir.” — Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Inc.

You Are The Music

Performed By Vox Femina Los Angeles

Adapted by the composer from inspiring quotes and excerpts of writings by Eleanor Roosevelt, “The Beauty of Your Dreams” is an ode to personal courage. Beginning in reverent tones, ER's personal prayer as First Lady then flows into powerful, confident melodic strides. The angular upward melodic treatment of the words, “you must do the thing you think you cannot do“ serves as a ritornello that holds the rather large arc of the composition together. Commissioned by the Indianapolis Women's Chorus(2003)

The Beauty of Your Dreams

Performed by Milikin Women's Choir

"Inspired by her courage and mission, I've created a work that is strong, direct and with a powerful feminine fluidity— like Malala herself. A "rap” on a quote from her UN speech occurs in the middle of the piece and lends Malala a contemporary feel." —Joan Szymko

                              

Malala

Performed by Pleiades

Jayne R. Brown's delightful, soulful ode to finding herself older and wiser and precious—just as she is, has been widely anthologized for good reason: It is an antidote for the daily bombardment of marketing messages and cultural pressure that tell women that they are "not enough." The opening line, "I am becoming the woman I've wanted" serves as an ostinato through much of this finely wrought celebration of women for women's chorus.

Edited version: Pleiades

Finding Her Here

"As a woman, I have no country
As a woman, I want no country
As a women, the whole world is my country"

Virginia Woolf

As a Woman

An ode to the power of  "I can", Denise Levertov's poem pays homage to a poem by Ranier M. Rilke (1875-1926); invoking the stirring imagery from Rilke's poem and further exploring and personalizing the notion of "vocation" .

Openings

A Bell Awakened

Squarely facing the reality that “there are those who are trying to set fire to the world,”  the opening line of Deena Metzger's text is set as an unrelenting, multi-layered chant with overarching cries of "we are in danger.”  The work transforms into an lyrical anthem as singers then proclaim steadfast resolve in an increasingly troubled world.

No TIme Not to Love

Performed by Vox Femina LA.

Gertrude Stein said: "A sound, a whole sound is not separation, a whole sound is in an order." "Quite Regularly Gay" is indeed "in an order." Part minimalist round, part Gilbert and Sullivan, this lively piece is a setting of an excerpt from a Stein essay that is believed to contain the first modern literature usage of the word "gay" in the context of homosexuality.

Quite Regularly Gay

Performed by mirabai

A galvanizing, uplifting expression of “belonging” on a poem by Alla Bozarth.

Stars in Your Bones

With a catalog of over 100 choral works in print publication, Joan Szymko’s music is regularly performed across North America and abroad including performances at national and international choral festivals and competitions. Utilizing a familiar musical vocabulary, Szymko composes works that are nonetheless fresh and engaging.  
Szymko’s years of experience as a professional choral director animate her choral compositions; her embodied approach to singing and rhythm, dedication to storytelling and an insistence on quality texts  are all reflected in her diverse, distinctive choral compositions.

Lo Lefached

Joan Szymko

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