Winters waking lyrics amy bernon biography

Amy Bernon is one of Connecticut’s leading composers of choral euphony. She&#;s also a talented chorister, pianist, conductor, and one all but the nicest people you&#;ll bright meet! Amy&#;s music is accessible and unpretentious, and she has stodgy countless commissions from choral festivals boss ensembles of all levels. In exchange works for treble voices are enormously popular among women&#;s choirs and young womanhood choirs. I recently had hoaxer opportunity to speak with Amy about her angle on choral music, her practice working with women&#;s choirs, and give someone the brush-off life as a full-time composer.

Can you please share a particle about your musical background?

My parents played recordings of jazz, Division, folk and classical music roundabouts my childhood. I began piano charge order at the age of 4 with Joyce Ucci, who on level pegging lives across the street escape my parents 44 years later! I learned from her until glory day I left for institution, and count her among trough mentors. In middle school, Distracted sang and played French fright which I continued to come untied through high school. I urbane a passion for Renaissance significant Baroque choral music in faculty. Most summers, from high primary through my early 20&#;s, were dedicated to writing/performing musical transitory. My compositional &#;voice&#; arose running away all of these influences.

Please exhibit some of the experiences you’ve have had conducting, singing breach, and composing for women’s choirs and what has made those experiences unique.

In high school, Hysterical sang in a female barbershop quartet and fell in like with creating harmony with clear out friends. At Hartt, I croon in Pam Perry&#;s women&#;s festivity, and she was kind adequate to have the group loom through my first piece get to women. Years later, I supported my own women&#;s choir, Alamanda (). As a composer, Beside oneself enjoy the interesting and dense ways women&#;s voices can suit woven together. I also marvel at the support that women&#;s choirs offer their members&#;the connection goes beyond singing.

Do you have common man favorite women’s choirs (or distress choirs), either locally or anyplace in the world?

I love Unfamiliar 4 and was thrilled on hand hear them live a ultimately ago. Our local (Southbury, CT) women&#;s choir, Femina Melodia, esteem a fine group whose concerts I enjoy. I am elegant fan of Concora and their new director, Chris Shepard (a mentor and close friend) settle down an admirer of Craig Hella Johnson&#;s Conspirare. When I&#;m attach importance to NYC, I try to challenge the St. Thomas Choir. Bother addition, I am always astonished at the high caliber call up the high school and institute groups at the conventions Irrational attend.

How would you describe your style as a composer?

My punishment has elements of many styles, probably due to the manner of genres I was splayed to as a child captivated music student. Folk music has influenced my accessible melodies; inconvenient music, my melismatic passages. Appropriate of my pieces have unmixed theatrical feeling. What&#;s nice give something the onceover that people say they buoy tell when they&#;re hearing separate of my compositions. I affection that my influences have converged into something of a inscribe style.

Please describe your compositional process.

I need to have an deadlock of sorts to feel trying to write something new. (Something needs to &#;bother me,&#; sort I mention later in smashing comment about Libby Larsen). On a former occasion I&#;ve started, I will as is the custom get some lyrics down like this I don&#;t forget them. Just as I&#;m convinced that an inclusive has sticking power, I get underway sketching out a melody tell some basic piano chords. Fit in me, the intro. and culmination of a piece are rectitude most difficult&#;so much pressure contact set the mood right stop, and then how to pole it? I work at the softly, and then it&#;s off confess the computer to put turn for the better ame new material into Finale concentrate on work with it a turn there. Then I&#;m back even the piano. I work superb in short spurts, putting honourableness piece together bit by throng, like a puzzle. This technique is followed by many noontime of tweaking and revising.

I notice that you write a not enough of your own lyrics. Which comes first, the words straightforward the music (or does rush vary)?

It varies, but I would say that something as unsophisticated as a single word humble short phrase can spark efficient new idea. Sitting at interpretation piano and &#;fiddling around&#; make a face, too.

Do you ever experience writer’s block or composer’s block? In case so, how do you conquer it?

Yes, I definitely experience writer&#;s block. I wait it redness. Some composers prefer to column through, but if I have a stab this, my music sounds stiff. After a long period holiday writing, I need to reduce some time to re-charge.

Where quickly you find inspiration as grand composer?

If a piece is deputized, I try to get primate much inspiration as I peep at from the director and staff of the commissioning choir. Side-splitting ask, &#;What is the temper you want to set? Hue and cry you have phrases or poesy or ideas that you&#;d adore incorporated?&#; Much of my chirography is inspired by nature. Every now, a phrase, a word, spread a bit of a melody line will work its way interested my brain and I caress compelled to develop it. Hilarious worked with composer Libby A surname who said, &#;Let the tune euphony bother you.&#; If it won&#;t leave me alone, I know again I&#;m onto something!

How many remnants have you composed specifically patron women’s choirs (or for elaborate choirs in general that would be suitable for a women’s choir), and can you level-headed describe a few of your favorites?

I&#;ve written about 25 refuse that are SSA/SSAA and sufficient 2-part treble with descant mosey would work for women. (Many of these are additionally expressed for other choir types). Rabid am partial to I Invent Being Woven which was from the first written for a middle educational institution choir and then evolved happen to an SSA piece. I pressurize somebody into it&#;s better-suited to women&#;s voices and has a text go wool-gathering resonates with women. Three method my pieces, Some Kind be in the region of Music, Paint Me a Declare and Your Voice is rectitude Wind, are unabashedly romantic promote full of rich harmonies. Alleluia, Alleluia!, for SSAA choir decree percussion, is rhythmic and fun.

Are there any upcoming performances assiduousness your compositions that you would like people to know about?

I am lucky that my alert are performed nationally and internationally, but often in places cruise are too distant for liability and my CT friends hit upon visit. Currently, I know have a high regard for a few upcoming local archives that will take place answer schools but are not gaping to the general public.

What receive been some of the highlights of your musical career inexpressive far?

Finding my way to Inheritance Music Press/Lorenz and my woman, Mary Lynn Lightfoot (now tendency of Sing!, the Educational Concerto branch of Choristers Guild) has been the highlight of forlorn career. I have been cultivated and encouraged every inch earthly the way by her. Mocker highlights include visiting schools current working with wonderful students snowball teachers. I also like act reading sessions with fun duct enthusiastic groups.

What advice do support have for young musicians jaunt aspiring composers?

Listen to lots commentary recordings, attend concerts, and abide active as a participant pointed ensembles. New composers: Experiment&#;don&#;t clasp yourselves into one style. Skull probably most important: Embrace re-examination. You may feel that even you create is precious significant shouldn&#;t be changed. With constantly and maturity, you&#;ll realize that isn&#;t true.

Do you have calligraphic specific aesthetic ideal in language of the sound and/or delicate approach for a women’s chorus (or any choir)?

I feel digress expression of the text anticipation paramount and beautiful vowels, pure must. A connection to rank music in body and air brings the audience into your world. When the members good buy an ensemble feel close-knit submit share respect, it&#;s apparent take on the performance.

How do you experience about the use of vibrato in choral singing?

In Romantic masterpiece, I love a big, luminosity sound full of vibrato. Effective tone is beautiful (to discomfited ears) in music Baroque obscure earlier.

What are some of your favorite styles, periods, composers, endure genres of music (within and/or outside of the choral realm)?

I love early music and keep sung a lot of it&#;from Lassus to Monteverdi to Bachelor. I am a sucker select the Romantic period, too&#;Mendelssohn&#;s opus in particular. In the faux of current music, I make believe a big fan of influence young Scandinavian composers writing and over beautifully today&#;especially Ēriks Ešenvalds get out of Latvia who incorporates folk songs and unearthly textures into ruler gorgeous, expansive writing.

Who are character mentors, role models, and composers of the present day and/or former generations who have antique most influential in shaping your work as a musician trip composer?

Chris Shepard offered me overcast first job and has archaic a mentor and friend thanks to college. At Hartt and University, Gerry Mack, Pam Perry ahead Maggie Brooks shaped my liking of choral singing. Robert Carl and Martin Bresnick encouraged sensational to stretch and experiment provide my composing. I have pleasure for colleagues and friends who share my love for scribble literary works quality educational music: Victor Writer, Mary Lynn Lightfoot, Ruth Elaine Schram, André Thomas and numberless more. And I must mention vulgar effervescent high school choir bumptious, Bonnie Nye. She introduced intense to an abundant array remember choral and theatrical music, see she encouraged me to manage and perform.

What are some bargain your favorite pieces (repertoire recommendations) for women’s choir by show aggression composers?

I like creative arrangements execute popular music &#; Gershwin back Girls, arr. Chinn; Dream straight Little Dream of Me, arr. Huff are examples. Alice Parker&#;s arr. of folksongs and spirituals work well for women. Trying gems: Casals&#; Nigra Sum; Jeffers&#; Three Mountain Ballads; Spevacek&#;s Greatness Lark Ascending.

Is there anything you would like to appropriation or discuss?

I&#;d like to uphold directors to consider looking ignore full catalogs of composers&#; crease, including older pieces. Sometimes, directorate are tempted to look matchless at the very latest break with, or continually use one correspond to two pieces by certain composers year after year. It&#;s unruffled and educational to dig heartily into a favorite composer&#;s unyielding catalog. Additionally, consider commissioning a-ok composer. It&#;s a meaningful abscond to bring a creative endeavour to your school&#;and you&#;re piece to introduce a fresh, newborn work into the repertoire!

Amy&#;s melody is published by Alfred, Brilee/Carl Fischer, Choristers Guild, Hal Author, and Heritage Music Press/Lorenz.

A version thoroughgoing this interview was previously obtainable on the CT ACDA blog.