Lift Up Your Voice: Kwa Maneno Nguvu

Description

Voice 1, Voice 2, Voice 3, Piano — This piece speaks of hope, compassion and unity. During the introduction, soloists may perform spoken quotations that support those themes. Consider the following suggestions:“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”—Booker T. Washington“Find the sweetness in your own heart, then you may find the sweetness in every heart.”—Rumi“I will not allow my life’s light to be determined by the darkness around me.”—Sojourner Truth“Nothing is hopeless that is right.”—Susan B. Anthony“A smile or a tear has not nationality; joy and sorrow speak alike to all nations.”—Frederick DouglassSwahili Pronunciation and Translation:Kwa imani milele [KWAH EE-MAH-NEE MEE-LEH-LEH]= with eternal faithNa elimu ya [NAH EH-LEE-MOO YAH]= with educationKwa maneno nguvu [KWAH MAH-NEH-NOH N-GOO-VOO]= with mighty wordsNa umoja [NAH OO-MOH-JAH]= with unityEach line of Swahili text partners with a line of English text, continuing its thought. For example, “Lift up your soul/with eternal faith, lift up your mind/with education, etc. This complimentary design musically exemplifies the text’s plea for unity, empathy and interdependence.Three-Part Section:Choirs may perform the three-part section at m. 44 in three different ways:1. Perform all three parts.2. Perform only the top two lines: a partner song between the English and Swahili melodies.3. Perform only the bottom two lines: the English melody in cannon. This piece speaks of hope, compassion, and unity. Sung in both English and Swahili (pronunciation provided), with narration opportunities, the solemn accompaniment supports the plaintive and compelling melodic motifs which are partnered throughout the song. Sure to inspire both singer and audience!

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