Lo Yisa Goy

Description

Soprano Saxophone 1, Soprano Saxophone 2, Alto Saxophone 1, Alto Saxophone 2, Tenor Saxophone 1, Tenor Saxophone 2, Baritone Saxophone 1, Baritone Saxophone 2 — During the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, saxophonist Paul Nolen asked if I might have a choir piece that I could transcribe for saxophone choir which his Illinois State University students could learn and record their parts in their homes; he would then mix together and share online. I immediately thought of the text of Lo Yisa Goy:And they shall beat their swords into plowshares,and their spears into pruning hooks:nation shall not lift up a sword against nation,neither shall they learn war anymore.But they shall sit every man under his vineand under his fig tree;and none shall make them afraid:for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.May all nations learn once again to listen to each other, and may we find a global peace to preserve both mankind and our planet. The 2020 quarantine brought about a strong trend of chamber music recorded as individual parts, then engineered into ensemble videos for webstream performances. During this time, saxophonist Paul Nolen asked Garrop if she might have a choral work to transcribe for saxophone choir, for Nolen's Illinois State University students to learn and record individually from home, to produce an ensemble video. Garrop immediately thought of her setting of the Hebrew song LO YISA GOY, on the text known in English as "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares." The text is always timely, asking that nations learn once again to listen to each other, so we may find global peace to preserve both mankind and our planet.