Driscoll Alphabet
Rebekah Driscoll
About this work:
The Driscoll Alphabet for chorus is a set of twenty-six blocks of music, each corresponding to a letter in the English alphabet. It can be performed in two ways:
1) The entire alphabet can be performed, A to Z, as written. The duration is about 15 minutes.
2) Any of the letters can be performed, in any combination. They need not spell actual words, although this might be a good place to start. Dynamics and tempo can be modified when creating each new configuration. Several letters can be performed by treble choir (for example, the letters in the word “TREBLE”); or, a full choir can choose to omit voices marked “Optional” for the purpose of contrast. For instance, if your choir is repeating the letter N, you might decide to use only the treble voices the first time, and all voices the second time. There are letters for solo voice, which can also be performed by the entire section. Conversely, any letter can be performed by a group of soloists, one on each part, instead of the full choir.
Some of the letters are fairly challenging to perform, while others are accessible to school or community choruses, so ensembles of all kinds can use the alphabet to construct pieces which uniquely suit their tastes and abilities. You can spell the name of your choir, school, or town, or just experiment with different letters that appeal to you. It is my hope that this tool will empower singers to participate more actively in the process of creating music.
Year composed: 2009
Duration: 00:15:00
Ensemble type: Chorus, with or without Solo Voices:Chorus, Unaccompanied
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation notes: Generally SSATB; some sections are SSA, some TB, some with divisi. Please contact me if you'd like to find out which letters can be performed by a particular group.