Saguaro
Karen Siegel
About this work:
Inspired by a visit to Tucson, Arizona in the spring of 2006, I expressed my awe of the landscape, history, and people of this desert in a poem that would become the text for this piece. The title “Saguaro” is the name of the cactus described in the first stanza, as well as the national park in the Catalina mountains to which this cactus has given its name. These cacti are the kind seen in old Western movies, and they are often hundreds of years old.
The seemingly endless expanses of this beautiful desert are reflected in the music’s evocation of space. Two soprano soloists sing folk-like, repetitive phrases from opposite ends of the concert hall. At one point the soloists’ lines are gradually taken up by all of the women in the choir, intensifying the presence of this atmospheric element.
In my short visit to Tucson, I learned much about the sad events affecting the land and the people there. Frequent flash floods are caused by the inability of the hard ground to absorb water, which is a direct result of long ago overuse of the land by cattle herders. The rapid development of the tourism industry threatens the sanctity of the unique landscape of the Saguaro National Park. Mexicans making the dangerous journey north often perish without any water sources to keep them alive. These unfortunate circumstances, combined with the magnificent beauty of the physical surroundings, inform the work’s bittersweet harmonies.
Shortly after my return to NY, I was informed that I was a winner of the Manhattan Choral Ensemble’s Commissioning Competition. Saguaro was a result of that commission, and was premiered by the Manhattan Choral Ensemble in June, 2006.
Please email Karen Siegel at chestnutoak@gmail.com for a full score.
Year composed: 2007
Duration: 00:04:00
Ensemble type: Chorus, with or without Solo Voices:Chorus, Unaccompanied
Instrumentation: ,2 Soprano soloist(s), 1 SS, 1 AA, 1 TT, 1 BB
Instrumentation notes: This is an SSAATTBB choral piece with two soprano soloists. One of the soloists is to stand at the back of the hall. Please excuse the appearance that it is a solo quartet; that is due to the online form requiring a number. There is no requirement for a specific number of singers on each voice part.