{"product_id":"bird-raptures-satb-divisi-a-cappella-by-lucy-walker-boosey-hawkes-20-pages","title":"Bird Raptures SATB Divisi A Cappella by Lucy Walker, Boosey \u0026 Hawkes, 20 Pages","description":"\u003ci\u003eBird Raptures\u003c\/i\u003e, a set of three pieces which draw inspiration stylistically from twentieth-century partsong, was composed for St Martin's Voices in spring 2025, especially for Lucy Walker's debut album (Resonus, RES10361). The text for \u003ci\u003eThe Nightingale\u003c\/i\u003e, Christina Rossetti's poem \u003ci\u003eBird Raptures\u003c\/i\u003e, from which the set takes its title, lulls the listener with a lilting metre, and describes the captivating power of a nightingale's song to connote both sorrow and joy. This setting is an invented folksong, beginning with a wistful soprano solo before easing into a full choir verse. The same melody is re-harmonised twice, featuring both sinewy, jazz-influenced chromaticism and expansive harmonic warmth. In \u003ci\u003eTwilight\u003c\/i\u003e, Sara Teasdale's text evokes a deep sense of yearning and distance by repeating the words 'calling, calling'. Rather than mimicking birdsong, the choir personifies the calling bird with a soaring but melancholy refrain. Overlapping cross-rhythms suggest conversation and tension between the voices, and the tragically inconclusive poetry is reflected by the choral texture fading, unresolved, to a single voice at the song's close. The innocence and unbridled joy of Coleridge's \u003ci\u003eAnswer to a child's question\u003c\/i\u003e provide a light-hearted conclusion to this set. With flamboyant rubato and exaggerated dynamics, the piece builds to a theatrical climax, before drawing the listener into the final line, 'And my Love loves me!' in whimsical unison. The set would suit a confident choir as a versatile concert feature. These pieces may be performed as a set in the order they are presented in this score, or individually.  Bird Raptures  Composer: Lucy Waker Publisher: Boosey \u0026amp; Hawkes Pages: 20","brand":"Boosey \u0026 Hawkes","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51882463953181,"sku":"M060152597","price":19.45,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/scarlettmusic.com.au\/products\/bird-raptures-satb-divisi-a-cappella-by-lucy-walker-boosey-hawkes-20-pages","provider":"Scarlett Music","version":"1.0","type":"link"}