Performance Insights
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of
Happiness
(click the number of parts to view
and hear online)
(click the voicing
indication to see how to use the arrangement with different age groups)
Two
Parts
-
SB or TB
(T = Boy
Treble)
Two
Parts -
SC, SA or TC
(T = Boy
Treble)
Four
Parts -
SSCB, SACB,
or SSAM
(M= Men)
The lyrics of this
piece present the ideas of two great Americans, John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson, as they
prepared for the American Revolution. Hancock's words
introduce the piece: We fear not death. That gloomy night, that
pale-faced moon, and the affrighted stars that hurried through the sky can
witness: We fear not death!
The body of the work is a setting the words
Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence: We hold these
truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal; that they are
endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Each of these voicings
utilize melody-part writing. The first of two settings includes melodies
set against melodies and the second features a canon. The two-part settings are very easy and the four-part setting
is moderately easy.
Programming patriotic works in our school concerts is an important and sensible choice. The students will be humming these memorable tunes
long after they have performed it.
Click to access
Four-Part
Variable Voicing,
Two-Part
Variable Voicing (one G clef & one F Clef), and
Two-Part
Variable Voicing (two G clefs) which describe how the different
voicings may be
sung by various age groups.
Words by John Hancock &
Thomas Jefferson
Music by Don L. Collins
Arranged by DLC
Four-part Variable Voicing
with Piano (CP Catalog #P47432)
Two-part Variable Voicing
with Piano (one G clef & one F Clef) - CP Catalog #P47432-A
Two-part Variable Voicing
with Piano (two G clefs) - CP Catalog #P47432-B
This work is available in E-Print.
Please remember the copyright law.
It is illegal to purchase a single oactavo, then photocopy it.
Order hard-copy scores from your favorite music distributor, J.S.Pepper, Inc. or directly from Cambatia Press.
