SKU: A0.1000879

SAB and Soprano soloist with piano accompaniment
ca. 3'-3'30 duration

Aij�, ŽūŽū, arranged by Charles Griffin, is a stunning choral piece that combines two enormously popular Latvian lullabies to create a unique and emotive new musical journey. With three-part SAB vocals, a beautiful soprano solo, and delicate piano accompaniment, this piece will transport listeners to a serene and comforting world.

Perfect for choirs looking to explore Eastern European folksong traditions or simply add a touch of serenity to their repertoire, Aij�, ŽūŽū premiered in 2006 at the VII International Festival for Young Latvian Musicians in Ogre, Latvia. This arrangement assumes few male singers but can be adapted to suit the dynamic balance of your group.

The PDF score comes with a pronunciation guide and lyrics translation.

Here is the English translation. The internet doesn't do well with Latvian characters.

Little children, little worry,
Big children, great worry, oh!
Little children demand bread,
Big children demand silver, oh!

I can see through a tiny window
The warm little mouse who brings you slumber, oh!

I pray the cat does not see him.
I pray the cat will let him be, oh!

A little moon is rising above the hill, lullaby.
The moon gave me his coat of stars, lullaby.

SKU: A0.1000876

Organ, SATB Choir with Cantor/Leader of Song (and congregation), ca 5'

Commissioned as part of Faith Partners, a residency underwritten by the American Composers Forum with funds provided by the Wolfensohn Family Foundation and St. Ignatius-Loyola. Premiered by St. Ignatius-Loyola, Walter F. Modrys, S.J., Pastor, under the direction of Kent Tritle.

Text:

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord's own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.

SKU: A0.1000882

For the straight way was lost was commissioned and premiered by The Darkwood Consort in Boise, Idaho. But it has since been performed throughout the US and Europe many times in many duet combinations: Bb Clarinet and Viola, Bb Clarinet and Cello; Alto Sax and Viola, Alto Sax and Cello, and Viola and Bass Clarinet (the original!). The live video concert performance seen here is for Bb Clarinet and Cello, performed by Natalie Grata and Chris Erickson in Orlando, Florida.

The title became unintentionally more and more appropriate over time, as the work has undergone multiple revisions and tweaking, and experiments. The title comes from a passage in Dante’s The Divine Comedy, and I chose it because, first, it includes the name of the ensemble that commissioned it from me, but second, it also seems a good description of how the compositional process sometimes goes and did go with this piece; sometimes while working, the piece takes unexpected turns (almost of its own volition) that must then be dealt with:

Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
mi retrovai per una selva oscura,
che la diritta via era smarrita.

In the middle of the journey of our life
I found myself in a dark wood,
for the straight way was lost.

-Dante, from The Divine Comedy