A solo SATB, Trumpet and F. Horn

Mums Aloud – Alto solo SATB, Trumpet and F. Horn
Duration: aprox. 4 minutes

Score in parts upon request
I am open to discussing about changes to the piece considering there will be a performance date

Mums Aloud is a song for Solo Alto, choir SATB(B), French Horn and Trumpet.

The general form of the piece is the s. Alto sings one verse that is then repeated by the Sopranos and Altos, where the Sopranos have the main theme. The role of the Tenors and Basses varies with each repetition. Their main role is to support the s. Alto, but, on occasion, they will also be doubling one of the female voices or repeating a line before or after them.

The brass instruments play a broken fanfare. As soon as they establish the theme they dismantle it and then reconstruct a new variation and continue the cycle. The dismantling happens with the obsessively repeated notes and ends to sustained notes before rebuilding the fanfare structure.

The piece is built on 5 notes (F♮, A♭, B♭, B♮ and C♮) that create the majority of the melodies and harmonies. As the piece unfolds more notes and harmonies are added but are immediately pulled back to melodies by these 5-notes. We see this in bar 28 where the F.

Horn plays a sweet melody with the notes D♮, E♮, E♭, G♮ and G♭ being added to the basic 5-notes but is immediately succeeded by a 12-bar (broken) fanfare interlude. The s. Alto ‘hides’ in between the Sopranos and Altos, matching their volume with melodies falling inside the range of the melodies sung by the choir.

***This is a MIDI realisation of the piece and is only for preview puporses***
****Score in parts upon request**** – £12 (including full score and parts)
*****I am open to discussing alterations (i.e. change / add instruments, other) to the piece considering there is a performance date***** any changes to instreumentation changes the initial price of £12

Program note:
The title of this piece is a word play between the words: Mum’s (mom is) and Mums (all mums) and with the words aloud and allowed. In the lyrics, the word beat plays with the word beat used in hip-hop music meaning the instrumental track of a song and beat used in ‘take a beat’ as defined by the urban dictionary to take a minute to relax. The construction of the lyrics are sentiments that arose from various discussions I had with parents since I became a parent, particularly discussions with mums. Often mums feel guilty for needing some time for themselves, or to have a momentary spotlight so they know they exist outside of their honoured and cherished position of being a Mum. This piece is for all the mothers that are unsure if they are allowed to vocalise their personal needs out loud.