2020 Call for Scores Winners

Illuminate the Night
by Sherry Blevins

Darkness calls and its voice is sweet.
“The fight is tiresome; accept defeat.”
But there’s a light that dwells within me and it whispers, “not today.”
Darkness calls – convincing and clear
“Why are you here?” But I don’t know how to answer.

Relief seems so far away
What if I’ve nothing left to say?

Yet maybe there’s a flame in me ignited for the world to see.
Maybe I’ve the strength to say I’ll try again just one more day.

I will illuminate the night and shine.
I will celebrate this spirit of mine
Though it’s battered and bruised
I will not choose to lose
I will kindle the fire and banish the night.

I will quiet my embattled heart.
I will know that it’s not too late to start
When my spark becomes a flame
And the flame become a fire.
That fire will illuminate the night.

Banish the darkness!
Feel the fire!
Let the flame burn no matter how small!
And it will grow without trying.
It will burn despite the doubt.
And the heat will remind you what it’s like to feel alive.

Dawn is almost breaking, yet this night is overtaking,
So, I find the strength to light the flame once more… once more.

This piece was conceived while I was struggling with a disease I’ve had since I was seventeen called systemic lupus erythematosis. While it’s not often that lupus prevents me from accomplishing my goals, on this occasion, I was looking forward to composing a piece expressly for the purpose of entering a composing composition. Yet, at this point, I had been sick and mostly bedridden for the better part of 2 weeks. Dark thoughts were beginning to intrude and something as simple as brainstorming ideas for a new work seemed impossible. So, I decided to make those thoughts the inspiration for Illuminate the Night.

While the beginning of the piece is ominous and foreboding, my hope is that the music takes you on a journey from despair to a celebration of life. While the body can be weak, the spirit is strong.

As I began writing the lyrics on May 13th [2019] and imagining the music in my mind, little by little, I started to improve. This piece was completed during my recovery. What I discovered during that difficult time is that there is hope as well as art in the struggle. My wish is that it gives hope to others who suffer from illness of any kind.

-Sherry Blevins, 2020

Sherry Blevins is a music educator, conductor/clinician, and more recently, a lyricist and composer. She discovered her ability to compose when on a whim, she offered to compose her first piece for the 2015 Durham All-County Choir. That same piece, If You Heard My Voice for 2-part treble, piano, and cello, was published by Hinshaw Music in 2018. Since then, she has enjoyed composing for a variety of singers and ensembles across the southeast. President of the American Choral Directors Association and Artistic Director of the Chattanooga Boys Choir, Vincent Oakes writes, “Sherry Blevins’ music is as engaging and enriching for the singer as it is enjoyable for the listener. Her writing is smart, accessible, and well-balanced, advancing the aims of every text fortunate enough to receive her musical treatment. With beautifully crafted melodies, tuneful harmonies, and supportive accompaniments, her compositions should find a preferred place with more choirs in the near future.” In 2018, Sherry was selected the winner of the Claremont Chorale’s Composition Contest and is thrilled to announce that her winning composition, A Tapestry of Music (SATB) was published in the fall of 2019 in Tesfa Wondemagegnehu’s series with Hinshaw Music. Since then the piece has been selected for All-State Choirs across the Southeast. Sherry has a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a concentration in voice from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Master’s degree in Music Education with a concentration in Choral Conducting from Appalachian State University.

She, in the Dark, Found Light
by Brian Driscoll
”Helen Keller” by Langston Hughes

She,
In the dark,
Found light
Brighter than many ever see.
She,
Within herself,
Found loveliness,
Through the soul’s own mastery.
And now the world receives
From her dower:
The message of the strength
Of inner power.

To participate in this call for scores, I sought out writings by those with perceived or identified disabilities who have achieved greatness despite their challenges. The search led me to the poem titled “Helen Keller” by the American poet Langston Hughes (1901 – 1967), in which both the author and the subject represent triumphs over oppressions. One achieved literary excellence in a country where it has never yet been safe to have a Black body; the other found her voice and a profound vision in a body that required approaches to speech and sight alternative to those that most of us blithely enjoy. Both “Found light Brighter than many ever see.” I steeped in the text of the poem (i.e., procrastinated) for several months before putting any music down on paper. Guilt about the delay aside, it turned out to be time well spent. I had printed out the poem and drawn various shapes around the words that I felt were opportunities musically to express and complement the emotional and political content. Sometimes, these highlighted words turned into specific harmonies, sometimes into melodic shapes, and other times, moments of repose or climactic targets in the forward movement of the music. The familiarity with the form of the text also helped allow an intuitive compositional process to unfold.

-Brian Driscoll, 2020

Brian Driscoll, born and raised in Ohio, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in music composition from California Institute of the Arts, and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in organ performance from UCLA. Dr. Driscoll began at Santa Monica College in 2008 and then joined the faculty fulltime in Fall 2014. In addition to teaching, he enjoys an eclectic musical life as a pianist, organist, choral conductor, accompanist, concert series presenter, arranger, and composer. Before his full-time appointment at SMC, he was the director of music at an Episcopal church where he led five choirs and managed a popular concert series. Dr. Driscoll serves as the president of the board of directors of Elemental Music, on the advisory board for Red Door Vineyard (for which he was a founder), and formerly on the board of the Association of Anglican Musicians.

Only As Small As the Universe
Jerome Kurtenbach

Some think we exist on a plane
Only as small as the universe
We are here

Vast and epic the capacity of the mind
Way beyond the limits of the human form
We think

With eyes closed one can see
Ears that hear without can hear so listen
We speak

Our bodies move in ways not obvious
Even if some think we can’t won’t don’t
We move

Able through sometimes other forms
Creative, reliable and ready
We work

Quest to find the unknown and challenge
Unlocking questions answers ideas
We discover

Hearts beat spirited through it all
Hope and passion drive and thrive
We love

Imaginations running wild as a child
Never only as small as the universe
We dream

The original text was inspired by the life and work of Stephen Hawking, his infamous quotes, and his many contributions to society and humanity. He is a true example of perseverance, tenacity of the human spirit and the drive to continue forward when all else seems lost, all the while keeping a sharp and biting sense of humor. The text sung from the perspective of anyone who lives or faces life with or through a disability of many kinds, shining through the layers of societal pressures and thriving through it all with a verve for life. The composition is meant to exemplify not only Hawking's life but his humor and quest for answers. From the opening 'big bang' to the chromatic unfolding that starts quickly and is echoed throughout, it playfully teeters with sonorities that bounce between tonal, atonal and in between.  Meant to feel almost through-composed, the piece follows the text as closely as possible, painting and coloring with unison and harmonic motion, all the while retaining the wink and nod and the humor with which to approach life, even in the light of adversity. Even the title is almost a pun since the universe is anything BUT small; so too are our love, hopes and dreams.

Throughout the entirety of both the text and composition, I set out to straightforwardly and simply state several facts: we, people with disabilities, are here, think, speak, move, discover, work, love and dream, no matter the odds. Stephen Hawking was a brilliant human being and worked on so much through his ALS. The music exemplifies his energy, vitality and wit while also showcases the many capabilities, layers and depth that many people with disabilities all possess. It's a celebration and honor to all, no matter the odds. Hawking beat so many odds and lived a long and inspiring life, accomplishing so much more than any would assume he could. The music drives and flourishes in that spirit.

-Jerome Kurtenbach, 2020

Jerome Kurtenbach is a composer, screenwriter and musician. He has worked on the CWs Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, along with many of Rachel Bloom's digital media and live shows, most recently the Just For Laughs Festival in Montréal. He's currently scoring Nick Demos' film Invisible,  completed scores for Brian Bolster’s Winter’s Watch and Departing Gesture, and Chase Darwin's Billy & Valerie and Stanley and the Wolf. He has also scored the podcast Mother of All Shows created and hosted by GLOW's Kimmy Gatewood. Jerome has also served as orchestrator, arranger, and conductor for various projects, including the opening of the 2017 MTV Movie and TV Awards, The Apple Sisters Variety Show, and Jason Mraz's musical Shine. Along with Rachel Bloom, he has co-written the new musical Broadway Crazy! He is also composer and lyricist for two new musicals Outside the Lines (with Matt Mancuso) and Fabric of Life. He has premiered stage and digital works: the opera Unleashed, “pop” album Exit (as J Rod), and has co-written and produced songs on Afraid of Karma, Suck It Christmas!!!, and Please Love Me. He arranges for many LGBTQ+ organizations across the country.