Self-Expression, Secular, Joy, Singing, Popular, *New, Hope Series, Ed.Choice JWP ☆ Michael Bussewitz-Quarm Self-Expression, Secular, Joy, Singing, Popular, *New, Hope Series, Ed.Choice JWP ☆ Michael Bussewitz-Quarm

I am a Voice that Sings

From award-winning composer Michael Bussewitz-Quarm and acclaimed lyricist Ronald W. Cadmus comes an uplifting message of hope and friendship through times of darkness. Multiple musical settings provide a quick learn for choirs of all levels while allowing your singers opportunities for solos. “Together, we will find something of grace and peace. I am a voice that sings! Together we will sing!”

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Secular, War & Peace Michael Bussewitz-Quarm Secular, War & Peace Michael Bussewitz-Quarm

The Silver Swan

This work was composed in honor of all who struggle with the ravages of war and face an ongoing battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. It is dedicated to the memory of Pfc. Joseph Dwyer, a native Long Islander, who lost his battle with PTSD following his tour of duty as a medic in Iraq. The sung text is based on text attributed to 17th-century composer Orlando Gibbons, reminding us that swans sing only just before their death.

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Lamiya’s Song

Lamiya's Song is written to bring attention to one of the most significant and challenging issues in our world today, the global refugee crisis. Lamiya Safarova lost her home and her village to the Nagorno-Karabakh War when she was only nine, eventually settling with her family in a cardboard shack on the shore of the Caspian Sea. She began writing poems to express her feelings. The loss of her home and her village had a profound impact on Lamiya. And so did being classified as a "refugee" by her classmates in school. Lamiya has a name, and her poem gives her a voice.

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Secular Michael Bussewitz-Quarm Secular Michael Bussewitz-Quarm

Daybreak

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Daybreak" swept me off my feet when I first discovered it. What a joyful poem! With my choral adaptation, my wish is to capture the energy of the wind as it comes "up out of the sea" and bursts with joy. Contrasting middle sections create a continuous journey as the wind blows through the town, breathing fresh life into the coming day. I hope Daybreak will put smiles on the faces of your choir and audience alike.

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Transitions, Togetherness, Secular, ISCM Selection ☆ Michael Bussewitz-Quarm Transitions, Togetherness, Secular, ISCM Selection ☆ Michael Bussewitz-Quarm

I’ll Fly Away

I’ll Fly Away sings about the spirit of a loved one about to be set free from pain and suffering. Asymmetrical meter and a tenor-bass ostinato figure create a rhythmic base for the lilting melody presented in unison and canon that is optimistically focused on the future and the beauty of a shared past.

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Gun Violence, Secular, Am. Prize Winner ☆ Michael Bussewitz-Quarm Gun Violence, Secular, Am. Prize Winner ☆ Michael Bussewitz-Quarm

Bird on a Wire (The Unarmed Child)

Bird on a Wire was inspired by our mockingbird neighbors whose nest was emptied of its babies one sad, spring night. The parents continued guarding their nest for another week or so, perching high on a telephone wire overhead, and I thought, "That is exactly how all our lives were suspended when we lost Cameron." He did not die by violence, other than the violence disease does on a little boy's body; but seeing what my sweet sister-and-brother-in-law went through changed the way I see things: Sandy Hook, Syria, and the poisoning of children in Flint. Words cannot describe the unimaginable loss of losing a child; still I hope these words help people understand that the world cannot bear to lose even one more... not to disease, not to neglect, and certainly not to violence. - Shantel Sellers, lyricist

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My Name is Lamiya: Don't Call Me "Refugee"

This composition was written to bring attention to one of the most significant and challenging issues in our world today, the global refugee crisis. Nine-year-old Lamiya Safarova lost her home and her village, and she began writing poems to express her feelings. The stirring text and repeated rhythmic elements persist throughout this work, along with body percussion that represents the journey of the refugee, forced away from their home, most often by foot.

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