Marques L. A. Garrett Choral Series
From the mind of the incomparable composer Marques L. A. Garrett comes the Marques L. A. Garrett Choral Series, a stunning collection of choral music’s most thought-provoking and stylistically profound fruits. Composer, vocalist, conductor, clinician and professor, Dr. Marques L. A. Garrett is enduringly devoted to raising up the voices of the underrepresented, joining formidable musical talent with the courage and grit to strive for the joy that true equality brings. Dr. Garrett is the co-editor of the Out From The Shadows Choral Series and is known for his research efforts on exploring and unearthing authentic music by fellow African American artists. Additionally, Marques L. A. Garrett is particularly known for the impressive skill set he brings as a vocalist, having soloed as baritone, premiered as countertenor, and performed as the beloved Lil Lud. In Ireland, Marques L. A. Garrett served as Jubilate Deo’s premiere soloist. He has arranged works like “Give Me That Old-Time Religion” and edited pieces including “Wasserfahrt”. As conductor, he founded the lauded Nebraska Festival Singers. Dr. Marques L. A. Garrett has worked with institutions including Harvard University, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and Cheyney University. He has been commissioned, among others, by Harvard and Westminster Choir College. At the University of North Texas, he currently serves as the Associate Professor of Choral Studies.
Dr. Marques L. A. Garrett spent his childhood in Virginia and now hails from northern Texas. He continues to teach, compose, conduct, and research. An indomitable force for passionate equality, quality choral music, and that music’s unique sway over justice, his Marques L. A. Garrett Choral Series is the direct reflection of a lifetime devoted to paving the way for choral excellence.
All Night I Could Not Sleep
(Laurel Luke Christensen)
Thumbing through Jane Hirshfield’s anthology of sacred poetry by women, I was immediately drawn to this short poem, attributed to Jin Dynasty poetess, Tzŭ-Yeh. Having inherited middle-of-the-night insomnia from my mother and passed it down to two wakeful little boys, I, like the poet, am well-acquainted with sleepless nights. The witching hour can magnify anxiety about the state of the world, the possibility of impending tragedy, and personal struggles.
But occasionally, a stubborn hope also thrives in the dark. This “thing with feathers - / that perches in the soul,” as Emily Dickinson called it, can clash with our inner pragmatists as we drift in and out of consciousness. The head and the heart, the cynic and the dreamer, the independent and the lover (perhaps the poet’s story), and the artist ready to call it quits versus the one who keeps creating–all are more susceptible to mystical voices when removed from daylight distractions. I’m often attracted to art that depicts simultaneous conflicting emotions, a state of mind I highlighted musically with undulating lines, aleatory, dissonance, and mixed meter in alternating sections of dreaminess and alertness. Led by the poet’s cryptic answer, this setting culminates in a tense, but clear, declaration that hope has won the night.
Are you looking for an exciting and fully-engaging piece to get your choirs moving and excited about singing? If so, singers will love learning and performing the newest work in the Marques L. A. Garrett Choral Series, Msifuni Mungu! written by Jarrett Roseborough for SATB choir and percussion. The piece features stomping, clapping, and patting to bring even more excitement accompanying the rhythmic Swahili text featured in this setting. An English translation of the Swahili text is provided.
Msifuni Mungu!
(Jarrett Roseborough)
Looking for an exciting, fiery, and inspirational piece for your Treble Chorus? Look no further. Marques L. A. Garrett’s setting of Ella Wheeler Wilcox is the piece for you. The accompaniment compliments the wonderful textual painting within the poetry. Audiences will remember this piece on your concert. Excellent choice for all-states, festivals, honor choirs, and year-round concerts.
A Song of Life
(Marques L. A. Garrett)
Alleluia, Cantate Domino
(Marques L. A. Garrett)
Alleluia, Cantata Domino is a traditional liturgical text set by Marques Garrett, was commissioned by Harvard University’s Department of Music in honor of the centenary of Black American musicologist, researcher, author, and teacher, Eileen Southern. The harmonic structure is transparent, giving the work a contemporary sound to add freshness without difficulty. High schools, colleges, and festival choirs will count this as a program favorite.