Secular

Choral score

$1.85 per copy (you are buying a digital license)

Text:

At that moment I was sure. That I belonged in my skin. That my organs were mine and my eyes were mine and my ears, which could only hear the silence of this night and my faint breathing, were mine, and I loved them and what they could do. There was so much water in so many places, rushing everywhere, up and down, the water on top moving so much faster than the water below it. Under the water was sand, then rocks, miles of rocks, then fire.

– Dave Eggers, from You Shall Know Our Velocity! Used with permission from McSweeney’s Publishing.

From the Composer:

Working with Dave Eggers’ prose was a journey for me. The words are evocative and beautiful on their own, out of context from the book You Shall Know Our Velocity! from which it came. The choice to use it in this piece, which is about identity, brought with it a chance to interpret it as poetry, more metaphor than literal.

This is a moment of coherence, a surety of self and body. The questions that we may have had about who we are and our definition of identity come into focus. Eggers’ last statement, digging down through the materials of the earth, is seen here as sifting through what makes us unique and finding the passion and heart that lies within.

Musically there is a lot of movement in this piece. The undulating triplet arpeggios and ascensions contrast the more boisterous chordal conversations between the hands of the pianist, just as our wavering journey of self contrasts the more declarative moments of confidence. Speaking as a more experienced (older) human, I can say that life is and will always be a mixture of those moments, for as soon as one answer comes into focus, another recedes and becomes an instance of doubt. But when life seems to offer nothing but misgivings and insecurity, all of a sudden we can seize upon a courage and determination that pushes us forward and gives us ownership and pride in our self and our body.

- Timothy C. Takach, 2021