Music and Texts of Gary Bachlund

 

The New Road - (2007)    

Anne Lafeber

for contralto and piano

 

Slowly and softly the waters recede
    to show me the way.
Clearly and swiftly the winds have agreed
    to show me the ways of the Lord.

I see a new road
    to the ways of the Lord.

Let me draw near You, and let me rejoice.
    You show me the way.
Let me rise up with joy and praise in my voice
    to learn of the ways of the Lord.

I see the new road
    to the ways of the Lord.

Let me draw near You with deep inner peace,
    as I find my way.
Then at life's end, pray, grant gentle release,
    and lead me in ways of the Lord.

I walk this new road
    in the ways of the Lord.

[ 4 pages, circa 4' 00" ]

Anne Lafeber

 

Contralto Anne Lafeber (born 1960 in Delft, the Netherlands) studied music from an early age, beginning with lessons in flute, piano and contrabass. She attended the Musikhochschule in Karlsruhe, Germany, the Art Academy and the Conservatory for Music in Maastricht, Netherlands, graduating in 1991 in vocal pedagogy. She has been with the Opernchor of Theater Aachen since 1989, and sung a number of solo roles there as well, and performs in concert and oratorio throughout Europe, specializing in music of the Baroque.

 

A short text for a song was suggested by Anne, and we reworked it in order to extend the length into three stanzas or verses, with a short refrain.

 

 

The form is a simple hymn, stanzas and couplet which follows as the summation of each stanza. In three full verses, the interludes vary slightly and the end is lightly rhapsodic to suit the text, which is one of quiet joy. The chord forms in the accompaniment are merely extended triadic harmonies through to the sixth "raised" third, or sharp eighteenth, a non-diatonic G sharp in a D major chord, and a diatonic C sharp in a G major chord. The chorale style of inner voices is intended to be highlighted and played molto sostenuto.

 

 

The score for The New Road is available as a free PDF download, though any major commercial performance or recording of the work is prohibited without prior arrangement with the composer. Click on the graphic below for this piano-vocal score.

 

The New Road