Aurora (for a cappella SATB chorus, duration 6 mins). Featuring solos for 1 soprano, 1 alto, 1 tenor and 1 bass.
Inuit cultures tell many legends about the aurora borealis, aksarnirq. In some tribes, the spirits are believed to be carrying torches to guide us to the sky, in others, these incredible lights are manifestations of spirits playing, dancing, moving in joy and play. This piece pulls together words from some of these legends alongside vocal solos reminiscent of a Scandinavian shepherding tradition to celebrate ice, winter, and the spectacular natural play of light.
With the utmost gratitude to Bea Sider for her help and advice on the Sámi tradition of kulning. Commissioned by the William Baker Choral Foundation for Vox Venti (Ed Frazier Davis, Artistic Director).
Aurora
Ice
Cracked the sun’s rays
Into wild colors.
In the sky
Spirits carry
Torches of fire.
Lighting our path
The heavens dance
Scores available for purchase at https://musicspoke.com/downloads/aurora/
The examples and tutorials on kulning referenced in the text may be found here:
• Maria Misgeld – Introduction to Kulning technique
• Maria Misgeld – Lever Du (example)
• Jennie Tiderman – Osterberg (kulning example)