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The Still Small Voice
SATB, Piano
Challenge Level: Moderate
Sheet Music Sound File
For those of you not familiar with The Still Small Voice, it is in the Primary Children's Songbook. It was written by Merrill Bradshaw, a former composer in residence at Brigham Young University. I was privileged to know Brother Bradshaw both as a child growing up and as a music student at "the Y". The song itself is stunning in its message, simplicity, and indifference to traditional musical norms. The song does not have a key, and the harmony defies traditional analysis.
The Still Small Voice only has one verse. In my arrangement I attempt to stay true to the things about this song that make it wonderful. There is interplay between the women, men, and piano repeating different elements of the song, until the entire choir sings the verse together. Even then, the melody shifts around to different voices within the choir. The final phrase is intended to be sung solo, either by a child (preferable) or a soprano.
I think you will truly enjoy this quiet, powerful piece about listening to the Holy Ghost. One member of our ward described this arrangement as "almost haunting." |
