FRANK STEMPER, COMPOSER
A Brief Message From Makanda Illinois (2005, rev. 2010)
a setting of ideas from Senator Paul Simon [5.5 mins.]
for
S - A - T - B
Choir
Opus 54 — A.S.C.A.P. work I.D. 312538377
SCORE
SCORE
NOTES
In his remarks at the 2003 funeral of Paul Simon, the late Senator Edward Kennedy said:
“All politicians claim to be honest, but Senator Simon actually was.”
Teddy went on to say that Simon also had
“…a relentless way of successfully getting his way and passing appropriate legislation:
he did so because he was always on the right side.”
Paul Simon lived in the very small town of Makanda, Illinois. After a long career as a journalist, he rose in politics through the state level to the U.S. Senate, and he was a major presidential candidate in 1988. He had a rather square demeaner that was balanced by his incredibly quick wit and humor. He is known for his bow ties! But he was also impersonated on SNL in the late 1980s which made him cool! And he was.
His politics were neither conservative or liberal, but informed and compassionate. The text of this brief choral piece, copied below, are quotes from some of the late Senator’s writings. His daughter, Sheila, a Law Professor at Southern Illinois University and former Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, helped me put it together.
The 2005 world premieres – there were four of them – took place in Chihuahua, Mexico by the Coro de Bellas Artes, under the direction of Gustavo Flores. For the very first performance, the soprano soloist began alone on stage, and as she began, “like calling children in for supper” the rest of the chorus came out of the audience and gradually joined the singing. It was very moving.
Then Mark Winges, the Composer in Residence of Volti, a San Francisco based choir and champion of new music presented a triple American Premiere —Marin County, Oakland, and San Francisco, led by Music Director and aging Bay Area surfer Robert Geary. (I only call Mr. Geary “aging,” because we are exactly the same age, and, as we were both about to turn 60, I was running a 26.2-mile marathon per year, and Mr. Geary was waiting for the recent Japanese Tsunami to cross the entire Pacific Ocean and hit San Francisco with some “Bombora” waves!!!)
Finally, “Makanda” was performed closer to home, during a tour by the Southern Illinois University choir that featured a grand piece of music, a tour de force by my colleague Kathleen Ginther. The music was directed by Susan Davenport, who, as far as I know, has never surfed or run a marathon…. But she performed “Makanda” at the Hoogland Cultural Center in Springfield Illinois (with Senator Simon’s daughter and current Lieutenant Governor of Illinoi, Sheila in attendance. And then the concert was repeated in Chicago at Symphony Center, the home of the great Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
In his remarks at the 2003 funeral of Paul Simon, the late Senator Edward Kennedy said:
“All politicians claim to be honest, but Senator Simon actually was.”
Teddy went on to say that Simon also had
“…a relentless way of successfully getting his way and passing appropriate legislation:
he did so because he was always on the right side.”
Paul Simon lived in the very small town of Makanda, Illinois. After a long career as a journalist, he rose in politics through the state level to the U.S. Senate, and he was a major presidential candidate in 1988. He had a rather square demeaner that was balanced by his incredibly quick wit and humor. He is known for his bow ties! But he was also impersonated on SNL in the late 1980s which made him cool! And he was.
His politics were neither conservative or liberal, but informed and compassionate. The text of this brief choral piece, copied below, are quotes from some of the late Senator’s writings. His daughter, Sheila, a Law Professor at Southern Illinois University and former Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, helped me put it together.
The 2005 world premieres – there were four of them – took place in Chihuahua, Mexico by the Coro de Bellas Artes, under the direction of Gustavo Flores. For the very first performance, the soprano soloist began alone on stage, and as she began, “like calling children in for supper” the rest of the chorus came out of the audience and gradually joined the singing. It was very moving.
Then Mark Winges, the Composer in Residence of Volti, a San Francisco based choir and champion of new music presented a triple American Premiere —Marin County, Oakland, and San Francisco, led by Music Director and aging Bay Area surfer Robert Geary. (I only call Mr. Geary “aging,” because we are exactly the same age, and, as we were both about to turn 60, I was running a 26.2-mile marathon per year, and Mr. Geary was waiting for the recent Japanese Tsunami to cross the entire Pacific Ocean and hit San Francisco with some “Bombora” waves!!!)
Finally, “Makanda” was performed closer to home, during a tour by the Southern Illinois University choir that featured a grand piece of music, a tour de force by my colleague Kathleen Ginther. The music was directed by Susan Davenport, who, as far as I know, has never surfed or run a marathon…. But she performed “Makanda” at the Hoogland Cultural Center in Springfield Illinois (with Senator Simon’s daughter and current Lieutenant Governor of Illinoi, Sheila in attendance. And then the concert was repeated in Chicago at Symphony Center, the home of the great Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
A Brief Message from Makanda, Illinois
Somewhere in this nation (repeats…)
Maybe you're the one to start the IDEA (repeats…)
Maybe you’re the ONE.
Maybe you're the one who will start us down this road
The one to start stimulating people
The one who will think compassionately
and beyond this short moment.
Somewhere in this nation
Maybe you're the one to start the IDEA.
Like dropping a stone in a quiet lake
The ripples will reach out and out and out . . .
Each of us can act
If we learn to care
And want to make a difference.
You and I are on this planet but a short time.
Let us seize this time and opportunity
To build a better tomorrow.
We need your involvement.
We need your insight.
We need your courage.
We need your dreams.
Somewhere in this nation, maybe you’re the ONE.
Somewhere in this nation (repeats…)
Maybe you're the one to start the IDEA (repeats…)
Maybe you’re the ONE.
Maybe you're the one who will start us down this road
The one to start stimulating people
The one who will think compassionately
and beyond this short moment.
Somewhere in this nation
Maybe you're the one to start the IDEA.
Like dropping a stone in a quiet lake
The ripples will reach out and out and out . . .
Each of us can act
If we learn to care
And want to make a difference.
You and I are on this planet but a short time.
Let us seize this time and opportunity
To build a better tomorrow.
We need your involvement.
We need your insight.
We need your courage.
We need your dreams.
Somewhere in this nation, maybe you’re the ONE.