I had forgotten how much I loved choir. I had even almost dreaded rehearsal. I was already so tired, and making music can take a lot out of you. Ya, I was excited to see my friends…but I see most of them anyways outside of choir. But then we were given out music. Ok, you need some background here: my school employs a becoming-well-known and brilliant composer. He taught me theory last year, and it was the best semester of Theory I had ever had (and you already know how much I love Theory). Well, my choir is going to be premiering one of his new pieces. I always knew he wrote good stuff. He picks great poems to set and he does a great job with them. But I wasn’t prepared for what I heard. The music…made me move. It was like it entered my ears and took control of me. It was wonderful. That is why I love music.
In my music history class we are studying the Romantic era. Composers of that day revered instrumental music over vocal music because, they said, words limit. In wordless music the listener is free to interpret it as he will. But while I love the Romantic period with all my heart, I must disagree with the Romantics here: when the text and music fit each other the result is more powerful than either could achieve apart.
Dramatic Lyric 