Poems ‘n Pairs
(A Set of Two Choral Cycles for Children’s Voices and Piano)
by
Dan Locklair
Poems ‘n Pairs (A Set of Two Choral Cycles for Children’s Voices and Piano) is the result of a 1994 commission from the North Carolina Music Educators Association for its 1995 Elementary Honors Chorus (Elaine M. Sills, Chair) in memory of the life and work of North Carolina music educator, Barbara Bair (1926-1994). The World Premiere of Poems ‘n Pairs occurred on 20 November 1995 at the North Carolina Music Educators Association’s Convention in Winston-Salem, NC, Henry Leck conductor. Poems ‘n Pairs is published by Boosey & Hawkes as a part of the Doreen Rao Choral Music Experience series.
The eight poems used in the two cycles of Poems ‘n Pairs were all written by children from around the world. Collected by Richard Lewis, these poems come from his book entitled, MIRACLES: Poems by Children of the English-speaking World (©1996 by Richard Lewis, and currently distributed through The Touchstone Center for Children [Richard Lewis, Director]/ 141 East 88th Street/New York, NY 10028). I am grateful for Mr. Lewis’s permission to utilize the following poems in Poems ‘n Pairs:
Cycle I
1A. Awaken (Sally Bingham, age 12, United States)
1B. (Untitled) (Geeta Mohanty, age 12, India)
2A. An Enchanted Garden (Carol Webb, age 9, England)
2B. Dancing (Alex M., age 10, New Zealand)
Cycle II
3A. Breeze (Marie Hourigan, age 11, Australia)
3B. Witches (Linden, age 10, New Zealand)
4A. Slave of the Moon (Mary Yarmon, age 11, Canada)
4B. Sleep and Dreams (Peter Kelso, age 11, Australia)
Durations:
Cycle I
1A. ca. 1’ 20”
1B. ca. 1’ 20”
2A. ca. 1’ 45”
2B. ca. 1’ 30”
(Total for Cycle I = ca. 6 minutes)
Cycle II
3A. ca. 1’ 42”
3B. ca. 1’ 00”
4A. ca. 1’ 00”
4B. ca. 2’30”
(Total for Cycle II = ca. 6’ 15”)
[Duration of Cycle I and II = ca. 12’ 14”]
Dan Locklair
Winston-Salem, North Carolina