Composer

:

Ysaye Barnwell

Genre

:

Vocal

Average_duration

:

4:53

'Wanting Memories' is a choral piece composed by Ysaye Barnwell, an American composer, singer, and former member of the a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock. The piece was composed in 1983 and premiered by Sweet Honey in the Rock in the same year. 'Wanting Memories' is a single-movement piece that is characterized by its simple yet powerful melody and lyrics. The piece is written in a minor key and features a call-and-response structure, with the choir singing the main melody and a soloist or small group of singers responding with a repeated phrase. The lyrics of the piece are deeply personal and speak to the universal experience of loss and longing. The piece begins with a soloist singing the opening lines, "I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me / To see the beauty in the world through my own eyes." The choir then joins in, singing the main melody and repeating the phrase "I am sitting here wanting memories" throughout the piece. The call-and-response structure is used to great effect in the chorus, with the choir singing "I am sitting here wanting memories" and a soloist or small group of singers responding with "of the love that we shared, and the love that we knew." The piece builds to a powerful climax with the choir singing "I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me / To see the beauty in the world through my own eyes" over and over again, with increasing intensity and emotion. The piece then ends with a soloist singing the final lines, "I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me / To be more than I am, to be the voice of the ages." 'Wanting Memories' is a deeply moving and personal piece that speaks to the universal experience of loss and longing. Its simple yet powerful melody and lyrics have made it a beloved piece in the choral repertoire, and it continues to be performed by choirs around the world.

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