In beginning Michael Winikoff
his age intentionally left blank
Program Notes When selecting text to set I m always drawn to text has vivid imagery. o me start of Genesis is one such text: I find image of sir... hovering over surface of waters que vivid. he very start of iece includes Hebrew text (translerated below, wh CPIL being used to indicate emhasised syllable of each word), but rest of iece is in English. he iece is not religious, so much as sirual. he first movement is intended to convey mystery awe. he second energetically deicts emergence of wondrous cacohony of life, in all of s forms, emergence of a comlex ecosystem from a barren rock. he third movement is a gentle contrast, resents humany s mate to govern earth. Gentleness in this movement grows to swelling love assion 1. his is followed by an increasingly urgent warning about neglecting our assigned stewardshi of earth. he warnings of rains not coming (droughts), earth drying u lying olluted are at, given climate change consequences are being observed today. his iece begun in 010, wh first three movements taking form fairly quickly. However, an inial version of final movement roved unsatisfying, thrown out, a comletely different middle section ending were wrten, wh iece finally being comleted (romted by ROCCC!) in early 016. Hebrew ransleration: (Genesis 1:1-) berehi bar elohim et hashamyim ve et ha retz. veha retz hai Ohu vavohu, vekhosekh al P NEI tehom. veruakh elohim merakhefet al nei hamyim. Performance Notes.76)$)- (/$,.'0)10- (/$,.'&-,+$ $*)!,('&%$#"! ;.F-E( 'DC"-0@,?>%=,:-<; :-( -(')-,76)$)-..')J0- 'DC"-0@ (>I>=H",.'&-,+$ 0=:G Note: throughout iece, when changing between simle comound time, ulse of quavers remains constant. In oening bars soranos altos roduce sound of wind by exhaling individually. I ars - are reeated as many time as needed to allow for text to be read. When bar is reached for second time Hebrew text is cued. he Hebrew text should be read by a male voice, should be strong until end of first line ( ha retz ). t this oint should continue quietly, English, referably read by a female voice, should begin ( In beginning... until hen God said ). he English reading should ause before hen God said. Once this oint is reached, conductor should cue (female) reader when bar is reached, text should be read towards end of bar, so when choir n continues to bar 6, overall text is [read] hen God said [sung] let re be light. he iece grows in volume strength from inial quiet ( mysterious) oening, wh a slow but steady crescendo from bar 16 through to start of bar 0. he text for Lord God had not yet sent rain... should be sung somewhat freely (like a recative). 1 s in love of a arent for ir children, not love of, oh, get your minds out of rutter, er, gutter.
II his movement must be sung energetically, but not too fast (lest chaos return!) he middle section should give imression of a cacohony of animals emerging (fish, bird, etc.). In singing some of rhythms (esecially let earth roduce every sort of animal ) might be easier to not watch conductor too closely (since rhythm is off beat). No matter what haens, choir should come toger at bar ( 7/). he closing (bar 6 onwards) should be joyous celebratory. III his movement is gentle at first, n (from key change onwards) should be sung wh growing energy assion. ar 0 onwards should be sung wh a feeling of love, as in love of a arent for ir children, wh climax of movement being bar. Note if choir does not have enough soranos tenors to manage extended divisi, n first sorano art could be sung by a solo or a few soranos, first tenor could be sung by a solo, or a few tenors, leaving rest of soranos (resectively tenors) to sing second sorano art (resectively second tenor). IV he oening should be sung somewhat freely (recative). he first but Lord God warned him (bars -6) should be abrutly loud harsh (heled by high from tenors), second (bars 6-7) a quiet echo. he warning ( If you break... ) from bar onwards should be firm dark in tone. Inially quiet (m), but steadily growing in volume until around bar 10. he slight diminuendo in bar 10 should not dro too far down, n crescendo resumes in bar 107, continuing through to anguished cry of (bars 11-11). he tuning in bars 10 10 requires care. In my mind I icture inial hrase ( If you break... ) as being voice of God. However, after I will unish you, text hat s why sring rains have is voice of humany, lamenting failure of ir cros, ensuing famine. he next section ( earth mourns dries u, cros te away wir ) should be mournful. he crescendo to cry wir (bar 16, echoed in 17 1) should not be too strong. It is an echo of much stronger cry at 11-11. he ending of iece (from bar 10) should begin very quietly, erhas be a ltle slower than receding section. It n grows strengns, reaching s climax wh a firm, but not strident, ff at bar 1 ( you will eat your fill live securely in your own l ). Note dynamic remains strong until end u bar 16, n begins to reduce don t dro volume too fast. he soloist for bars 11-10 1-1 should be one of soranos in choir. It may rove advisable to have some of second soranos join first altos in bars 1-16. lternatively, if choir is too small to coortably divide into 7 arts on final age n arts could be divided as: =sorano solo, 1=rest of soranos, =altos, 1=tenor solo, =rest of tenors.
ext (New Living ranslation) I (Genesis 1:1-) In beginning God created heavens earth. he earth formless emty, darkness covered dee waters. nd ir of God hovering over surface of waters. hen God said, Let re be light, re light. (Genesis :-)... When Lord God made earth heavens, neir wild lants nor grains were growing on earth. For Lord God had not yet sent rain to water earth, re were no eole to cultivate soil. II (Genesis 1:11,0,,) hen God said, Let l srout wh vegetation every sort of seedbearing lant, trees grow seed-bearing fru.... Let waters swarm wh fish or life. Let skies be filled wh birds of every kind... Let earth roduce every sort of animal... nd God good. III (Genesis 1:7-) o God created human beings in his own image.... hen God blessed m said, e fruful multily. Fill earth govern. Reign over fish in sea, birds in sky, all animals... IV (Genesis :1-16) he Lord God laced man in Garden of Eden to tend watch over. ut Lord God warned him,... (Levicus 6:1-16)... if you break my covenant... I will unish you. (Jeremiah :) hat s why [even] sring rains have. (Isaiah :) he earth mourns dries u, [] cros te away wir. (Levicus 6:,) If you follow my decrees... obey my comms,... You will eat your fill live securely in your own l.
In he eginning Michael Winikoff I orano lto Largo = 0 (unched wind sound) (unched wind sound) ((*) Hebrew, n English text) cue: "n God said" Let re be enor ass, hushed mm mm Let re be 7 light when Lord God made earth light m when Lord God made earth m 1 hea - vens when Lord God made earth hea - vens nei - r hea - vens when Lord God made earth when (*) berehi bar elohim et hashamyim ve et ha retz. [softer, cue English (below)] veha retz hai Ohu vavohu, vekhosekh al P NEI tehom. veruakh elohim merakhefet al nei hamyim. In beginning God created heavens earth. he earth formless emty, darkness covered dee waters. nd ir of God hovering over surface of waters. [wa for cue] hen God said... Coyright 016 Michael Winikoff. ll rights reserved.
1 wild lants nor grains were grow-ing on earth nei - r wild lants nor Lord God made earth hea - vens nei - r wild lants nor grains were grow-ing on 1 r. grains were grow-ing on, slower, freely earth, for, slower, freely Lord God had not yet sent rain to wa-ter earth earth, grow-ing on earth, for, slower, freely Lo(rd) for, slower, freely Lo(rd) for Lo(rd) aw r. a temo re were no eo - le to cul - ti - vate soil - -
II cue: "hen God said" llegro = 1, energetic Let l Let l Let l Let l srout wh ve - ge - srout wh ve - ge - srout wh ve - ge - srout wh ve - ge - ta - tion e - ta - tion e - ta - tion e - ta - tion e - very very very very = = sort of seed bea - ring lant trees grow seed bea-ring fru sort of seed bea - ring lant trees grow seed bea-ring fru let wa - ters swarm wh sort of seed bea - ring lant trees grow seed bea-ring fru sort of seed bea - ring lant trees grow seed bea-ring fru 7 fish o - r life let wa - ters swarm wh fish o - r life let let wa - ters swarm wh fish o - r life let wa - ters - -
1 let wa - ters swarm wh fish o - r life let wa - ters swarm wh fish o - r life let wa - ters swarm wh fish o - r life let wa - ters swarm wh let wa - ters swarm wh fish o - r life let wa - ters swarm wh fish o - r life let wa - ters swam wh fish fish o - r life let wa - ters swarm wh fish o - r wa - ters swarm wh fish o - r life let wa - ters 7 let sky be filled wh birds of e - very kind let sky be filled wh birds of o - r life let wa - ters swarm wh fish o - r life let wa - ters swam wh fish o - r life swarm wh fish o - r life let earth - ro - duce ev - ery sort of a - - -
0 e - very kind let sky be filled wh birds of e - very kind let sky be filled life let earth ro-duce e - very sort of a - ni - mal let earth ro - duce e - let sky be filled wh birds of e - very kind let sky be filled wh birds of ni - mals let earth ro-duce e - very sort of a - ni - mal let earth ro - duce e - 7 wh birds of e - very let earth ro - duce e - very sort of a - ni - mal let 7 very sort of a - ni - mal let earth ro - duce e - very sort of a - ni - mal let 7 e - very kind let earth ro - duce e - very sort of a - ni - mal let very sort of a - ni - mal let 7 earth ro - duce e - very sort of a - ni - mal let 7 7 earth ro - duce e -very sort of a- ni-mal God s earth ro - duce e -very sort of a- ni-mal God s earth ro - duce e -very sort of a- ni-mal God s earth ro - duce e -very sort of a- ni-mal God s (/ = 6/+/) good God good God good God good God good God good God good God good God - -
good God good God good God good God good God good God good God good God good God 61 good God good God good good good good God 6 6 6 6 God God God good God R. 6 good. lower nd God R. good good. nd God good good. nd God good good. nd God good - 6 -
III oken: "o God created human beings in his own image. hen God blessed m said:" orano lto 70 Lento ( = ), gentle m be m fru ful = mul ti - = ly fill be fru ful mul ti - ly fill enor ass fill 7 earth go - vern, fill earth go - vern earth go - vern, fill earth go - vern earth go - vern, fill earth go - vern 7 (trumet-like) f reign o - ver birds in sky a(ll) f reign o - ver fish in sea (trumet-like) reign o - ver birds in sky let f reign o - ver fish in sea (trumet-like) reign o - ver fish in sea reign o - ver birds in sky f reign all - 7 -
0 a ltle slower ( = ) orano 1 () orano lto () wh Love... wa - ters swarm wh wh Love... fish o - r life all a - ni - mals wa - ters swarm wh enor 1 all a - ni - mals wh Love... all let sky be filled wh birds of e - very enor all a - ni - mals wh Love... all a - ni - mals all a - ni - mals a - ni - mals all a - ni - mals all a - ni - mals r. 1 h h fish o - r life wh fish o - r li(fe) 1 kind let sky be filled wh birds of e - very ki(nd) all a - ni - mals all a - ni - mals h all a - ni - mals all a - ni - mals all a - ni - mals - -
6 m slower R. be fru - ful h mul - ti - ly IV orano 0 ndante = = 6 lto m to 6 tend watch o - ver enor ass m m Lord God laced Lord God laced Lord God laced man in gar-den man in gar-den man in gar-den of of of e - den to e - den to e - den to tend 6 6 tend watch o - tend watch o - watch o - ver ver ver sf but = Lord God warned him m (Dark rich tone) If you break my sf sf but but Lord God warned him (echo) Lord God warned him, but m m If you Lord God warned him: If you break break my my sf but (echo) Lord God warned him, but m Lord God warned him: If you break my - -
co - ve - nant, If you break my co - ve - f nant I will u-nish you I will u - nish you f co - ve - nant, co - ve - nant, If you If you break my co - ve - break my co - ve - nant I will f nant I will u-nish you I will u-nish you I will u - nish you, I will u -nish you co - ve - nant, If you break my co - ve - f nant I will u-nish you I will u -nish you 10 hat s why sring rains have u - nish I will u nish I will u-nish you hat s why sring rains have u - nish I will u - nish I will u-nish you hat s why sring rains have 110 u - nish u - nish I will u-nish you r. hat s why sring rains have (Largo = 0) (echo) hat s why sring rains have, (echo) hat s why sring rains have, (echo) hat s why sring rains have,, (echo) (unched wind sound) hat s why sring rains have - 10 -
116 (unched wind sound) solo m tutti (unched wind sound) earth mourns dries u, earth mourns 1 solo tutti dries u, cros te a - way wi-r, cros te a - way wi-r cros te a - way wi-r, cros wi-r cros wi-r cros wi-r 17 m ltle slower ( = 7) wi - r m wi - r m wi wi - - r r If you fol-low my de-crees, if you fol-low my de-crees o - fol-low my de-crees o - wi - r m wi - r wi - r wi - r - 11 -
1 ff bey my com-ms o - o - bey my com-ms bey my com-ms you you will eat your fill will eat your fill ff bey my com-ms o - bey my com-ms you will eat your fill ff If you fol - low my de - crees o - bey my com - ms you will eat your ff 1 If you fol - low my de - live se - cure - ly in your crees o - bey my com - own your ms you will eat your own l. (echo) slower nd God (echo) live se - cure-ly in fill live se - cure-ly in your your in your own own l. l. nd God (echo) nd God (echo) fill live se - cure - ly in your own l. nd God 1 r. a temo good good good good - 1 -