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for mixed a cappella chorus
Duration: 6:00 minutes
Song of Sharon was written in the summer of 2004 and was inspired by two female literary characters with the same name, Sharon.
When I first read John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," I was struck by the metamorphosis of the young girl Sharon.
During the course of the novel, she is transformed from a naive child into a self-sacrificing compassionate young woman.
The second character that inspired my work is the "unnamed" woman in the "Song of Solomon" in the Bible.
Although she does not have a specific name, in the beginning of the second chapter she announces "I am the rose of Sharon,
and the lily of the valleys." She professes her passion for her beloved and how their love resembles the flowers, and
the birds.
The text of the Song of Solomon can be interpreted not only as a woman's profession of love for a man, but also mankind's
love for God. As a comparison was made between Steinbeck's character and her great sacrifice, and Solomon's lover and her
deep passion for him, I came to realize that both characters represent love , compassion, and devotion, not only for an specific
individual, but also for mankind.
The text used in this choral work was adapted from the second chapter of "Song of Solomon." It was composed
for and dedicated to Dr. Gary Packwood and the University of Montevallo University Chorus.
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