| SKU | 7149* |
|---|---|
| Composer/Arranger | Shatin, Judith |
| Text Author | Dunbar, Paul Laurence |
| Voicing & Instruments | SATB Chorus (divisi) and Piano |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Text Language | English |
| Topics (Secular) | Social Justice/Social Concerns |
| Popular Choral Searches | Female Composer |
| Publisher | E. C. Schirmer Music Company |
| Recording Credits | Recorded by The Singers, under the direction of Matthew Culloton, Minneapolis, MN. Recording Engineer: David Trembley, Soundmaster Productions. |
Why the Caged Bird Sings for SATB chorus and piano, is a setting of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem, Sympathy. His poem speaks through poetic metaphor of the suffering of repression. It inspires us to lift up our voices and to speak out in sympathy. Author Maya Angelou used the line, “I know why the caged bird sings” as the title of her autobiographical novel, and also of her own poem of the same name.
Commissioned by the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, this setting is energetic and colorful, with skillful painting of the text and a deft piano accompaniment which moves things along without obscuring the vocal writing. Duration: 4:45