This piece was revised on December 20th, 2022. If you have purchased an older version of this score, you can download a copy of the new score through the My Account page.
The Ocean Between Us
- The Prow (SATB divisi & piano)
- There Is No Sea (SATB divisi, piano, strings, & crystal glasses)
- So Much to Seek (SATB divisi, piano, & strings)
About the work
Rife with energy and soaring melodies, The Prow captures the image of a boat out at sea.
Dedicated to and commissioned by Jonathan Talberg and the Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir.
In loving memory of Timothy “Tiger” Hazzard.
Premiered by the CSULB Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir, October 2018 at Los Altos United Methodist Church, Long Beach, CA.
Notes
From an interview with KC Vitas:
What inspired you in creating this work?
In the Spring of 2018, my dear friend and mentor Jonathan Talberg had written a set of “ocean poems” in the wake of his father’s passing. He gave them to me as a gift, and asked me to set them as a commission for the Bob Cole Chamber Choir in the coming fall. Before I could settle down with them, however, my own father had passed. In the weeks following, I turned to these poems, and found that they helped me emotionally resolve what I was feeling at the time.
One of the poems, “The Prow”, was written for Jon’s own mentor, conductor William Hall. The poem is pure elation, inspired by a life-changing encounter Jon had several years back. Sailing on the maiden voyage of Will’s yacht, Jon was sitting on its prow when dolphins began playing in the boat’s wake, shimmering in the Californian sunlight. Reading his words, I was moved by his vivid description of such a joyous scene, and felt that he truly captured what it meant to be alive.
When I first approached this poem, I was shrouded in the darkness of grief. However, as I set the text, I slowly reconnected with the emotion of joy, and gained a new appreciation for life. By the time I finished, I felt I had completed a significant chapter of the mourning process.
Read the entire interview here.
Text
IV.
The prow, the best place on the boat for a seat.
Wind whipping, salt spraying, sun shining,
dolphins playing above darkness and creeps in the deep,Gliding oe’r brilliance
Sea air, crack of sails,
No one can catch us,
Not even the whales!
From Ocean Poems. Text by Jonathan Talberg.
Practice Tracks
Practice tracks for The Ocean Between Us can be found here.
Score Video
