Here is a song that I set to a lovely melody that Bryan wrote as part of his choral song cycle, Voices That Should Be Heard. Bryan didn’t like the first set of words he had found and was going to drop the piece, but I so liked the music, and felt so strongly about the project (intergenerational choir formed for centenary of our old school) that I wrote the following. Subsequently we were asked to perform this song for Her Majesty the Queen with a 150 strong choir drawn from all the choirs in Harrow. Bryan was at the piano and I conducted. We then met HMQ.
Shifting Sands An intergenerational chorus of hope (recording here)
If possible, this piece should be sung by a double choir. Choir A should be of young people, preferably of school age, Choir B should be of older people, preferably in their 50s and 60s. Those in between could sing in either group.
Verse 1 (young choir) The future’s a land where nothing is sure No way of knowing what’s in store There are no maps to point the way So I must journey day by day
I have my plans, no room for doubt The path to follow is well laid out And I will walk on shifting sands To a future in unexpected lands
Verse 2 (older choir) The past is a place where try as I might Not everything could turn out right I wandered off course, left too much to fate Can I try again or is it too late?
I had my plans, there was no doubt The path I followed was well laid out But as I walked on shifting sands I found myself in surprising lands
Verse 3 (all) The future’s unsure, the present won’t last We only know what’s in the past Move forward we will, to do what we must And the road that we use will return to the dust
We have our plans, no room for doubt The path to follow is well laid out And we will walk on shifting sands To a future in amazing lands