Description

All That You Need Is You
SATB Choir, Violin (optional), Piano
Music by Jenni Brandon
Poem by Carisa Kozicki

What would you think if you shared your soul,
Sent in a whisper of hope?
Would it return in the breath of the breeze
Saved from the winds of change?
Racing fast dreams, stronger they seem,
Stronger with every inhale.
All that you need, all that is dreamed
All that you need is you.

What would you think if you shared your love
Sent in a breath of trust?
Would it be safe in the arms of the brave,
Saved from the fear of fall?
Facing your dreams, stronger they’ll be,
Stronger with every exhale.
All that you need, all that is dreamed
All that you need is you.

Program Note

When I was commissioned to write this piece for premiere during the inaugural year of the SATB choir at Flower Mound High School, I knew I wanted to write a piece that spoke to the young women and men that would be premiering it.  I wanted this work to have a message that they could relate and connect to.  In searching for special poetry for this project, I put out a call for poems from living poets.  It was Carisa Kozicki’s poem “All That You Need is You” that fit my idea of this them perfectly – inspiring young women and men to believe in themselves and to follow their dreams.

In writing this piece I wanted a work that was both uplifting and joyful, exploring the winds of change that make us stronger and more resilient.  The opening soloists represent the individual voice, and along with the choir, ask the questions that lead us to the conclusion that “all that you need is you.”

It is an honor to write this work for Lindsay Swartwood and Mark Rohwer and the young women and men of this inaugural season of this choir at Flower Mound High School.