April Rain Song | Marjorie Halloran | MusicSpoke

Performance Notes

The piece should begin with a "rainstorm" that lasts about 40-60 seconds total. Performers start out by rubbing palms of hands together to generate a "shh" sound, and one by one progress to snapping their fingers or clapping using two fingers against the opposite palm (a similar volume to snapping as opposed to a loud full handed "clap"). Performers then progress to slapping their hands on their thighs to make the loudest "rain" sound, and as the "storm" subsides, performers move back to snapping/two finger clapping. The clapping should become more deliberate, until it turns into the notated rhythms. The clapping rhythms do not need to be exactly as notated, and performers may choose to snap, clap, tap their thighs, or alternate between the three based on their preference. These clapping rhythms may be performed on a small unpitched percussion instrument instead, if available.

The clapping parts are tacet from measures 46-74 and resume in measure 75. Beginning in measure 92, the clapping should begin to diminish, becoming less frequent until it stops completely in measure 97.

April Rain Song may be performed a cappella, omitting the piano part. The piece should still begin with the "rainstorm", and performers may hum their starting pitches if necessary throughout the storm. Measures 2-5 should be omitted if performed a cappella, and the conductor may choose to skip/shorten "quiet" measures (e.g. measures 64 or 68) if desired.

Program Notes

I was born and raised in a drought-prone area, and rain was somewhat of a novelty for me for most of my life. April Rain Song evokes such a lovely and specific feeling of the gentleness of a springtime storm— not the destructive thundering type, but the type that serves to hydrate the garden— and I knew exactly how I wanted to write it. The light percussion parts serve to demonstrate the rhythm of the rain, and the triple meter section— a literal lullaby— calls attention to the “little sleep-song” that Hughes describes. The ending of the song is a celebratory reiteration of the joyful “I love the rain”, as an homage to every pluviophile (and Californian) who has welcomed the rain with open arms.

Langston Hughes (1901-1967)

April Rain Song

Commissioned by the New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus, Sarah A. Michal, Artistic Director and Conductor

40-60" rainstorm

Marjorie Halloran (b. 1985)

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©2022 Marjorie Halloran Music (ASCAP)

April Rain Song

Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops

Let the rain sing you a lullaby

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk

The rain makes running pools in the gutter

The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night

And I love the rain.

Langston Hughes (1901-1967) Text

About the Composer

Marjorie Halloran (b. 1985), originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, is a synesthetic composer, songwriter, and performer. Her choral music blends together smooth and memorable melodic lines, lush harmonies and textures, and the occasional abrupt change in time signature or key, just to keep things interesting. She holds her MFA in composition with an emphasis in songwriting from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, as well as a BA in music theory/composition from the University of California at Davis. She is the co-founder of the VCFA Choral Workshop, a program for graduate students interested in learning choral composition, and has studied composition under Michael Early, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Don DiNicola, Abbie Betinis, and Alice Parker.

An accomplished choral singer in addition to composer, Marjorie has performed with many different ensembles in California, New Jersey, New York, and Texas, where she currently sings with and writes for Chorus Austin and Inversion Ensemble. Her compositional accolades include being the winner of the 2016 WomenSing "Youth Inspiring Youth" choral composition competition, a finalist for the I Kromatika composition competition in 2015, a semi-finalist for the American Prize in Composition (choral division) in 2018, and an American Prize finalist in 2022. Marjorie released her debut pop album, Ready For Anything, in 2015, featuring a variety of songs written during her studies at VCFA, and has released a variety of EPs on her Bandcamp site (marjoriehalloran.bandcamp.com). She currently resides in Austin, TX, while continuing her work with VCFA as the Assistant Director for the MFA in Music Composition program.

Her favorite symphony is Robert Schumann’s 2nd, and her favorite instrument beyond voice is the viola. She loves the color yellow, biodegradable glitter, peanut butter, cocoa with mint, chords in first inversion, The Little Mermaid, and reading alto clef. She has a husband, an orange cat, and an obsession with rainbows, and her favorite Pokémon are Pikachu and Koffing. She has been to 50 states and 6 continents. Once, she camped in Antarctica.

Marjorie's music is available on MusicSpoke, JW Pepper's MyScore, and her website, www.marjoriehalloran.com

Choral works currently available through MusicSpoke and JW Pepper MyScore:

Doves of St Nicholas’ Church ~ SATB with piano, flute, and oboe or violin

A contemporary sonnet describing the experience of watching the birds seen on the eaves of a church. Is their flight truly carefree, or are they struggling to survive on the streets? The second instrumental part may be played by either violin or oboe; both parts are included.

Write it on Your Heart ~ SATB a cappella

Ralph Waldo Emerson's text explores the philosophy of carpe diem, meaning seize the day. Emerson's words describe how we as humans should do our best to let go of our frets and anxieties and live in the moment, as if every day were the best day in the year. This setting uses lush harmonies and smooth melodic lines to bring Emerson's words to life.

8 Ways to Look at a Window ~ SSAA a cappella

A lively and diverse piece for treble choir. The text is comprised of a series of short vignettes that describe a young girl's choice when picking out her own room, and the reasons why she picked the smaller room with a window. Winner of the 2016 WomenSing Youth Inspiring Youth young composer's competition.

Stillness ~ SATB a cappella ~*seeking premiere*

The text for this piece comes from a writing exercise where one is given exactly sixty seconds to write about a single word; in this case, the word “stillness." The narrator observes a sunrise over the beach and likens it to the feeling of inspiration one uses to create art or music. The variety of texture, range, and smooth motion used throughout vividly illustrate the poetry.

A Little Gust of Wind ~ SATB a cappella

Originally written as a pop song for Halloran's debut album, Ready For Anything (2015). This version was arranged for the August 2015 Vermont College of Fine Arts choral workshop. The text, written by the composer, is meant to bring comfort and reassurance to people battling difficult thoughts of depression, anxiety, or simply just having a bad day.

To You I Give My Heart ~ SATB a cappella

A choral expression of marriage vows, suitable for both a wedding ceremony and the concert stage.