My Sister Stood sets the beauty and innocence of Hilda Conkling's poem Elsa in three treble
voices. The vast body of Conkling's poetry was written when she was between the ages of four
and ten years old. She was known to speak poetically in conversation with her mother, who
would write down what she had said. This particular poem focuses on Hilda's older sister, Elsa,
who was two years older than Hilda was. I was particularly drawn to this poem because of its
portrayal of beauty and adoration between siblings. In many ways, I draw parallels to my
relationship with my brother, who is also two years my senior. Especially through the child's
voice in the poem, I find myself recalling how much I admired and looked up to my brother in
my youth, tumultuous though any sibling relationship may be.
The piece is written to be accessible by a young choir, but equally powerful when performed
by a more mature choir. The piano provides stability to the singers by doubling the vocal lines
while simultaneously providing soni
