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Et c'est la nuit: SA (SSAA) Choral Octavo

$5.50 USD
$5.50 USD
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Et c'est la nuit Cover Image
Et c'est la nuit: SA (SSAA) Choral Octavo

Et c'est la nuit: SA (SSAA) Choral Octavo

for SSA

By Judith Bingham / Alphone de Lamartine / Paul Verlaine

Level: Advanced

Item: 98-EP73637
$5.50
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Description
The words for this piece were taken from two French poems: LHeure du Berger, by Paul Verlaine, and Le Lac by the ultra-Romantic Alphonse de Lamartine. It was important for me to think of the age gap between myself and the girls of La Matrise de Radio France, who commissioned the piece roughly fifty years! The poet(s) describes a beautiful, memorable night, and tries to convince Time to slow down: Let us savour the fleeting delights of our fairest days! But the boat continues under a red moon, and the water lilies close their petals. There are three movements, and the third has an extended ending on the words eternity and nothingness.

Judith Bingham

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Additional Details
Series: Edition Peters
Publisher: Edition Peters
Page Count: 16
ISBN10: 0-577-01329-7
ISBN13: 979-0-577-01329-9
UPC: 9790577013299
SKU: 98-EP73637

More about this title

About the Composer: Judith Bingham

Judith Bingham is a British composer whose choral works have established her as a distinctive voice in contemporary music for voices. Her compositions often explore lyrical texts with harmonic sophistication and emotional depth, earning commissions from prestigious European ensembles including La Maîtrise de Radio France.

Bingham's approach to setting poetry reflects her sensitivity to language and its musical possibilities. Her works for choir span a wide range of styles and ensemble sizes, from intimate chamber settings to larger configurations, and consistently demonstrate her gift for creating music that connects performers and listeners through carefully crafted vocal writing.

Why we love this

Bingham's engagement with Verlaine and Lamartine produces something rare: a three-movement choral work that balances literary sophistication with genuine musical architecture. The text itself becomes a meditation on time, transience, and beauty, and Bingham's harmonic language honors that philosophical weight without becoming abstract or cold. Advanced high school and college choirs will find themselves genuinely moved by the emotional trajectory, particularly the extended final section on "eternity and nothingness."

What to expect

Nocturnal and reflective, with moments of surprising emotional intensity. The music evokes moonlit water, time slipping away, and the bittersweet tension between wanting to hold beauty still and accepting its transience. There is sophistication in the harmony without coldness; warmth comes through in the text and the vocal writing itself.

Who it's for

Advanced high school and college SSA or SSAA choirs with secure musicianship and comfort with contemporary harmonic language. This work rewards singers who can navigate lyrical French texts with clear diction while maintaining precise intonation in chromatic writing.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the opening carefully to establish intimacy across all three movements; this is introspective music that demands control of dynamics at lower volumes.
  • Approach the text as three linked meditations rather than separate pieces. The thematic connection between the two poets should guide your interpretation across movement breaks.
  • Pay close attention to voice leading in the harmony; Bingham's writing creates beautiful blend opportunities when singers understand how their line supports the overall sonority.
  • Use the extended final section to build gradually toward the climactic moments on "eternity" and "nothingness." Avoid rushing; let silence and space work alongside sound.

How to use it

Program this as a centerpiece for a concert exploring time, memory, or Romantic poetry in music. Its advanced technical and interpretive demands make it ideal for a capella concert programming or paired with instrumental works on similar texts. The 16-page length and three-movement structure also make it suitable as a substantial standalone work on a recital devoted to contemporary choral music.

Skills your students will build

  • French diction and text comprehension in extended lyrical passages
  • Reading and performing chromatic harmony and contemporary voice leading
  • Sustaining focus across a multi-movement work with varied emotional terrain
  • Balancing precision in intonation with expressive dynamic shaping
  • Collaborating within divided soprano and alto sections to achieve unified sonority

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