Great Flowing River (for TTBB): Choral Instrumental Pak
By Charles Anthony Silvestri and James Eakin III / By James Eakin III / By Charles Anthony Silvestri
Item: 35-PK00662756
$30.00
Pickup currently not available
Buy Extra Parts (Digital PDF Download)
Parts Added to Cart!
Description
In response to the tragic and sudden death of a loved one, poet and lyricist Charles Anthony Silvestri wrote the lyrics for this song dedicated to the lost family member. Tony captured the spirit of the loss as "the great flowing river of love." The opening measures of music are a metaphor of a slowing and finally stopping heartbeat. The rest of the music captures the joy and love that are our memories of a life together.
Great Flowing River (for TTBB): Choral Instrumental Pak isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00662756
More about this title
About the Composer: Charles Anthony Silvestri and James Eakin III
Charles Anthony Silvestri has built a reputation as a lyricist and composer who writes from genuine emotional places. His collaborations with composers like James Eakin III have produced works that resonate deeply with singers and audiences alike, particularly those that address human experience and loss with both directness and grace.
James Eakin III brings compositional craftsmanship to these partnerships, translating Silvestri's poetic vision into music that serves the text without overshadowing it. His work for choral ensembles demonstrates a clear understanding of voice leading and the acoustic realities of group singing.
Why we love this
The opening heartbeat metaphor gives you a concrete musical gesture that singers understand immediately and audiences recognize without explanation. Silvestri and Eakin have managed something difficult here: a piece that honors grief while celebrating memory, giving your ensemble permission to sing about loss without drowning in it.
What to expect
The opening pulls inward, like watching a pulse slow to stillness. What follows is contemplative and warm, built from harmonic colors that suggest remembrance rather than wallowing. By the end, the piece settles into something that feels like acceptance: clear-eyed and genuinely moved.
Who it's for
This works for advanced high school and college TTBB choirs with the maturity to handle emotional content without performance sentimentality. Directors programming memorials, spring concerts, or festivals need a piece that speaks to loss while remaining affirming rather than despairing.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the opening measures with absolute clarity so the heartbeat pulse reads unmistakably. This is your emotional setup; the ensemble needs to feel the deceleration as much as the audience hears it.
- Balance the harmonic density in the middle section carefully. The joy and memory passages contain more notes per chord than the opening; resist the urge to let this section become thick or muddy.
- Encourage your singers to think about personal connection during rehearsal. This piece works best when each section member has claimed their own stake in what the music means.
How to use it
Position this as a centerpiece for a concert exploring themes of memory and resilience, or use it as a memorial tribute during spring festivals. It pairs naturally with other reflective concert works and serves as an excellent closer for programs addressing life transitions.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining long phrase lines across changing harmonic content
- Interpreting text-painting and metaphor through musical gesture
- Blend and intonation in four-part writing with close voicings
- Emotional restraint and authenticity in performance