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Hope Is the Thing with Feathers: 2-Part Choral Octavo

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Hope Is the Thing with Feathers Cover Image
Hope Is the Thing with Feathers: 2-Part Choral Octavo

Hope Is the Thing with Feathers: 2-Part Choral Octavo

Words by Emily Dickinson, music by Penny Rodriguez

Item: 00-50141

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Description
This charming setting of the famous Emily Dickinson poem reminds us that hope "never stops at all." A memorable melody is first sung in unison before layering into a buoyant two-part canon. From the brisk opening piano motive to the exuberant full-voiced ending, it's a stellar selection overflowing with joy. Careful and conservative part writing ensures success for developing choirs.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 12
UPC: 038081573113
SKU: 00-50141

More about this title

About the Composer: Penny Rodriguez

Penny Rodriguez

Penny Rodriguez began her musical life at age 6 in Peru, where her family served as missionaries, studying piano in an unlikely but formative setting. She completed her degree in piano performance at Moody/American Conservatory of Music and has since published numerous piano works and choral pieces. In recent years, she has concentrated on composing art songs for solo voice and piano, drawing on literary texts from classical poetry. A recording artist with 11 albums to her credit, Rodriguez now lives in the Indianapolis area with her husband, Dave, where family time remains central to her life.

Why we love this

Rodriguez crafts a setting that honors Dickinson's poem without overshadowing it. The opening unison melody is instantly singable and memorable, then the two-part canon arrives with genuine musical lift rather than added complexity for its own sake. Careful voice leading means your developing singers can focus on musicality and meaning instead of wrestling with awkward intervals.

What to expect

The piece radiates an infectious optimism that never tips into saccharine. There's a spring in the rhythm, a brightness in the melody, and a sense of uplift that matches Dickinson's quiet defiance about hope's persistence. The canon sections create a gentle interweaving of voices that feels both playful and purposeful.

Who it's for

This octavo works beautifully for middle school and early high school choirs, as well as developing community and church choirs seeking accessible yet artistically substantial literature. The two-part writing and conservative part writing remove barriers to successful performance while the text and melody offer genuine emotional content worth exploring.

How to get the most out of it

  • Bring out the brisk piano motive in the opening; let it establish the piece's forward energy before the voices enter.
  • Shape the unison section with natural phrasing so the transition into canon feels like a conversation beginning rather than a technical shift.
  • Balance the two parts in the canon so both lines remain audible; resist letting one voice dominate the texture.
  • Support the exuberant full-voiced ending with full commitment; this is where the piece's joy reaches its peak.

How to use it

Program this as an anchor for a concert exploring resilience and hope, pairing it with contrasting repertoire that examines struggle or doubt. It also works as a standalone opener that sets a positive tone for your audience, or as a spiritual companion piece in mixed-program concerts where you want to balance heavier literature.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing from unison into canon form
  • Maintaining independent vocal lines while blending with a partner part
  • Connecting poetic text to musical phrasing and expression
  • Reading and performing two-part harmonic writing

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