It's a Long Way: SSA Choral Octavo
It's a Long Way Sheet Music Preview

It's a Long Way: SSA Choral Octavo

By Raphael Fusco / By William Stanley Braithwaite

Item: 35-DS01602780
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Additional Details
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Page Count: 15
SKU: 35-DS01602780

More about this title

About the Composer: Raphael Fusco

Raphael Fusco

Raphael Fusco brings together the sensibilities of a working composer, keyboard virtuoso, and conductor whose music has earned international recognition for its emotional immediacy and formal sophistication. Critics have celebrated him as a commanding improviser and a major voice in contemporary opera, while his commissions from ensembles including the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Cecilia Chorus of New York, and Phoenix Boys Choir reflect his standing across multiple genres. His works span opera, orchestral music, art song, chamber pieces, and historical instrument writing, premiered at venues from Carnegie Hall to the Kimmel Center to churches across Europe.

As both performer and pedagogue, Fusco has shaped musicians at conservatories including Manhattan School of Music, Boston University, and the Sorbonne, where he also founded and directs the Composer Institute at Opera Lucca. He performs as pianist and harpsichordist with major orchestras and has toured with GRAMMY Award-winning artists. His catalog is published by Universal Edition Vienna, Verlag Ries & Erler, and other leading houses, and his awards include the American Prize, the NATS Art Song Composition Award, and recognition from the Fyfe Choral Composition Competition.

Why we love this

Fusco has set William Stanley Braithwaite's poetry with the care of a songwriter who understands how text and melody reinforce each other. The SSA voicing opens this piece to singers at varied experience levels while maintaining harmonic interest and emotional weight, making it equally valuable as a concert work and a teaching tool.

What to expect

The combination of Braithwaite's reflective text and Fusco's compositional language creates a piece that feels both contemporary and timeless. There is contemplative space here, with moments of warmth and harmonic richness that reward careful listening.

Who it's for

Advanced high school choirs, college SSA ensembles, and adult singers seeking art song literature that respects both the poetry and the voice. This work bridges the concert repertoire gap for groups ready to move beyond lighter secular fare.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the text delivery across all three voices; Fusco's setting rewards clear diction, so rehearse the poem's meaning alongside the melodic line so singers understand what they're communicating.
  • Pay attention to the arc of the piece across all 15 pages. This length allows for genuine emotional development, so avoid letting energy flag in the middle sections by maintaining forward momentum through phrase grouping.
  • Explore the harmonic language in rehearsal. Understanding Fusco's chord choices and voice leading choices will help your singers hear why certain moments land with particular weight.

How to use it

Pair this with other contemporary art song settings for a recital focused on text and intimacy, or program it as a centerpiece in a concert exploring how contemporary composers approach lyric poetry. At 15 pages, it anchors a set without overwhelming concert flow.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and interpreting contemporary harmonic language
  • Balancing text clarity with legit singing in three-part voicing
  • Understanding phrase structure and emotional arc across a longer choral work
  • Developing interpretive choices in music with literary context

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