No one can hear themselves staying (Study Score) Sheet Music Preview

No one can hear themselves staying (Study Score): Choral Instrumental Pak

By Tarik O'Regan

Item: 35-PK01372650

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Description
This 23-minute work for chorus and strings is setting of texts by Pakistan-born British poet Imtiaz Dharker (When the Copperplate Cracks), the pioneering American Amy Lowell (The Taxi) and contemporary American poet Christopher Bolin (Emigration Song) which are loosely connected by the theme of the movement of humans around the world and the traces left behind. It was commissioned by California State University, Fullerton, School of Music and first performed in 2023.

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Additional Details
Publisher: Hal Leonard
SKU: 35-PK01372650

More about this title

About the Composer: Tarik O'Regan

Tarik O'Regan is a British composer whose work spans orchestral, chamber, and choral genres, with particular strength in setting poetry to music. His compositions are performed internationally by major ensembles and orchestras, and his writing consistently demonstrates both technical sophistication and emotional directness.

O'Regan's approach to text setting draws listeners into the specific cadence and imagery of the poetry itself, making his choral works valuable teaching pieces that illuminate how composers shape language through musical gesture. His commissions from leading institutions reflect a reputation for creating works that challenge and engage both performers and audiences.

Why we love this

This 23-minute work gives ensembles a substantial contemporary score with real intellectual substance. O'Regan's setting of three poets from different traditions and eras (Dharker, Lowell, and Bolin) creates coherence around migration and displacement without forcing the connection, and the string accompaniment sits beautifully for both players and singers rather than competing for attention.

What to expect

The music unfolds with the careful attentiveness of someone listening closely to language. Moments of luminous simplicity give way to richer textures, and the strings provide emotional underpinning that deepens the poets' observations about belonging and distance.

Who it's for

Conductors with advanced singers and a capable string section who want to program substantial contemporary choral work. The piece suits university choirs, regional honors ensembles, and serious community choirs with access to orchestral players.

How to get the most out of it

  • Establish the poetic intention before rehearsal; singers who understand what each text explores will make better musical choices about phrasing and tone color.
  • Balance the string writing carefully in rehearsal, particularly where the ensemble doubles instrumental lines. The goal is transparency, not doubling for strength.
  • Approach the 23-minute duration as a sustained narrative arc rather than three separate pieces. Track how the emotional weight shifts across the full work.

How to use it

This works exceptionally well as a concert centerpiece paired with orchestral or chamber works that explore similar themes of displacement or cultural crossing. It also serves as a meaningful anchor for a program that celebrates contemporary poetry in music.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustained text interpretation across an extended work
  • Blend and balance with instrumental accompaniment
  • Intonation in contemporary harmonic language
  • Collaborative ensemble awareness across voice and string sections
  • Understanding how multiple poetic perspectives can cohere around a thematic idea

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