The Wall Breaks Asunder: Choral Instrumental Pak
By Anthony J. Maglione / By Rabindranath Tagore
Item: 35-PK01491191
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Description
This dynamic piece features a tenor-bass choir, a percussion ensemble with five players, and piano. The evocative text, penned by Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, is drawn from his collection of poems titled "Fruit Gatherings," published in 1916. It paints vivid imagery of darkness, light, and triumph over death. Serving as an exceptional contemporary piece for your tenor-bass choirs, this composition offers both excitement and challenge, with its expertly crafted symphony of percussive sounds.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK01491191
More about this title
About the Composer: Anthony J. Maglione
Anthony J. Maglione has established himself as a composer with a gift for bringing text to vivid musical life. His work with percussion and vocal forces demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of how instrumental color can amplify poetic meaning, particularly in pieces that demand both lyrical depth and percussive drama.
Why we love this
Maglione's decision to pair Tagore's transcendent text with a five-player percussion ensemble creates something rare: a contemporary choral work that sounds genuinely orchestral without requiring a full band. The piece rewards careful attention to balance and blend, making it as pedagogically rich as it is musically satisfying.
What to expect
The piece unfolds like light breaking through darkness, with Tagore's words painting spiritual imagery while the piano and percussion ensemble create an almost ritualistic soundscape. There is urgency here, even exultation, but it emerges from careful sonic architecture rather than surface excitement.
Who it's for
Tenor-bass choirs ready to tackle contemporary repertoire with textual and musical substance. Directors seeking a concert piece that challenges students without requiring extended rehearsal time or additional singers, and programs looking to program 20th-century poetry in a fresh musical context.
How to get the most out of it
- Build the percussion texture deliberately. Five players covering multiple instruments means each line must land with clarity; treat the drums and mallets like ensemble voices rather than accompaniment.
- Shape the text with the same care you'd give a classical solo song. Tagore's imagery demands intentional phrasing from both the choir and the pianists supporting them.
- Balance the tenor-bass blend so neither voice disappears into the darker register. The piece's emotional arc depends on hearing both parts distinctly, especially as the percussion intensifies around moments of triumph.
- Rehearse the choir and percussion separately first, then in sections. Once the ensemble is secure, the integration becomes powerful rather than overwhelming.
How to use it
Reserve this for a concert devoted to contemporary choral music or a program exploring poetry in music. The percussion requirements and tenor-bass voicing make it a distinctive anchor point, one that will stand apart from more traditional repertoire and give your singers a genuine challenge to showcase their musicianship.
Skills your students will build
- Blending and balance in darker vocal registers
- Rhythmic precision against complex percussion counterpoint
- Text interpretation from non-English poetry
- Coordinate listening with instrumental ensemble members
- Sustaining tone through dynamic changes and textural transitions