What Is Life?: SSA Choral Octavo
Words by Pamela Stewart, music by Greg Gilpin
Item: 00-PO-0001672
$1.85
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Inspired by the words of the Native American Crowfoot, this introspective text contemplates the meaning of life. Anchored with enduring musicality that builds to a dramatic peak and concludes with the soft realization that "life is the moment, that alone."
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
8
SKU:
00-PO-0001672
More about this title
About the Composer: Greg Gilpin
Greg Gilpin brings both compositional craft and conducting experience to his work with choirs across North America and internationally. His compositions have been performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Sydney Opera House, and his contributions to choral music have earned him recognition from ASCAP. As Director of Educational Choral Publications for Shawnee Press, Gilpin shapes the landscape of accessible, meaningful choral literature for student ensembles.
Beyond his work in music, Gilpin has expanded his expertise into professional organizing and financial coaching, appearing on network television and the series "Hoarders." He has also composed for film, earning Best Score recognition for the short film "Rosie's Rescue." Active in professional organizations including ACDA and NAfME, Gilpin remains committed to teaching, composing, and conducting.
Why we love this
Gilpin captures something genuinely profound here: a text rooted in Native American wisdom that asks the deepest questions without sentimentality. The music earns its dramatic arc, building with intention toward a peak before resolving into the quiet beauty of the final message. This is exactly the kind of piece that stays with singers long after the concert ends.
What to expect
The music unfolds like a philosophical conversation, beginning with gentle curiosity and building toward an emotional center before settling into hard-won clarity. The drama feels earned rather than imposed, and the final section carries an almost spiritual calm that reflects the wisdom in Crowfoot's words.
Who it's for
SSA choirs at the intermediate to advanced level looking for repertoire with real substance. This piece works equally well for concert performance and festival competition, offering singers meaningful text paired with musicality that rewards thoughtful interpretation.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the phrase "life is the moment, that alone" with particular care during the final section; this resolution demands vulnerability rather than volume from your singers.
- Balance the building intensity in the middle section by ensuring treble voices maintain their independence rather than blending into a single block of sound.
- Use the dramatic peak as a rehearsal landmark; work backward from that moment to clarify how each section prepares and supports the arrival.
- Allow silence and breath to frame the final contemplative passage; resist the urge to maintain momentum once the text invites stillness.
How to use it
Program this as the closing piece of a graduation concert or as the emotional centerpiece of a festival set where you want to shift the room's energy. The introspective quality and existential text make it particularly fitting for spring performances or services that celebrate transition and reflection.
Skills your students will build
- Managing dynamic contrast between a building middle section and intimate opening and closing
- Interpreting text that carries philosophical weight
- Balancing three-part harmony while maintaining clear voice leading through a dramatic arc
- Sustaining musical focus during extended phrases without losing textual clarity