Sweet Land (String Orchestra Gr. 3)

A patriotic classic transforms into a dystopian musical representation of the inaccessibility of the American Dream for too many of our young people and their families. Setting “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” in a minor key and adding original foreboding thematic motifs, this is a serious and contemplative work, featuring middle and lower voices, which will start deep conversations and lead to many lessons beyond just learning the music on the page.

Genre: String Orchestra | # of Players: 8-8-5-5-5
Series: Emerald Orchestra Series
Level: 3 | Duration: 2:40

Instrumentation
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Cello
Contrabass

Program Notes
As an American, I love my country. Yet, as a teacher for more than a quarter-century, I was trying to find a way to convey through music my dismay about the inequities our schoolchildren face depending upon their ZIP Code and their socioeconomic status. Years ago, when I served as the local education association (teachers’ union) president where I work, my district was named the poorest in the nation. My fellow educational leaders and I fought tirelessly to make sure that the plight of our under-served students and under-appreciated colleagues was recognized, and to make sure that their voices were heard.

As a former labor leader and former political candidate for the Pennsylvania state legislature, I wrote speeches and used words to make that statement. As a composer, I wrote this song and used music to do the same.

Of course, like all music, this piece can mean many different things to many different people. But every one of us, at one time or another, has been dissatisfied or disillusioned by the ideal of patriotism vs. what we perceive to be the failures of our government. This is a piece dedicated to all those who want our country to love us as much as we love our country. And to that point, whereas the “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” theme in America was taken from England’s theme for “God Save the King” – and because music transcends cultures – this composition works on an intercontinental level, as well.

Changing a familiar patriotic theme from major to minor was relatively easy. The rest of the composition, however, derives from themes that I composed when I was 10 or 11 (before we had the internet or even computer software notation programs – it was all pencil and paper). I never completely settled on a title for the work, but there was a lyric that went something like, “Time has come when we must fight to live” (represented by the nearly sequential scale pattern starting at measure 35). I thought it would be fitting to give that music a home in this piece.

The theme at 41 is something that would bring back memories for my parents as I used to play this on the piano practically every day, using the highest and lowest registers possible… loudly! Again, this music found new life, transcribed now for string orchestra. The fact that it made its way from my childhood living room to your orchestra classroom is the truest example of the awesome power of music!

– B.S.