Given Sound

This is a rich, intricately written work influenced by both American jazz vocal performance and the contrapuntal writing of Monteverdi, creating what the composer calls a "modern American madrigal." Pauline Kaldas' text speaks of how men and women use their voices in different ways, which the composer further explores through word painting and a lush, complex harmonic language. Recommended for professional groups and collegiate ensembles, this savvy composition is the perfect showcase for an ensemble's rhythmic tightness and in-the-pocket harmonization.