The Cruel War is Raging

What an incredible combination of tunes for SATB choir, piano and piccolo! The tune and text of "The Cruel War" actually date back to the American Revolutionary War between the British and the Americans (1775 - 1783). The tune and text feature a common story-line of the day, that of "warrior" women who dressed up as men and followed their husbands and loved ones into battle. The piccolo part portrays a character all on its own in this arrangement. It features the tunes "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (a well-known American folk tune) and "the British Grenadiers" (a well-known British folk tune) interwined throughout. Both of these tunes also date back to the Revolutionary War. The piano part is supportive but not intrusive, thinning out when the piccolo's military and contrapuntal melodies accompany the voices. The "conversations" that occur musically between the young girl and the young soldier are intentionally interruptive in nature, as any lover's quarrel is want to be! Of course, at the end, when the depth of love for each other is expressed, the young man finally relents and both join harmoniously together.