The Call of a Calling
An adventurous song cycle for choir and chamber orchestra, featuring poetry from a Taiwanese-American poet.
20 min • Composed 2023 • Purchase: score & partsComposer’s notes
Tiffany Sun — a Taiwanese-American poet — and I decided to collaborate on a three-song cycle that would set her original poetry. The cycle, entitled “The Call of a Calling | 呼召的呼喊,” depicts a journey of discovery, our calling in life, and the mystery of the One who calls us.
The first poem, “dawn | 凌晨五點” evokes the feeling of waking up in the morning and realizing that there are no thoughts in your head yet—just a lulling sense of calm and unease. I wanted to capture the lingering vestiges of dreams in the harmonic language, taking inspiration from Daniel Rosenfeld (Minecraft soundtrack guy), due to his mastery at setting subtle yet complex emotions.
The final two movements of this piece are a work in progress.
Poems and Translations
-
凌晨五點
在世界的另一端
海鷗們早已甦醒
微微的風
平靜的地
都聽得到
好像始終都沒睡
這個時候的世界
好安靜
彷彿吵雜的心思
還沒醒
5:00 in the morning
on the other side of this world
the seagulls have awakened
light light breeze
peaceful land
I can hear them all
as if they never went to sleep
the world right now
is quiet
as if all the noisy thoughts
are still asleep
-
眼睛打開時
昨天的思想
還在怎麼辦
太陽鑽出窗簾縫來找我
催促著我時間會來不及
下午兩點半
早起的鳥兒
早就不回頭
飛向了自由
天空早已變色
那為什麼
太陽還來找我？
大家已經開始
走上自己旅程
我卻還放不下
還不想要遺忘
等我好嗎
我也想飛
我不會怕
只是眼淚
不知不覺
也跟著飛
When my eyes open,
yesterday’s thoughts
still linger—what should I do?The sun squeezes through the gap in the curtains to find me,
urging me, warning that time is running out.2:30 in the afternoon,
the early birds
have long flown without looking back,
soaring toward freedom.The sky has already changed its color,
then why
is the sun still searching for me?Everyone has already begun
their own journey,
yet I still can't let go,
still unwilling to forget.Wait for me,
I want to fly too.I won’t be afraid,
only tears,
without realizing,
fly along with me. -
枯萎的葉子
從樹上掉落
零落的樣子
早晨的低落
然而
知道
樹還活著
我還活著
寂寞時
孤單確不孤獨
沒辦法承擔的
早已被扛起來
眼睛一直是看得見
但現在才終於了解
祢的顯現
改變了一切
趕快醒來
我找到了
不要在尋找
要開始尋求
學會了飛
要有目的地
學會了飛
要互相鼓勵
學會了飛
要知道飛的意義
樹還活著
我還活著
Withered leaves
falling from the trees,
scattered and worn,
like the heaviness of morning.Yet—
I know—The tree is still alive,
and so am I.In solitude,
alone but not lonely,
the burdens I could not bear
have long been lifted from me.My eyes have always seen,
but only now do they understand—
Your revealing
changed everything.Wake up! Hurry!
I have found it.
No longer searching—
I begin to seek.I have learned to fly:
to fly toward a purpose,
to fly and lift one another,
to fly and know why.The tree is still alive,
and so am I.
