Behind the Score: Sing On!
A glimpse into the story behind writing Sing On! ...
A few years ago, I was approached by a local Jr. High School choir teacher who had become acquainted with my wife, and had learned from her that I compose music. The teacher asked me if I would be willing to write a theme song for the year for their choirs. She gave me the theme, “Sunset Strong, Sing On! (Sunset is the name of the Jr. High). I had a lot on my plate at the time, but decided to go ahead and accept the invitation.
I began to search for some text that might do the theme justice, but wasn't finding anything suitable and so I decided to try writing my own lyrics for it. I wanted to come up with words that Jr. High students would really relate to, and after exploring various options, I finally came up with the idea of relating the rising and setting of the sun to the various ups and downs that we all experience in life. Learning to navigate life's ups and downs and face our fears is such an important part of being happier in life. And it turned out to be a great topic for that age group.
This was one of those pieces that, once I had a decent start on the words, the music just seemed to "flow from my heart" out onto the page. I love it when that happens! (And I wish it would more often! 😂)
Here are a few of the lyrics from the song:
"Sometimes when I chance to catch the sunrise rising o’er the Eastern range
Something inside me winds up singing; something inside me is changed"
"Sometimes when I sit and watch the sunset sinking past the distant shore
Wishing I could change what life has handed me; fearing I can’t face what’s in store"
"Sing on! Whatever comes your way, Sing On! Sing On!
Keep your music going, flowing from your heart until the day is past and gone."
The song was a big hit with the Jr. High choir and was subsequently published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing. It is available for SATB, SSA, and Two-part Treble voices with piano accompaniment. Each version is designed so that it can be sung with the others, so it makes it perfect for an opener or closer with all the school's choirs on stage together!
Sing On! has since become a popular choice for both school and community choirs!
I went on to compose a few more theme songs for Sunset Jr. High school. Take a look!
A Little Spark: About reaching out and building each other up
Forever: About the power of long lasting friendships
Out of Ashes: About rising up after tragedy
The Power of Now: About taking advantage of the time we have today
And now you now a little bit more what’s behind the score! 💙
