Michel Legrand's moving and inspirational collaboration with Alan and Marilyn Bergman is arranged here to feature the full emotive capabilities of an advanced vocal jazz ensemble. Lyric solo moments for a soprano with a strong mixed voice are supported by both tender and powerful ensemble writing, splitting in a few spots to as many as 4 soprano/alto parts and including a baritone divisi as well. A fairly dissonant a cappella opening sets the stage for an arrangement full of tension and release, and the lyric is utilized with careful reharmonization to tell a story of staying strong through difficult times and looking ahead to a light at the end of a long tunnel, with the reminder that in a world "where what you think you know, you can't be certain of, you must believe in Spring and love."
Mixed chords/slashes and notated piano, fully-notated bass, drums
This arrangement is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Dr. Stephen Widenhofer, who tragically passed away during the year in which his students in Millikin University's "OneVoice" were preparing to learn the piece.
Commissioned by "OneVoice" from Millikin University, Dr. Stephen Widenhofer, dir. (2018)
