MusicSpoke Stomp on the Fire - Ramsey - Choral Octavo - SSAA A Cappella

Composer: Andrea Ramsey
Format: Choral Octavo
Voicing: SSAA A Cappella

"Stomp on the Fire" was conceived as an entirely human work, using only the sounds of the voice and the percussive sounds of the body to create an expression of our collective journey. The form of the work is encapsulated in three distinct sections. The opening has a mournful quality - an impassioned wail or cry for humanity. The second section begins a weary struggle against human injustice. This portion grows and layers, becoming quite frenetic and peaking before a percussive transition into the third section which appears in major. Meant to represent the beautiful diversity of humanity and the strength present when that diversity comes together in unity, the rhythmic figures of the angry climactic chords from earlier are mirrored in the final section, but in major, and possessing a sense of strength and cooperation rather than angst. In the final bars of the work, the choir extinguishes the fire with a hiss and a stomp. Appropriate for high school and university ensembles.