Marina Alexander, conductor & composer
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Secular Choral Works

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Picture
New!!
River and Tree
 (2020)
- SATB chorus with piano accompaniment
​
​-- setting of the charming poem 
The River & the Tree 
​by Margaret Elizabeth Sangster (1838 - 1912)

Sangster's bio: 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Elizabeth_Sangster

World Premiere offered virtually on June 10, 2021 
by The Arcadian Chorale + Richmond Choral Society.


Enjoy River and Tree 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMJiyeAJFeU


​To hear a MIDI version of the piece and see the score, please scroll down.

For insight as to my compositional process in writing River and Tree, please click on this link to the
Program Notes.
program_notes_on_river_and_tree_by_marina_alexander.pdf
File Size: 106 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


“You are white and tall and swaying,” sang the river to the tree,
“And your leaves are touched with silver - but you never smile on me;
For your branches murmur love songs to the sun-kissed turquoise sky,
And you seem so far above me that I always hurry by!”
 
“You are laughing in your shallows, you are somber in your deeps,
And below your shining surface there’s a heart that never sleeps;
But all day you pass me, dancing, and at evening time you dream,
And I didn’t think you liked me,” sang the birch-tree to the stream.
 
So they got a bit acquainted on a glowing summer day,
And they found they liked each other (which is often times the way);
And the river got so friendly, and it ran so very slow,
That the birch-tree shone reflected in the water down below!

PERUSAL SCORE - RIVER AND TREE

Picture
Yerakina 
​(1998) - (Greek folk song from Serres)
​
  • SATB chorus a cappella, or with piano
  • Text in Greek, with English phonetics
  • English translation provided
  • Written for The Arcadian Chorale;  premiered 1998.

Κίνησε η Γερακίνα για νερό κρύο να φέρει.

REFRAIN:
Ντρουμa ντρουμa ντρουμa ντρουμ
ντρουμa ντρουμ
τα βραχιόλια της βροντούν!

Κ' έπεσε μες στο πηγάδι
κ’ έβγαλε φωνή μεγάλη!

Κ’ έτρεξε ο κόσμος όλος,
κ’ έτρεξα κ’εγώ καημένος!

Γερακίνα θα σε βγάλω
και γυναίκα θα σε πάρω.
Yerakina went out [to the well]
to fetch cold water.

REFRAIN:
Drooma drooma drooma droom
drooma droom,
her bracelets do jangle!

And she fell into the well
and shouted very loudly!

And everyone started to run,
and I ran too, poor me!

"Yerakina, I will bring you out
​ [save you]
and I will take you as my wife.
"

Picture
Karagouna 
(2007) - (Greek folk song, from Thessaly)
  • SATB chorus a cappella (with piano reduction)
  • 2 scores available: Greek text + English phonetics
    OR English phonetics only
  • English translation provided
  • written for the Metropolitan Greek Chorale;
    ​premiered Dec. 2007

Αιντε, Καραγκουνα             Hey there, Karagouna,
'σενα πρεπουν                  you derserve
μεταξατα σιγκουνια             silken dresses.

Αμ'πως δα, αμ'τι 'δα,           Indeed, of course,
στο βαλκονακι σε ειδα,         on your balcony Ι saw you,
Αμ'πως θα, αμ'τι θα,            indeed, of course,
σε γελασα, σε πιρα.             I courted you, I won you.

Περασ' ενα καλοκαιρι           A summer has passed
και δεν μου'στειλες χαμπερι.    and you haven't sent me any news.
"Τι χαμπερι να σου στειλω      "What news should I send you,
που 'πιασα καινουργιο φιλο?"   now that I have a new beau?"

PERUSAL SCORE - KARAGOUNA

For more info, please visit the web sites of Ms. Alexander's ensembles