Love, Death, What Else?

Composer

  Nathan Hall

Lyricist

 Nathan Hall 

Publisher

 Nathan Hall 

Score Status

 Self-Published 

Purchase or Request Score

Love, Death, What Else?” was commissioned by One Voice Mixed Chorus as part of the McKnight Visiting Composer Fellowship. It premiered in 2023 as a central focus of a concert titled “Generation“. The text is based on interviews with queer elder residents of Spirit on Lake in Minneapolis.

Note: contains mature themes and language

“Love, Death, What Else?”

1. Barbara Satin / It Started With Spirit
2. Russ
3. Lester
4. Morgan and Christopher
5. Gracie
6. Craig
7. Judith
8. Local Elders
9. Words of Wisdom

Dedicated to Barbara Satin, residents of Spirit on Lake, and our Twin Cities Elders

From Nathan Hall: “Love and death–what else more distinctly defines our human existence? This work’s title was mentioned as part of interviews I made at Spirit on Lake residence and in the surrounding community on Lake Street in Minneapolis. Founded to support LGBTQ seniors, the building now houses people in the greater community and hosts Quatrefoil, a queer library. As a (now middle-aged) queer composer, I asked: what are the most important things for my community to know as we age? Where can we find similarities among our differences? What stories can I tell of people’s daily lives, as a portrait of a place and time?”

Voicing

SSAATTBB, many short solos and readings

Text Language

English

Difficulty

4-Challenging

Duration

> 10 min

Characteristics

Commission – LGBTQ+ composer  – Multi-Movement work

Theme

AIDS/HIV
Bisexual 
Coming of Age
Death
Friendship
Gay Male 
Grief
LGBTQ+ Rights
Pride

Genre

Contemporary Choral

Instruments

Set for SATB and piano. Full orchestra accompaniment also available.