Strong Stand We At Last for guitar quartet / ensemble (2020)

Approx. duration: 5 min.

Strong Stand We At Last was commissioned in 2020 by St. Louis Classical Guitar as part of its 2020 Women’s Suffrage Centennial Composition Commission project, through which SLCG commissioned works for guitar ensemble from three women composers with the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

The title of the work is a quote from Cicely Hamilton’s text for The March of the Women by composer Dame Ethel Smyth, which became one of the most widely known anthems of the international women’s suffrage movement in the early 20th century. The melody of the opening 4 bars of “The March” is quoted in my composition in the beginning and in Guitar 3 part at rehearsal F; it serves as a starting point and inspiration for the rest of the work.  I have decided to provide the corresponding text when the original melody appears at F.  Performers may choose to sing the words or hum the melody at that point if they wish:

Strong, strong stand we at last,

Fearless in faith and with sight new given.

The original version of this composition was written for three guitars and cello. This arrangement for guitar quartet or ensemble was created for the 2021 All-National Honor Guitar Ensemble, held virtually in January 2022 by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), which I had the honor to conduct.

I think of this composition as addressing not only women’s fight for their voting rights but more broadly, in the context of our continuing fight for full equality and humanity for women all over the world.  The struggle is far from over.

Parts, score, and optional accompanying PowerPoint slideshow of historical photos of the suffrage movement in the US are available directly from the composer. Please contact me through the Contact Page to let me know of your interest.