SAB
SA
TB
“This was easily the Tenor/Bass choir’s favorite piece. Simple to teach, complex but deceptively easy. Filled with teachable moments. The kids never got bored of it, and it was an audience favorite!”
— Whitney Ellison
“I loved how accessible the piece was without sounding basic. Christian really captured the heart of the words and the kids not only loved the vocal lines, but the emotional impact of the work.”
— Desiree Law
“We Will Rise was a hit in my Tenor-Bass choir. The students never grew tired of performing/rehearsing this piece.”
— Kara Fortner
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Lyrics
Never will we look away
Fighting for another day
Racing through our own dismay
We will find a way
Turning to our greatest foe
Worry we will never know
Freedom burning in our eyes
We are singing:
“We will rise. We will find our strength again.”
The battle is lonely; when is it over?
This life is uncertain, searching for answers
I’m waiting for shelter; I need a savior
Until I have found you, I’ll keep on singing:
“We will rise! We will find our strength again!”
About the Music
We Will Rise offers a message of strength and humility to young students. Simple rhythms over the foundation of a constant pulse throughout the piece help singers exercise and focus on breath support and articulation. While mostly homophonic, there are some small sections of monophonic movement. One brief moment of counterpoint between two parts can be used as a great first-time experience for choirs unfamiliar with the technique. An optional timpani accompaniment will make it that much more fun and exciting to sing and listen to, as well as introduce young singers to a new kind of instrument!
Behind the Music
In my book, you can never go wrong with a good beat, or a good pulse. Low notes constantly pushing a piece forward has always been a draw to me, even if the rhythm is very simple; this piece is a great example of that. As I wrote We Will Rise, I knew it had that sort of tough grit to it. The lyrics began to appear quite easily as the music was written. It was enjoyable to have it speaking about strength and fortitude, however I felt like it needed a little extra depth to the meaning, which is where the lyrics for the B section came in. It offers a stark contrast to the first verse, expressing loneliness, confusion, and the need for help. In truth, this is how I believe we all feel at times in our life, young and old. Even the strongest of us need to be provided hope. In fact, admitting that it’s necessary and choosing to seek it out might be one of the strongest things we could ever do. You might say that we can’t truly rise until we’ve accepted the fact that we’ve fallen. That’s the true battle of We Will Rise!
Kara Fortner –
We Will Rise was a hit in my Tenor-Bass choir. The students never grew tired of performing/rehearsing this piece.
Desiree Law –
I loved how accessible the piece was without sounding basic. Christian really captured the heart of the words and the kids not only loved the vocal lines, but the emotional impact of the work.
Whitney Ellison –
This was easily the Tenor/Bass choir’s favorite piece. Simple to teach, complex but deceptively easy. Filled with teachable moments. The kids never got bored of it, and it was an audience favorite!