Stained With Beauty
for solo soprano, solo marimba, wind ensemble and choir
Op. 1, No. 2
Instrumentation: Solo Soprano (A3 - F5), Solo Marimba (5-octave)
Piccolo, Flute (2), Oboe, Clarinet (3), Bass Clarinet, Bassoon/Contrabassoon
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone
Horn (4), Trumpet (3), Trombone (2), Bass Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba
Timpani, Percussion (3), Drum Set
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass (all parts divisi, recommended 32 singers)
Duration: 27 Minutes (4 Movements)
Premiered: May 5, 2021 at Miller Concert Hall, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS.
PROGRAM NOTES
What happens when a song written ten years ago gets a rework of orchestration and a development that yields three new movements?
This version of Stained with Beauty features both a soprano and marimba soloist, along with a wind ensemble and choir for mixed voices. This piece came to be partially because of an inquiry from Dr. Timothy Shade at Wichita State University and also because Da’Kneisha and Justin were already in the process of extending the piece to have more movements because the story of the oiginal song had transpired in Da’Kneisha’s life, and they both felt it necessary to portray that growth through new movements stemming from the themes of the, now, first movement. This is a monothematic work, yet through the multitudes of transforming that theme through key, inversion, retrograde and reversal, Stained with Beauty takes a trip through love scorned, love remembered, love manifested, and love found.
Lyrics
Mvt. 1
Verse 1
I loved you on purpose even when my body said, "no"
I wanted you, I'll admit it; emotions so crazy.
Now you're telling me, "it's over,” now you're trying to walk out the door
Passion so perplexing it was even hard to ignore.
Chorus
And this love was perfect, stained with beauty
And this love was perfect, stained with beauty, stained
And this love was perfect, stained with beauty
And this love was perfect.
Stained, stained.
Verse 2
Memories forever etched in time
Tear stained pillows dry my eyes
We were meant to be forever, but you broke the glass
Seven years of bad luck shattered fragments of the past
Chorus
And this love was perfect, stained with beauty
And this love was perfect, stained with beauty, stained
And this love was perfect, stained with beauty
And this love was perfect.
Stained, woh-oh-oh, stained.
Verse 3
Come back to my heart, don't you know I loved you from the start?
Can't live without, baby this love was beautiful
You broke my heart when decided to leave
Can't you see?
Bridge
And this love was perfect, stained with beauty
Come back to my heart
Don't you know I loved you from the start?
I can't live without you in my heart
Can't live without (Baby this love was beautiful)
You broke my heart (When you decided - to leave)
Why can't you see?
Chorus
And this love was perfect, stained with beauty
And this love was perfect, stained with beauty, stained
And this love was perfect, stained with beauty
And this love was perfect.
Hook
Stained, woh-oh-oh, stained.
Stained, woh-oh-oh, stained.
Mvt. 2
I’m dreaming, dreaming about the days before I let you in.
I’m thinking, thinking about the days before you came in my life.
I wanna go back. Go back, go back.
I wanna go back.
Living somewhere between here and then,
Who am I outside the cage you put me in?
Fragmented memories of who I used to be,
And if I could get back to, to who I use to be,
Then maybe I can breath!
Take me back to the girl I once knew,
Take me back.
Who am I without you?
I wanna go back.
Take me back to the girl I once knew,
Take me back.
Who am I without you?
I wanna go back.
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!
To a time before I lost sight of my dreams for yours,
If I could get back to who I used to be,
Then maybe, just maybe, I’d see the beauty in me!
Woh-oh-oh. Woh-oh-oh.
Woh-oh-oh. Woh-oh-oh.
Mvt. 3
Chorus
To get to you, I’d do it all again
To get to you, I’d do it all again
My life renewed when you came in the world,
I'd do it for you, for you
Verse 1
Only for you I'd take all the pain,
To get to you I take all the pain.
Only for you, for you, know the seasons come and go
You can count on my love it will never go cold.
You are my warmth born in the coldest night.
I'd give my life to hold you by my side.
Only for you but I travel down that road again,
Fight the fight so I fought again,
Take the pain he gave again,
To get to you, to you.
Chorus
To get to you, I’d do it all again
To get to you, I’d do it all again
My life renewed when you came in the world,
I'd do it for you, for you
Verse 2
Loving him took the best of me,
But your love it rescued me,
I gladly give tomorrow just to hold you by my side,
You're my warm born in my coldest night, for you, for you.
I'd fight the fights I fought again,
Travel down that road again,
Take the pain I took again,
To get to you, only for you,
Your love is beautiful.
To get to you.
Mvt. 4
Verse 1
Never a moment that I didn't think about you
Never a day that I didn't wonder what we could create.
And on this journey I found myself in the middle,
And you met me at the end.
Chorus
So I share my words, if you share your music.
I'll sing our Melodies, let's write a symphony.
Somewhere between time and space God brought you back my way
And I won't waste a day.
Verse 2
Never a moment, never a day,
I didn't think of the plans we made.
And on this journey I find myself in the middle.
You met me in the end.
You met me in the end.
Chorus
So I share my words, if you share your music.
I'll sing our Melodies, let's write a symphony.
Somewhere between time and space God brought you back this way
And we won't waste a day.
Verse 3
Thinking of yesterday, time wasted away,
Memories at certain time, no tears left to cry,
Shattered fragments of a past I left behind.
I left that love behind, and you met me at the end.
Stained. It was perfect. Stained. Stained.
Woh-oh-oh. Woh-oh-oh.
Woh-oh-oh. Ah! Ah! Ah!