I’ll Nevery Study

Category:   SSAA CHOIRS
Composer:   Paul David Thomas
Arranger:   NA
Publisher:   Mark Foster
Edition:   11397273
Voicing:   SSAA
Setting:   “The Maiden’s Vow” – Alice Duer Miller

Reviewer:   

Katelyn Sawatzke
Stillwater Area High School
R&R Chair SSAA Choirs
sawatzkek@stillwaterschools.org

Looking for a compelling concert closer that is musically interesting, humorous, and empowering for your advanced treble choir? Look no further! Paul David Thomas’s brilliant composition, “I’ll Never Study”, was written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. Prior to women earning the right to vote in 1919, a speech was given at the National Education Association that warned of the threat posed to women who studied algebra. It was the opinion of the speaker that women could lose their very souls if they chose to pursue mathematics. In response, the feminist writer and suffragette, Alice Duer Miller, wrote a satirical poem entitled “The Maiden’s Vow” in which she solemnly promised to “never study algebra, but keep my spirit pure.” In this playful composition, the choir begins by reiterating the warning to shun the naughty surd (an irrational number) but is eventually led astray by the Fibonacci sequence. Yet, rather than leading to damnation, this knowledge leads to liberation and empowerment. My advanced treble choir absolutely loved learning and performing this smart, soulful, and satirical piece for our spring concert. The audience loved it, too! Although there are some tricky chromatic passages to navigate with singers, the supportive accompaniment and repetitive motifs make this piece more accessible than it looks and sounds. Having a confident soloist and invested singers who are excited about “selling” this humorous song is essential. I hope your singers love it as much as mine did!

Link:  https://beta.jwpepper.com/ill-never-study-11397273-801852/p

Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXOjCitmTg8