Footnotes: In Search of the Meaningful Relationship

Exploring the Marriage of Music and Text—Part 1

I have always believed that it is the successful combination, or marriage, of two art forms—verbal expression, spoken word, sounds or poetry with the elements of music—that is THE determining factor in a quality, meaningful choral work.


For a composer, every musical situation presents its own set of questions, problems, challenges and decisions to be made regarding the relationship between music and text. And no two composers will necessarily arrive at the same answers to the same questions. Many solutions are possible. I think that this is one of the factors that makes our art so wonderfully rich and diverse.
________________________________________________________________

Mary Lynn Lightfoot is the Choral Editor for Heritage Music Press, the educational music division of The Lorenz Corporation in Dayton, Ohio.

In addition to her editorial responsibilities, Mary Lynn has effectively established herself with an active composing career and currently has over 230 published choral compositions, arrangements, and musicals. She has received several awards for her compositions and for conducting.

Mary Lynn received her BME degree from Truman State University (formerly Northeast Missouri State University), Kirksville, where she graduated magna cum laude and was the recipient of the Sigma Alpha Iota Scholarship Award. She taught for a total of eight years in both public and private schools in Missouri and Iowa; has served in varying capacities for both a retail music dealer and a music publisher; served for two years as an Assistant Director for the Mid-America Youth Chorale's Concert Tour of Europe; and for six years served as the Director of Youth Choirs and Assistant Chancel Choir Director at Blue Ridge Presbyterian Church, Raytown, Missouri.