Ocean Waves

Artist / Composer
Janice Slater
Year
2010-2020
Style
Swing
Difficulty
Medium
Tempo
Medium
Type
Vocal
Time signature
4/4

Sheet music

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Notes on the piece:

Ocean Waves is a simple piece written for SATB a cappella choir or small vocal ensemble.

It draws influence from jazz with an importance placed on a rhythmically secure, steady, driving

beat and the use of some scat syllables . These sounds should imitate how the syllables

would be spoken, with softer consonants used than in typical choral pronunciation.

The work was originally titled Song For Mariam and had no words, just scat sounds. This

version of the work, renamed Ocean Waves has had lyrics set to it by Janice Slater.

The form is simple and symmetrical: Introduction, AA, BB, AA and Ending (a recap of the

introduction.) The composition is built upon a repeated four chord harmonic progression:

G/D, C, G/B, Bbma13#11, over which a simple tuneful melody is stated. The bridge provides some

harmonic variation with a twice repeated progression: Ab, Eb/G, Cma7sus2, C.