Composer, vocal activist and conductor Melanie DeMore talks about her deep connection with VocalEssence, a relationship which started in 2014, and the way in which the ensemble creates spaces for members of the community. DeMore’s piece “If I Were Bird” is featured on the ensemble’s new album, How to Hold On, and was written by DeMore to be nourishment for the soul in a chaotic world. It was also recorded exclusively at the flagship studios of Minnesota Public Radio in St. Paul earlier this year with conductor Philip Brunelle. Enjoy!
Find out more about the album!
“If I Were Bird”
Composed by Melanie DeMore
Performed by the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers led by Melanie DeMore
Recorded 2025, in the Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser studio at Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul, Minnesota.
All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Lyrics:
”If I Were Bird, If I were sky
Then in a dream I’d surely fly
Beyond the sun, then to the moon
If I were bird
If I were whale, If I were sea
My song would sing eternity
From oceans deep to earthen core
If I were whale
If I were tree, If I were grove
My roots would grow throughout the world
Connecting all both far and wide
If I were tree”
—Melanie DeMore
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