Songbird Antiphons
SATB Chorus a cappella (2025)
approx. 18 min
Music by Benedict Sheehan
Text by Charles Anthony Silvestri and Talia Sheehan
Songbird Antiphons was commissioned in 2025 by Molly Schen for Skylark Vocal Ensemble, Matthew Guard, director. As the piece itself declares, North America has lost almost 30% of its native songbird population since 1970 due to human activity. And these are not just rare species that few but avid birdwatchers have ever heard of--which would itself be tragedy enough--but well-known everyday species that most of us simply take for granted. Songbird Antiphons thus stands as both a celebration of the amazing treasure that birds and their songs represent, and a fervent plea that we humans take action to rescue them from catastrophe before it’s too late. —Benedict Sheehan
SATB Chorus a cappella (2025)
approx. 18 min
Music by Benedict Sheehan
Text by Charles Anthony Silvestri and Talia Sheehan
Songbird Antiphons was commissioned in 2025 by Molly Schen for Skylark Vocal Ensemble, Matthew Guard, director. As the piece itself declares, North America has lost almost 30% of its native songbird population since 1970 due to human activity. And these are not just rare species that few but avid birdwatchers have ever heard of--which would itself be tragedy enough--but well-known everyday species that most of us simply take for granted. Songbird Antiphons thus stands as both a celebration of the amazing treasure that birds and their songs represent, and a fervent plea that we humans take action to rescue them from catastrophe before it’s too late. —Benedict Sheehan
SATB Chorus a cappella (2025)
approx. 18 min
Music by Benedict Sheehan
Text by Charles Anthony Silvestri and Talia Sheehan
Songbird Antiphons was commissioned in 2025 by Molly Schen for Skylark Vocal Ensemble, Matthew Guard, director. As the piece itself declares, North America has lost almost 30% of its native songbird population since 1970 due to human activity. And these are not just rare species that few but avid birdwatchers have ever heard of--which would itself be tragedy enough--but well-known everyday species that most of us simply take for granted. Songbird Antiphons thus stands as both a celebration of the amazing treasure that birds and their songs represent, and a fervent plea that we humans take action to rescue them from catastrophe before it’s too late. —Benedict Sheehan