IvanReshetilov

Chartziyiya€€
For unaccompanied choir
The inspiration for this piece was drawn from the locust swarm
(chartziyiya being the Arabic for locust – the native Egyptian tongue). It
was one of the ten plagues from the Bible – the swarm overtook Egypt,
destroying all of the food and crops. There are three distinct textures built
in this piece – the opening ‘zzz’ sounds, a clear representation of the
approaching swarm; the high shrilled notes, which are a reaction to the
approaching swarm; and finally, the chant, which denotes the unity of the
swarm in an almost ecstatic manner.

Notes to the Conductor

It is worth giving attention to the several bars where there is both foot
stomping and a different technique simultaneously (eg. Bar 9).

The ‘unison’ indication in bar 57 simply implies the end of the cross-
rhythmic section and a return to everyone singing in unison.

When an upward arrow is given (as shown in the performance

instructions), it indicates that the particular section begins as a solo, and
gradually spreads, with everyone singing by the end of the arrow. A
downward arrow is the reverse of this. It may be worth thinking about how
to organize sections coming in and out in this way (left to right, back to
front), and possibly nominate one person from each section who starts
first.

When such an arrow appears between two repeat marks (eg. In bar 44), it
indicates that the singers in that section join in gradually throughout all the
indicated repeats (not just the first one). Any hair-pins and crescendo’s
are also gradual.

Written February 2009

Revised March 2009
Duration : 4’ 58”
 Chartziyiya Ivan Reshetilov
Performance Instructions : -

- Make a sustained 'zzz' sound. Move your cheeks inwards and outwards in an improvised manner, changing the quality of the sound.
Take breaths when out of air.

- When arrow is going up, start with one singer in that part, and spread until all singers are singing by the end of the arrow.
When arrow is going down, gradually drop out until no singers are singing by the end of the arrow.

- Stomp feet

- Sing an 'aah' vowel sound, at any note between the top and bottom notes of the written chord. Move your cheeks inwards and
outwards in an improvised manner, changing the sound to an 'ooh', and back to 'aah'. Also, very slowly move chromatically around
the notes within the specified range.

- Chant the written syllables. Take a breath whenever needed, but only on 'tuh' (beat 2), and give a strong accent on 'ya'.

A pp

  ca' 8 sec.    
ca' 16 sec. ca' 12 sec.
ca' 8 sec.
SOPRANO      
'zzz' sound

   pp 
ALTO      
'zzz' sound
mp
  pp  
TENOR      
 'zzz' sound

 pp  
mp
  
BASS
    
'zzz' sound

ff B q = 1 sec.

  
5 ca' 8 sec. ca' 6 sec. ca' 6 sec. ff
S.    
 
stomp feet
ff
   ff
A.    
 
stomp feet

ff
   ff
T.    
  
stomp feet

  
ff
ff
B.
   
  
Copyright © 2009 Ivan Reshetilov stomp feet
2

f
9  ca' 20 sec. ca' 5 sec.
 ca' 5 sec.
 ca' 10 sec.

    
S.  
 'aah' sound, between these pitches

f
    pp
A.     
 'aah' sound, between these pitches

f mp
   pp

T.     
  'aah' sound, between these pitches

f

subito pp mp
  
B.
    

 'aah' sound, between these pitches

pp f
ff

  
13 ca' 8 sec. ff ca' 7 sec.
  
ca' 5 sec.
S.     
 

ff f
  
ff

A.      
 

f
ff
mp
  
ff
 
T.     
  


ff
 f
 
ff
   
B.
  
 
 3

ff f ff
17  ca' 6 sec.  ca' 5 sec. ff  ca' 3 sec.
    
S.   
   

ff f ff
  
ff

A.     
   


ff f ff
  
ff

T.    
    


ff
f ff


ff
   
B.
  
   

f subito p fff
ff
21  ca' 3 sec.  ca' 2 sec. 
   ca' 10 sec.  ca' 6 sec.
S.     gliss.
 

fff

f ff

subito p
 
   
A.
   gliss. 

f
 ff subito p fff
  
T.     
  


f subito p fff
ff
  
B.
    
  
4
C
With energy q=155
  
ca' 6 sec.
25 pp
  
(31x)

cresc. from bar 16
 
 
        
S.

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

 
pp
   
   
        
A.

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

 
pp
   
   
        
T.
 char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

  
pp
   
  
        
B.

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

sfz
      
28

S.

                     

char - tuh - zi - char - char - tu - zi char - tuh - zi - char - tuh - zi - yi - ya!

subito pp

      
solo  

                       
A.

char - tuh - zi - char - char - tu - zi char - tuh - zi - char - tuh - zi char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

sfz

       
T.                      
 
char - tuh - zi - char - char - tu - zi char - tuh - zi - char - tuh - zi - yi - ya!

sfz

             
B.
                 

char - tuh - zi - char - char - tu - zi char - tuh - zi - char - tuh - zi - yi - ya!
 5

pp

32

  
solo



    
S.

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

A.       

pp

  
solo
T.      
 char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

pp

  
 
solo

         
B.

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

36
D (x4)
(x2)
S.

       

pp
 (x2) (x4)

     
    
A. 
char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

(x2) (x4)
T.        


molto rit. A tempo

  (x2) tutti ppp (x4)

  
              
B. 

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya 
char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya
6

41 (x5)
   
(x6)

    
S.

(x5) tutti pp
    
(x6)
A.  


    


char -

tuh - zi - yi - ya char -

tutti pp

  
(x5) (x6)
   
                
T.

  

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh -


(x5) (x6)
   
                   
B.


char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

45 pp (x9) ff
         
cresc. poco a poco
 tutti
S.       
              

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya
(unison)

(x9) ff
         
cresc. poco a poco

 
                   
A.


tuh - zi - yi - ya char -
 
tuh - zi - yi - ya char - char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya
(unison)

(x9) ff

                     
cresc. poco a poco

T.
    
   

zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya
(unison)

(x9) ff
          
cresc. poco a poco

                   
B.


char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya
(unison)
 7

pp

49
             
S.                      

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

pp

A.         
    
 
     
  
    

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

pp

     
         
T.
              
  

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

             
pp

B.
                     

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya

53
   
fff
 cresc.
          
         
S.

char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi -

ya!

   
fff
  
cresc.
A. 
                
char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi -
ya!

fff

  
                       
cresc.


T.
 char-tuh - zi - yi - ya char-tuh - zi - yi - ya char-tuh - zi - yi char-tuh - zi - yi
ya!

    
fff
  
cresc.
B.
                 
char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi - ya char - tuh - zi - yi -
ya!