Dreams Of You

Memorial Day is a particularly difficult day whether we are honoring our lost troops and heroes, or remembering other loved ones. Music is often an integral part of the ceremonies in which we engage, giving us a common, unifying element to share. We mourn, we grieve, we remember together. Songs like this one can be quite poignant in that they simply state the somber situation as well as our emotions, notably that all we have now are "dreams of you." Certainly appropriate for Memorial Day, this song could also be used for any occasion of remembrance.

Though there are three parts, it would be fine to use it as a unison piece, or just a 2-part piece. You could use it as a vehicle for a soloist, duet, or trio. You could do all or part of the tune this way, adding a chorus here and there as you wish. You'll note that it builds with each verse, adding more depth as it goes, then winding down at the end. Use this as your cue for performance.

If you would like to hear or use a unison version, we have created one for you and put it on our web site. You may access and download it for free (assuming you purchased this issue). We have also isolated parts 2 and 3 and put them on the web site for you or your students to use for rehearsing. You will find an a cappella version as well, which can be used to rehearse, inspire, or just enjoy listening to. Truly, despite the very nice accompaniment on the recording, if you did the tune a cappella with your own singers, it would be quite moving. (Details for finding the extras for this song can be found on page 75.)