and the swallow

A choral setting of Psalm 84, Caroline Shaw’s and the swallow strikes a mood of comfort and weary contemplation while featuring many exquisite vocal textures. Composed for the Netherlands Chamber Choir in 2017, the score was partly Shaw’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Though Psalm 84 is often read at the dedication of new churches, to Shaw, the line “how lovely is your dwelling place” suggests a yearning for home amid dislocation. No less poignant, she said, is the text, “Even the sparrow has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young.” Each stanza opens with rich consonant harmonies before spreading out into the upper and lower reaches of the choir’s range. and the swallow finds Shaw in her element as a choral composer (she sings in the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth) but it has also been successfully arranged for wind ensemble and string orchestra.