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lamento basso in the bass part on the lines, “the embers left emphasize resilience and the belief in a brighter future
from earlier fires.” The final phrase of Section B builds despite present struggles. The work’s contrasting tex-
to fortissimo at the word “rises” on a powerful tonic chord tures, text-painting, and harmonic choices amplify these
that spans four octaves, which affirms an optimistic fu- themes. It is a composition with universal relevance that
ture. The ascending melodic line and the repeated word, merits attention not only for its artistic and technical ex-
“continual,” create a sense of inevitability, and strongly cellence but also for the profound message it conveys.
communicate hope and renewal.
In Section A’, Geter reprises the opening melodic fig- Editor’s note: Composer headshot on page 68 by Rachel Hadiashar
ure, now with the text, “To frozen clods ever the spring’s
invisible law returns,” brilliantly creating a musical pic-
ture of the textual idea of renewal. This metaphor sug- NOTES
gests that just as the barren earth of winter inevitably 1
gives way to fertile soil in spring, so life’s moments of The voice part of the soloist is not specified in the score;
strife transform into times of renewal. This theme is fur- 2 however, the range is well suited for a soprano or tenor.
ther emphasized by bringing back the soloist to deliver Merrin Guice and Damien Geter, Music in Historial Context:
the cantata’s central message: “Nothing is ever really An Examination of Western European Music Through a Soci-po-
lost.” 3 litical Lens (Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2014).
The coda brings the movement to a climactic mo- The film was produced by The Washington Chorus with
ment, punctuated by the addition of the title word, executive producers Eugene Rodgers and Stephen Beau-
“Hope!” on a strong tonic chord. Following this, the final doin. “Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow,” The
phrase features the choir humming a tonic chord while Washington Chorus, https://thewashingtonchorus.org/
the soloist gently reiterates for the last time, “Nothing is 4 cantata-for-a-more-hopeful-tomorrow.
ever really lost.” The score indicates diminuendo al niente in “A Note from Composer Damien Geter,” https://
all parts, combined with the instruction for the cello to thewashingtonchorus.org/cantata-for-a-more-hopeful-
“Continue as if moving further into the distance.” This 5 tomorrow.
creates a fading effect that lingers beyond the choir’s Megan Levad, Why We Live in the Dark Ages (Tavern Books,
release. The optional extension of the cello’s ostinato 6 2014).
contributes to the effect, with each repetition growing Megan Levad, What Have I to Say to You (Tavern Books, 2018).
7
quieter. The cello’s ostinato symbolizes the perpetual Gay Wilson Allen and Alexander Norman Joffares, “Walt
flow of life, time, and hope. These final measures en- Whitman,” Encyclopedia Britannica Online, Last up-
capsulate Geter’s masterful portrayal of continuity and dated March 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/
transformation. As the music gradually fades, it conveys 8 Walt-Whitman.
that although individuals experience physical death, the Damien Geter, Zoom interview with author, April 2024.
9
cycle of life endures beyond what is immediately visible Damien Geter, Zoom interview.
10
or perceptible. Damien Geter, Zoom interview.
11 Aminata Sei, e-mail correspondence with author, 2024.
12 Damien Geter, Zoom interview.
Conclusion 13 Damien Geter, Zoom interview.
14 The score does not specifically indicate that the soloist
Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow is a powerful mu-
sical response to the COVID-19 pandemic that charts a should join the alto line (which has the melody). How-
journey from fear to hope. The first movement, “Fear,” ever, the soloist in the premiere recording did so, and in
portrays the physical and emotional manifestations of correspondence with the author, Geter shared that this
anxiety. “The Prayer” and “Breathe,” the second and decision is up to the conductor.
third movements, focus on meditative practices intend- 15 Damien Geter, Zoom interview.
ed to calm the body and mind, while the fourth move- 16 Walt Whitman, “Continuities,” New York Herald (March 20,
ment, “The Resolve,” and the final movement, “Hope,” 1888).

CHORAL JOURNAL November/December 2025 Volume 66 Number 4 79