A Waiter With Some Water

Barbara Rosen's A Waiter With Some Water is a delightful secular canon for five equal voices. The composer masterfully employs a contrapuntal texture, building momentum and interest as each voice enters, creating a lively and engaging musical argument. The text, sung in English, expresses a child's urgent plea for water to save a dying daughter, a serious sentiment playfully juxtaposed with the canonic form. The relentless repetition inherent in the canon mirrors the insistent nature of the plea, building to a satisfying, if simple, conclusion. This work offers a charming and musically rewarding challenge for an adventurous choir.