Maria Thompson Corley
(for SAT chorus + piano)
Curriculum Guide by Alexis Peart
Castle of Our Skins | Boston Public Schools Collection
 
Proceeds from this sale supports Castle of our Skins education programs and Rising Tide Music & Arts composer pathway projects.
 
From the composer:
 
I wrote “Peace, Peace, My Soul” specifically for a Castle of our Skins commission
for the New Mission School in Boston, MA. I chose the topic from three the
students expressed an interest in exploring musically. All of them appealed to
me (the other two were spirituality and cultural pride); perhaps the war raging in
the Middle East, yet another highly publicized mass shooting, and other looming
existential problems made a poem about finding tranquility come to me most
easily.

Once I had the image of a soul folding its weary wings, I looked for others that
would complement it. The current situation feels like a tempest. I chose the
phrase “climb above the storm” because it’s impossible to achieve inner peace
without finding quiet, either internal or external. Climbing is work; the other
ways to get above something didn’t seem to convey enough struggle. The
middle of the poem consists of reminders and instructions. To become
centered, we have to make a conscious decision to shut out distractions. I chose
“calm decision” rather than “conscious decision” because the former implies
more detachment from the elements swirling around us, sort of like being in the
eye of the storm. Deep, rhythmic breathing is an age-old pathway to serenity.
After we have stilled our minds, we can go forth, energized, and ride above the
fray. To me, nothing is more inspiring than watching a bird riding the wind
currents, not flapping its wings, but just soaring. I hope something from the
experience of singing this piece stays with the student musicians in a way that
inspires them to persevere, regardless of life’s ubiquitous obstacles.

-Maria Thompson Corley