Basic Information

Instrumentation: Choral (SSAATTBB)
Duration: 1:50
Year composed: 2011

Description

This piece was written for a competition held by the San Francisco Choral Artists, and features poetry written by my mother, Wendy Lee Klenetsky, celebrating the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Lyrics

Poem by Wendy Lee Klenetsky

“Impossible!” its critics said,
“too big an undertaking.”
But the idea begun Nineteen Seventy Two
was one they were not forsaking.

Charles Crocker, railroad engineer,
was first with the idea of having a bridge cross the Golden Gate Strait.
Then Charles O’Shaugnessy consulted with others the same
but they wanted no part of the game.

But Joseph B. Strauss made the sketches
And with blood, sweat and tears,
After many long years,
The Golden Gate was erected!

So here’s to the workers who died on the job
And to those who somehow did survive
For they built was was once called impossible!
And may she forever thrive!

Score & Recording

Interested in performing this piece? Learn more about score pricing.