Music by Sharneisha Joyner & Taleya Jordan
Text by Taleya Jordan
2-Part Treble Chorus + String Orchestra
Why Canʼt You Just Sing is a two-part vocal work for flexible voicing (adaptable for SA, SATB,
TB, ST, SB, AB, ST on Part 1 and AB on Part 2, and other configurations) and string orchestra.
The piece is inspired by The United States v. Billie Holiday and explores the enduring tension
between artistic expression and institutional power. Structured as a dialogue, Part I
represents Billie Holiday, while Part II embodies the voice of the United States itself. Rather
than functioning as a traditional duet, the two vocal lines exist in opposition, alternating for
much of the work and rarely aligning. This separation emphasizes the imbalance of power
and the refusal of each voice to fully yield to the other. The parts converge only briefly—most
notably at the climax— marking the moment of greatest conflict between the artist and the
system attempting to silence her.
Musically and textually, Billie Holidayʼs voice is characterized by confidence, wit, and
expressive freedom. Her material features playful rhythmic gestures and a sense of ease that
resists containment. In contrast, the United States is portrayed through stark, restrained
writing, relying heavily on sustained tones and rigid rhythmic values that evoke authority,
control, and bureaucracy. Why Canʼt You Just Sing was created collaboratively by Sharneisha
Joyner (composer) and Taleya Jordan (lyricist). Together, the work invites performers and
audiences to reflect on whose voices are deemed acceptable, whose are policed, and what it
means to sing freely in the face of systemic pressure.
Commissioned by the American Choral Directors Association and the American String Teachers Association for the Garden of American Heroes initiative of The New Canon Project. This initiative was made possible with support from the National Endowment of the Arts.
Purchase includes the full score, choral scores and instrumental parts.
Proceeds from your purchase support our BBIA music makers and educators.
Why Can't You Just Sing?
Ensemble: Chorus + String Orchestra
Parts: SATB chorus (w/piano reduction), Violin I, II; Viola, Violoncello; Contrabass
Duration: approx. 6:15
Content Level: High School, Collegiate
Mastery Level: 5 (advanced)
LICENSE TO PRINT (CHORUS+LARGE INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE): Purchase of this download is a license to print:
Two (2) copies of the full score
Up to 20 copies of each instrumental part
Up to 60 copies of the choral score, inclusive of study scores for conductors.
One (1) copy of the curriculum guide (if provided). Curriculum Guide permission includes one (1) classroom set (up to 30 copies) of any reproducible content. This license is for the purchaser only and is not transferable. For additional copies of any score or parts, please purchase an additional license.
