VYCWhatIf

E R IC W H I TA C R E ’ S

VIRTUAL YOUTH CHOIR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNICEF AND THE GLASGOW 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES 'WHAT IF' FROM PARADISE LOST

What If from Paradise Lost

Composed by Eric Whitacre Lyrics by David Noroña and Eric Whitacre Music for Eric Whitacre's Virtual Youth Choir in partnership with UNICEF and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The use of this sheet music is solely to learn and record your video submission for participation in the Virtual Youth Choir (2014) and not for performance elsewhere, copying or distribution. Thank you. Copyright 2014 Eric Whitacre. All Rights Reserved.

2

What If Lyrics by David Norona and Eric Whitacre

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Music by: Eric Whitacre

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© 2014 Eric Whitacre

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E R IC W H I TA C R E ’ S

VIRTUAL YOUTH CHOIR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNICEF AND THE GLASGOW 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES 'WHAT IF' FROM PARADISE LOST

What if Your voice Set free? Rejoice!

What if Your wings Sailed free? We’d sing!

What If is a song that I have arranged especially for the Virtual Youth Choir to sing for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games in partnership with the world’s largest children’s organization, UNICEF. What if we could join young voices together to make a difference – to help other young people? We can. We are inviting young people and children (18 or under) to record themselves singing What If so that we can join them together to form our first Virtual Youth Choir. Then we’ll join the Virtual Youth Choir’s voices with other musical textures – a live choir and an electronica track – to make the full song. What If was originally written for my musical, Paradise Lost, which we will bring to a West End stage next year. The approach to the song is very much music theater rather than classical, so I’d love for singers to try and sing with a slight pop or music theater quality. Lots of joy and shimmer in the voice and in their faces. We want the song and the video to express a feeling of profound hope and optimism. In re-writing What If and creating this Virtual Youth Choir we hope to draw young singers from around the world to join together and sing for this very special opportunity: let’s make a difference.

The use of this sheet music is solely to learn and record your video submission for participation in the Virtual Youth Choir (2014) and not for performance elsewhere, copying or distribution. Thank you. Copyright 2014 Eric Whitacre. All Rights Reserved.