Coyote Song/¡Ay! Susanita!

SSAATB unaccompanied

Duration 3:23

Magen Solomon and the San Francisco Choral Artists premiered this piece in their 2004 “Piece Work Project,” a concert of music from many different world cultures. “Coyote Song/¡Ay! Susanita!”  features music from two groups central to California history; indigenous California tribes and those who came from around the world during the Gold Rush. This piece juxtaposes three songs I found in the educational song collection "Days of Gold." Three are indigenous songs and the third is a Spanish language adaptation of Stephen Foster's "Oh Susanna." The three indigenous songs; Grass Game (Maidu - Nisenan), Coyote Song (Mountain Maidu) and Acorn Grinding Song (Tachi Yokuts) were originally used for work or recreation.  The Spanish language adaptation of Stephen Foster's “Oh! Susanna,” which transposes the rhythm to a rollicking six-eight meter, depicts a miner leaving his lover for the gold fields. The resulting arrangement is a historical tableau depicting the encroachment of European colonizers into indigenous territory in 19th century California.

Coyote Song/¡Ay! Susanita is published by Walton Music and is available from most sheet music retailers.

Performance by the Overbrook Overtones, Overbrook Hight School, Pine Hill, New Jersey, directed by Art McKenzie

Performance by the New Jersey All State Chorus, 2013