Song Analysis Daybreak In Alabama

1. Mary Kate Hughes

2. Spring Semester
3. Daybreak In Alabama
4. Ricky Ian Gordon
5. 1997
6. Langston Hughes

1. Style Components
a. Melody- rich mezzo-colored soprano line; prominent use of intervals throughout;
very angular line
b. Phrase Shape- phrases begin and end on the lower notes, while the middle of the
phrases showcase the notes at the top of the staff or the interesting melodic
leaps
c. Range and tessitura- C#4-A5; mezzo-Soprano voice

8. Harmony
a. Texture- compromised of broken chords and leaps of non chord tones within
the given key signature which changes every few phrases; provides a vessel for the most
important components of the song: the five senses

9. Rhythm
a. Tempo- Adagio; easy pace
b. Meter- 4/4
c. Patterns- maintains the same type of rhythm in each phrase; use of dotted
eighth notes that keep a steady pace; slows down with elongated notes, signifying a shift
in idea or emphasizing the current idea

10. Accompaniment
a. Prelude- introduces the Western style of the piece; the style reflects the expanse
of the melody in the piece
b. Character- the style reflects the Western theme by creating an expansive
melody; acts more like an embellishment during the song, contradicts the melody and
rhythm of the soprano line several times, creating a more independent voice for the
singer

11. Text
a. Source- Langston Hughes poem, published in 1940
b. Treatment- maintains an easy-going pace, as if delivering a speech or important
message
c. Mood- very ambitious text; contains a clear message of what the speaker
desires to see in society; the prose combined with the melody creates a mood of
determination and conviction
d. Character Singing- unidentified character/narrator; expressing their current
thoughts and desires for the future
1.Objective- a desire for cooperation and peace among the races that make
up this country, emphasizing the riff between black and white
2. Transition- the primary transition in this piece comes from the display
of all five senses (touch, taste, sight, sound, smell); there are many ways the melody
breaks into a different key or mood to match the shift in idea coming from Hughes text
3. Physicality- internalized; this is an explanation of the narrators dreams

12. Opinion
a. This piece challenged me to trust my knowledge of the melody and phrasing
and not rely too much on the accompaniment, for the piano accompaniment strays from
the soprano line, acting more as an embellishment
b. Yes. It was necessary to analyze each melody line to associate the music with
the meaning of the words, which can significantly alter the execution of the song.
c. Absolutely. Having performed this multiple times, I made a new discovery each
time I sang this song, especially when it came to how I conveyed the message to the
audience.