Tracking down sheet music for Caroline Shaw's Cant voi l'aube

December 26, 2022 12:08 PM

How do I track down sheet music for Caroline Shaw's Cant voi l'aube?

I'd like to find sheet music for Caroline Shaw's Cant voi l'aube (and possibly the rest of the string quartets and vocal pieces on Evergreen as well!). I've seen it played by string quartets / vocalists other than Attacca and Caroline Shaw, so there music be a way to get sheet music. I've contacted Caroline Shaw Editions twice using the webform in the past month and gotten no response; not sure if nobody's checking the messages, or (please no!) if she just doesn't want to sell the sheet music.

I tried sticking it in Sibelius but I guess I'm not very good at automated transcription because I was unable to get sensical results even after some finagling. Also, I'd honestly really like to pay Caroline for her work if I'm going to learn her music!

Any advice appreciated.

posted by cnidaria to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Best answer: Caroline Shaw was the Composer in Residence in Vancouver BC at Music on Main a few years ago, and still returns every few years to perform. A new work will be unveiled in Vancouver in April. You might want to contact Music on Main to see if there is a better way to contact her, they will surely know.
posted by seawallrunner at 5:42 PM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Just because other ensembles or performers have played this piece of music doesn't necessarily mean that the score is published or for sale. A lot of contemporary pieces exist first as "rental material"; an ensemble will rent the parts from a service and return them when the performance is done. This also ensures that contemporary composers get paid for each public performance of the work, which is not always something that happens once the score is available for anyone to purchase.

I would try contacting one of the other ensembles that you've seen perform this piece and ask them where they received the scores or parts they used. I'm guessing they rented them, but they should be able to point you in the direction of the right music rental service. (Warning: music rentals are usually much more expensive than simply buying a score). The piece is registered on ASCAP, so I assume that she is expecting other ensembles to perform it.

Also, have you tried contacting the management email address featured on Shaw's main contact page here? This page explicitly states that contacting management will yield a more immediate reply.
posted by kingoftonga86 at 8:22 AM on December 27, 2022

Try DMing her on Twitter? https://mobile.twitter.com/caroshawmusic/status/1084350503914336258
posted by foxjacket at 10:22 AM on December 27, 2022

Response by poster: seawallrunner -- now I need to make sure I make it up to Vancouver to see that performance in April!
posted by cnidaria at 10:39 AM on December 28, 2022

Response by poster: ooh, nevermind, they're coming to Seattle too!
posted by cnidaria at 12:25 PM on December 28, 2022