Carnegie Hall

When Beethoven wrote “Ode to Joy” for his Ninth Symphony, he incorporated Friedrich Schiller’s poem, “An die Freude.” It was a revolutionary call for equality, freedom, and brotherhood.

• Read the English lyrics for “Ode to Joy,” which are a loose translation of Schiller’s poem.
  • What messages do these lyrics communicate?
  • What is the mood?
  • What qualities should the music have to represent the song’s mood or message? Should it be fast or slow? Loud or soft? Might there be pauses or rests in the music? Should certain words be accented?
• Listen to “Ode to Joy” (vocal part).
  • Which words are emphasized in the melody? How?
  • Describe the mood, melodic contour, tempo, and dynamics that you hear.
  • How do the qualities Beethoven uses compare to the qualities you chose to represent the lyrics?

Creative Extension

In 2020, to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday, the project All Together: A Global Ode to Joy invited orchestras around the world to reimagine Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in their own way, interpreting the ideas in “Ode to Joy” in response to today’s world and adapting the text into local languages.

• Explore some of the texts that were created for this project and the inspiration behind each original creation.
• Write your own lyrics for “Ode to Joy” based on something that you care about.

The Hindustani Bhajan

Composer Reena Esmail’s “Ram Tori Maya” is a setting of a Hindustani bhajan: a devotional song that can be spiritual in nature and can also be about global issues. It is in verse-chorus form and sung in Hindi. The lyrics for this bhajan were written by an unknown poet in the 1800s, and the melody was written by a composer named Ninu Mazumdar much more recently.

• Read the English lyrics of the bhajan. (These are loosely translated because the poetic language in Hindi has many concepts with no English equivalents.)
• Discuss the lyrics.
  • What does it mean to be focused on something? What is devotion? What kinds of things do you think deserve your focus and devotion?
  • What is something you are devoted to and want to focus on?
  • What might distract you from focusing on doing what you love?
  • How can you stay focused on your goals?
  • What does it mean to “dance to other people’s tunes?”
• Write a bhajan poem about following your heart and devoting yourself to something you love.

Umoja is the Swahili word for “unity” and is the first day of seven in the African American celebration of Kwanzaa. Valerie Coleman’s original composition was a vocal piece intended for a family sing-along, then for women’s choir.

• Read the original lyrics of “Umoja.”
  • What message do these lyrics communicate?
  • What does Umoja (“unity”) mean to you?
  • How do you show unity with your family, friends, or classmates?
  • Why do you think unity is important in a community?

Creative Extension: An Anthem of Unity

In 1997, Valerie Coleman founded the quintet Imani Winds. Imani (pronounced “ee-MAH-nee”) is also a Swahili word that means “faith” and is the principle of the final day of Kwanzaa. Coleman rewrote her choral version of “Umoja” for her new wind quintet, and the piece quickly became an anthem for the ensemble, celebrating the individual members’ diverse heritages.

• As a class, write new lyrics for “Umoja,” creating a class anthem inspired by the theme of unity.
  • What does unity mean to us as a class, school, or community?
  • How do we show unity in our daily lives? (e.g., helping friends, standing up for others, working together)
  • How do songs help bring people together? (e.g., national anthems, protest songs, songs sung at gatherings)
• Individually or in small groups, decide on the message you want to communicate and use My Anthem of Unity (PDF)  to guide the creation of your new lyrics.
• Sing your new anthem using “Umoja” (melody)  or another familiar melody.
• Include a call-and-response section to reflect the musical traditions of “Umoja.”
• Try incorporating some Swahili words into your new unity anthem.

Swahili Words

Umoja is the Swahili word for “unity.”

• Explore and learn some other Swahili words.
  • Do you recognize any of these words?
    • Jambo: hello
    • Asante: thank you
    • Rafiki: friend
    • Karibu: welcome
    • Kwaheri: goodbye
    • Nzuri: beautiful
    • Habari: hello
    • Jenga: to build
    • Hakuna matata: no worries

Go Deeper

Valerie Coleman has created several different versions of “Umoja,” starting with the choral arrangement, and most recently, the version for orchestra. She refers to these different versions as “siblings,” because they are similar and have the same origins, but each has a unique voice and perspective.

• Listen to “Umoja” (complete) to hear the orchestral version.
• Then listen to or watch other versions of “Umoja,” where you can find versions for wind quintet, flute choir, and wind ensemble / band.
  • What do you notice in each of the different versions?
  • Does the melody stay the same or change in each version?
  • What instruments do you hear in each version?
  • How does the choice of instruments change the feeling or mood of the piece?
  • How do these different versions express the idea of unity in different ways?
  • If you could arrange “Umoja” for a new group of instruments, what would you choose and why?