Program Note

How do you (not) write a fugue? is a part pedagogical, part parodistic, and incredibly self-aware choral fugue that explores the topic of counterpoint through various “layers” and “levels” of meaning. Depending on the audience’s musical “level” and the “layer” one focuses on, listeners will gain something different each time they listen to this piece. On a structural level, the work is divided into three sections. The first section, the exposition, has the performers sing about basic fugal techniques while they are being demonstrated in real-time. The following development section gradually introduces rule- breaking counterpoint errors and fugal parodies in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The final section, the recapitulation, has the singers break the fourth wall. They directly address the listener and question the philosophy of composition aesthetics and rules, concluding that ultimately, the only aesthetic the composer should follow is the one that their heart desires.