TSA-DU-MEH (A WYANDOT CRADLE SONG) for SATB voices "a capella" (2026)

TSA-DU-MEH (A WYANDOT CRADLE SONG) for SATB voices "a capella" (2026) ---------------------------------- "A Wyandot Cradle Song" is a poem by Bertrand N.O. Walker (1870-1927), a member of the Wyandotte Native American tribe who published poetry under the name Hen-Toh. Tsa-du-meh, the Wyandotte word featured prominently in the poem, is interpreted as either a word for "mother" or as a more vague "motherly guardian spirit," who, in the case of the poem, watches over and protects a child as they sleep through the night. While the refrain "O, Tsa-du-meh" isn't included in the original text, I felt that repeating that statement at the musical climax of the piece would provide for the emotional weight associated with the eponymous spirit herself. swilesmusic.com/tsa-du-meh As always, a HUGE thank you to the Rocky Mountain Chamber Choir for producing an outstanding recording of my work.