When I Get to See You | SATB Chorus A cappella | 4'
The lyrics for this piece were inspired by the singers of South Albany High School UnitedHarmony’s reflections on the ways they work through challenges to find joy and meaning. In the singers’ reflections, a common theme emerged: a desire to spend as much meaningful time with friends as possible. I was particularly struck by one student’s line about only getting to see a friend occasionally, but making the most of that time. Other students pointed out how they felt respected and loved, even with all of their flaws, when they were with their loved ones. The resulting text is not a direct quote from the responses, but rather an attempt to capture the spirit of these reflections.
Ultimately, this is a piece about the relationships and bonds that can form when we sing together, as well as the way those bonds can hold, years later, when we don’t get to see each other as often.
When I Get to See You was commissioned by and written for South Albany High School UnitedHarmony under the direction of Brett DeYoung.
WHEN I GET TO SEE YOU
I don’t get to see you very often,
but it always makes me happy when I do.
We drive with the windows down,
singing at the top of our lungs.
We slip and fall on the ice and laugh.
We stay up way too late talking into the night.
We sing with people who want to be singing.
We love to sing—who would have guessed?
We are loved with all of our flaws.
We are heard without judgment.
No one is left out.
—Dale Trumbore, inspired by reflections from the singers of South Albany High School UnitedHarmony.
