I Had Rather (2004)

For A cappella Mixed Choir

Year: 2004

Duration: 4.5’

Text: George Washington (E)

Dedication: "For Judith Clurman and the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C."

First Performance: 26 October 2004 / Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. / The Presidential Singers / Judith Clurman

Publisher: Carl Fischer | Purchase

By Gilbert Stuart - Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons.

Program Note:

"I had rather be on my own farm, than be emperor of the world,” wrote General George Washington. Because he turned down what amounted to a kingship following America’s war with England, it is in large part to George Washington, the most Cincinnatus-like of American presidents, that Americans owe the tradition of the peaceful transfer of power from one executive to the next. This round, in its entirety, celebrates the straightforward integrity and humility of Washington’s words and actions.