Unfurl my heart

for four Vocal soloists and SATB chorus

Full playlist on YouTube

poems by Daniel Ladinsky, inspired by Hafiz
music by Chappell Kingsland

Wild Beautiful Choral Series (WBCS-001). Digital score; please purchase one copy for each singer. Difficulty level: Advanced. Suitable for advanced college choirs and professional ensembles. Minimum 8 voices (mvt. 1), 16 voices (mvt. 2), 13 voices (mvt. 3); optimal with 16-40 voices total.

Unfurl my heart was composed in the fall of 2009 and revised in 2026. The poems are from Daniel Ladinsky’s collection The Subject Tonight is Love, inspired by Hafiz, the 14th-century Persian poet and mystic. The piece may be performed as single movements or as a set.

1. “It Happens All the Time in Heaven” – 2:00
SATB soloists; SATB chorus (non divisi)

2. “The Vegetables” – 3:30
SATB soloists; SATB chorus (divisi)

3. “The Guardians of His Beauty” – 4:30
SATTB soloists; SATB chorus (divisi)

Total duration: approximately 10 minutes

Premiere: 2/7/2010 – Sharon Harms, Jacquelyn Matava, Tim Chenette, Adam Ewing, Jacobs School of Music students, cond. Chappell Kingsland – Bloomington, Indiana