2
for Voce Bella Women’s Chorus
’KE BONA LESELI Inspired by Chief Moshesh, founder of the Lesotho Nation
# 4 Œ P ‰unis. j œ j j & 4 œ œ œ J œ œ.
(q = ca. 120)
Soprano I Soprano II
# & 44 Œ
Alto I Alto II
# & œj œ
bo-na
# & œj œ
# j & Jœ œ
se - li!
# & ‰ Œ
# & Jœœ œœ
bo - na
# j & œœ œœ
bo - na
’Ke bo-na
‰ j œj œ œ œj œ . J œ
P unis.
œ œj œ J
j œœ œœ œœ J
div.
le - se - li!
œ œj œ J
f
’Ke
div.
j j œ œ œ fJ J
j œœ ˙˙
le - se
j œœ ˙ ˙
le - se
j œœ ˙˙
œ 2 ˙˙ œ J 4
’Ke bo - na
le - se
bo- na
j œj œ œ œ œ
œœ œœ œœ J J
j œœ ˙˙
le - se-li!
le
-
se
-
le
-
se
-
le
-
se
-
œ 2 ˙ œ 4 ˙ J
-
-
-
SAMPLE
(I Have Seen the Light)
œ. œ.
42 ˙ ˙
li!
’Ke
’Ke bo-na
œ J Jœ œ
’Ke bo-na
li!
li!
4 w 4 œ . F Jœ œ œ J li!
44 œ œ
Œ
˙.
-
F
’Ke
‰ j œ
F
‰ j œj œ Jœ J
Œ
’Ke bo- na
∑ œJ œ œ ˙ .
j œ J
le -
le - se - li!
F
’Ke
bo - na
˙ œ œ œ ˙ J
’Ke bo - na
le - se - li!
j j . œ Jœ œ J
˙.
j œ Œœ œ ‰ œœ J J J
le - se - li!
Œ
le - se - li!
Œ
‰ j œ
li!
˙.
œ œ ˙œ œ J F
44 w˙ .
bo - na
le - se
j œj œ j ˙ œ œ
li!
f œj œj 42 œœ .. J 44 J œ li!
j j œ Jœ œ œ ˙
w w
wœ .
Barbara Bridge
P œ œ œ
unis.
I have seen
P
’Ke
‰ œj J ’Ke
œ œ
I have
œ œ œ
the light!
œ œ
I have
© 2004, Barbara Bridge. Published by OCP Publications, 5536 NE Hassalo, Portland, OR 97213. All rights reserved.
Phonetic pronounciation: Kee BOH-nah leh-SEH-dee. (Some “L’s” in the Northern Sotho language are pronounced as “D”.) SATB edition (12769) also available. Visit ocp.org. Edition 12770-Z
seen
&
# . .œ
seen
# & œœ seen
# & œ
# œ œ & Jœ œ light of
# j & œ œ
Œ
œœ œœ œœ the light!
the light!
œ
I have seen
P œœ œœ œœ ..
j œœ Jœœ œœ
the light,
the
light of
j œj œ œ
œ œ œ. P
j f œ œœ œœ œ God.
j œ œ
œ
œ œ
j j œœ œœ œœ
bo - na
le - se - li!
j j œ œ œ
# Óœ œ œ œ Œœ &
œœ
I have seen
f
the light!
God.
œœ œœ œœ the light!
œ œ œ sub. pœ œ the light!
the light,
j œ
œ œ
œœ
œœ œœ œœ ..
œœ J
the light!
œ
-
le - se - li!
j œj œ . œ œ Œ œ Œ ∑
œ œ
’Ke
j œ
œ œ œ.
se - li!
j 4 œ div.4 œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙
Ó
the
œ œ œ.
P Œ œ œ I
will
œ œ P Œ
’Ke j ‰ œ . ˙œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
I will walk in the light
Œ
j œœ
œœ œœ œœ ..
j œœ 44 œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙
j 2 œ 4 œj œ
I have
œ
œ œ
le
p œ œ
œ œ
I have seen
œ œ œ
bo - na
F ’Kej boj- na ‰ œ œ œ Œ Ó
F
sub.
the light!
œœ
I have seen
j œ œ
œœ œœ œœ
œ
I have seen
j F œ œœ œœ œ
j œœ 42 œj œ œ œ ’Ke
œ œ
œ œ œ
walk in the light!
# œ œ & œ œ œ ∑
œœ
I have seen
F œ œ œ œ œ
# œj œ & œ œ # & œj œ
F œ œ
Œ
Ó
SAMPLE
# & .. œœ
3
of God.
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ∑ ’Ke Bona Leseli
4 bo - na
Œ j œj œ . œ œ œ . œ œ œ‰ œ œ œ Œ P
#
I will walk
Œ
˙
∑ P
in the light.
SAMPLE
&
’Ke bo - na ‰ Pœj œj œ Œ Ó
le - se - li!
j # œ œ & ˙
’Ke
the light
of
God.
j œ ˙. œ ˙.
# œœ œ œ œ œj œ œ œ œ œ & #
walk in the light
of
# j & 44 œ œ .
’Ke
j œ ˙. œ ˙. P
# 41 & 4 œ œ ˙. se - li!
j ‰ œœ œœ œœ J
God.
& œ œ œ œ œj œœ J
œ
bo - na
le - se - li!
# & œj œ J
U # 2 œœ & 4 #2 & 4 œ u
j j œ œœ œœ J
’Ke
’Ke Bona Leseli
le
j 2 œœ 4 œj œ J
bo - na
j j ‰ œœ œœ œœ . J ƒ
j j œ œœ œœ J
-
se
j4 œ 4 ˙˙ J
molto rit.
œœ J
j œœ 42 œœj œœ ’Ke
j œœ 44
bo - na
le -
j 42 j œœ œ œ unis.
2
œ œ .. 44 œ œ ˙
sub.
j 44 œ p ‰ œœ J
se - li!
’Ke
œ œ .. 44 œ œ ˙ div. œ œ ˙
‰ œj œ sub. p
I have
f œ œ œ œ ˙˙ œ œ œ
j œœ 44 ˙
bo - na
ƒj ‰ Jœ Jœœ œœ ’Ke
‰ œj œj œ œ f J
the light!
j œœ 42 œœj œœ ’Ke
le - se - li!
œ œ œ
I have seen
j j œœ œœ œœ
j j œœ œœ œœ
I have
P Œ œ œ
I will
le - se - li!
bo - na
Œ
˙
# j & œœ œœ
bo - na
f
j j . œ œ œ œ œ Œ F
Ó œ Œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ J F
Œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ Óœ
œ œ
le - se - li,
-
li!
I will walk in the light!
œœ
œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ f
œœ œœ .. J
˙˙
˙˙
le - se - li!
j œ
bo - na,
j œœ œ .
‰ Jœ ’Ke
molto rit.
˙œ œ J
œ J
bo - na
le
˙ Jœ œ . -
se - li!
2 4 2 4
PERFORMANCE NOTES
5
SAMPLE
As dawn broke each day, Moshesh, founder of the Lesotho nation, would emerge from his hut with the greeting, “’Ke bona leseli!” I have seen the light! According to tradition, Moshesh adopted this habit during the terrible Difaqane wars between 1820 and 1830, when the probability of being murdered in the night by marauding tribes was so great that the dawning of each new day brought this grateful cry. Under his leadership the infant nation was able to defend itself against overwhelming odds. Moshesh, a man of compassion and kindness, was loved and revered by all around him. In 1833, he welcomed the first Christian missionary to his country. That day was regarded by Moshesh as one of the most important days in the history of Lesotho. Geographically surrounded by South Africa, Lesotho is a small country with much beauty and much suffering. Today the country is ravaged by drought, hunger and the spread of the AIDS virus. In spite of their hardships, the people of Lesotho, possessing exceptional musical abilities, sing continuously, spontaneously breaking into four-part harmony. A common greeting in Lesotho is the lovely phrase, “Khotso, Pula, Nala!” Peace, rain, and plenty—in that order. And in Lesotho, “nala” means sufficiency; not more than one needs, but to be a human being, and to be free. This song was first performed in a benefit concert for the people of Lesotho and to honor the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, who served as missionaries in Lesotho for nearly 75 years. —Barbara Bridge
‘Ke Bona Leseli
