Two Songs for mixed choir a cappella (1953)
The piece was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Art. It consists of two songs composed to folk lyrics:
The first song is a dialogue between Kasiunia and her beloved. The leading melody, based on the pentatonic scale – which is transposed and developed by an expansion of the scope of notes – clearly reflects the folk nature of the work. The folk connection is strengthened by the presence of parallel fifths, and the harmonic progression seeks to become free from functional connections, despite the composer’s use of major and minor triads. The second song has a similar structure. The pentatonic melody in the soprano line is identical with the toccata theme from the fourth movement of the Concerto for Orchestra.
This marginal piece in Baird’s oeuvre is part of its neo-classical strand with a touch of cheerful folk nature.
